Tapuae winger Filimone Drua was a handful for the Ngatapa defence in their Poverty Bay Premier club rugby season-opening game on Saturday. He was among the tryscorers in Tapuae's 33-7 win. Photo / Paul Rickard
Tapuae winger Filimone Drua was a handful for the Ngatapa defence in their Poverty Bay Premier club rugby season-opening game on Saturday. He was among the tryscorers in Tapuae's 33-7 win. Photo / Paul Rickard
What a start for HSOB’s new head coach James Jenkins.
Earthwork Solutions High School Old Boys came from nine points down to beat reigning champions East Coast Farm Vets YMP 20-12 at the Tiny White Opening Day for Te Pae Hākari Poverty Bay Premier club rugby at Ngatapa’s Paddy’s Parkon Saturday.
It was a dramatic turnaround from last year, when YMP beat the blue and whites 41-22 and 56-12 on their way to a perfect winning record for the season.
“We were stoked with Saturday’s result and are hungry going into this weekend versus Tapuae,” said Jenkins, who played three seasons for HSOB up until 2023 and 95 games for Manawatū club Feilding Old Boys.
“We’re working hard, having fun, building a high-performing culture in which the boys are thriving and developing a ‘next-job mentality’, which reinforces that we can only control what we do.
“The win has sparked belief in our potential because we still have much to improve on.”
The Shayde Skudder-captained YMP opened the scoring nine minutes into the first half when powerhouse No 8 Jesse Kapene crossed from a lineout drive.
His try was converted by vice-captain and first five Kelvin Smith, who went off with an injury to his left arm a quarter of an hour into the contest – a big loss for YMP.
HSOB captain and halfback George Halley went close to scoring a try, only to lose control of a slippery ball, but his side closed the deficit when first five Te-Reimana Gray potted a 10m penalty goal after 23 minutes.
YMP increased their lead with a try to blindside flanker Legend Winiata in the 26th minute and his crew went into halftime 12-3 ahead.
YMP fullback Kahurangi Leach-Waihi, on debut, secures the ball as HSOB's Matt Proffit closes in. Leach-Waihi made one memorable run, but his Poverty Bay Premier grade reigning champion team were beaten 20-12 on the Tiny White Opening Day at Ngatapa. Photo / Paul Rickard
It would have been less had YMP openside flanker Shyann Wyllie not brought down powerhouse HSOB No 8 Siosiua Moala – later named Tiny White Medal winner as overall Most Valuable Player on opening day – just before the break with a superb tackle.
YMP second five Anthony Karauria made the first big charge of the second half, but HSOB also went hard early on, only to be denied a try near the left corner in the 54th minute.
Five minutes later, with rain teeming down, HSOB fullback Cohen Loffler slid in to score, reducing their deficit to 12-8.
That lifted his team and in the 75th minute, outside back Matt Proffit got a great pass away to reserve left wing and former OBM man Josaia Bosaka Tikicidre, who scored to give HSOB a 13-12 lead.
They sealed victory in the 79th minute when fetcher Ryan Jones took a brilliant pass and Tikicidre completed a double in his HSOB debut, which Loffler converted.
Two players made their Premier debuts for Tapuae – right wing Ruka Hatley and reserve hooker Tihema Tikahika.
Openside flanker Lennox Shanks, reserve left wing Sefanaia Sirino and reserve right wing J’Dan Taumata-Tarawhiti made their club and Premier debuts.
Openside flanker Shanks and loosehead prop Wayne Hema scored the visitors’ first two tries.
Hema led his side in the absence of injured hooker Ngahiwi Manuel and had a big game, as did Ngatapa skipper and lock Jack Twigley.
Tapuae scored three unanswered tries in the first half – by Shanks (fourth minute), Hema (11th) and fullback Eneriko Tupou (17th).
Player-coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman, at first five, converted two of those.
Hema scored from a lineout drive in the left corner. Tupou bumped three would-be tacklers off to dot down.
Tupou’s lively opposite, Tsugunosuke Hirai, kept Tapuae watchful, while reserve tighthead prop Ihaia Kerr played a mighty game, including some monster tackles, when he was introduced in the second half.
After 53 minutes, Ngatapa centre George Twigley scored a turbocharged try, converted by Hirai, to get his side on the scoreboard.
Manuel-Harman showed his class in the 56th minute, throwing a dummy, then accelerating away to score a try, which he converted for 26-7.
Tank-like winger Filimone Drua scored the last try of the day in the 63rd minute, converted by Manuel-Harman.
“I thought our lads were resilient in the face of adversity,” Manuel-Harman said. “We had only four players on the reserves bench because of injuries and player availability.”
Officials Ben Holt, Hona Huriwai and Jared Pearse gave good service in game one; Matt Smith, Danius Boyder and Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union life member Neville Barwick likewise in game two.
