HSOB face ‘bogey team’

PUSH OFF: High School Old Boys fullback Korey Love tries to run through a tackle by OBM centre John Jones and prepares to fend off OBM No.8 James Rutene during a premier rugby game at the weekend. HSOB won 24-14 Picture by Liam Clayton

DEFENDING Lee Bros Shield rugby champions High School Old Boys will play their bogey team Ngatapa in one semifinal on Saturday while OBM take on YMP in the other sudden-death decider.

Competition leaders Woodbank HSOB came from behind to beat second-placed Enterprise Cars OBM 24-14 in a top-of-the-table clash at the Oval at the weekend.

Farmvets YMP travelled to Patutahi needing to beat Larsawn Ngatapa, score four tries for a bonus point and deny Ngatapa a bonus point to claim third spot.

YMP achieved all these goals when first five-eighth Willie Brown kicked a penalty with five minutes remaining to give his side a 32-22 victory.

Also at the Oval, Aon Waikohu posted a club-record 106-20 victory over Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates.

Waikohu No.8 Tapu Dixon capped an outstanding season with a man-of-the-match performance that sealed the Most Valuable Player award . . . and the $1000 cheque.

Against OBM, High School Old Boys were on the wrong end of a heavy penalty count and went to the halftime break trailing 14-8.

Despite the penalty count continuing to mount in the last 40 minutes, HSOB skipper and prop Jody Tuhaka, midfield back James Warren and Scotty Leighton, who came on for winger Evan Bryant to run the cutter in the second half, made sure their teammates kept their composure.

A try in 55th minuteThey were rewarded when Leighton showed tremendous strength and determinaton to get across the line for a try in the 55th minute.

First-five Corey Reihana, who moved in one place to accommodate Leighton, landed a magnificent sideline conversion,

HSOB dominated the second half thanks to their fired-up pack — Tuhaka, props Russell Burns, and Matekairoa McGuire, locks Leslie Hills and Tani Miikosi, and the loose trio of Kavakava Tupe (blindside), Trent Proffit (openside) and Siosiua Moala (No.8)

Moala, in only his second game back after a long lay-off with injury, sealed the win with a typical Moala try off the back of a lineout.

Miikosi had secured possession five metres from the tryline.

Moala on his own is hard to stop; throw in seven others and the result is inevitable — a try. Reihana added the two points.

At the lineouts, Miikosi and Hills not only won their own ball but made sure the rare ball that OBM won was untidy.

HSOB coach Wayne Ensor said it was a good game in which both teams played well.

He was diplomatic when asked for his views on the penalty count against his side (22-11, according to manager Brendon Hart).

“It did seem high,” Ensor said.

“I’ll have a talk to the boys, but we won . . . now we move on.”

OBM coach Stu Blair had no complaints about the result.

“They completely shut us out of the second half, simple as that,” Blair said.

“Our lineout failed to function and our set-piece play was poor. Maybe it’s a wake-up call before the semis.”

HSOB 24 (Sione Tamale, Scott Leighton, Siosiua Moala tries; Corey Reihana 3 con).

OBM 14 (Dwayne Williams, James Grogan tries; Jake Holmes con).

HT: 14-8 (OBM).