It’s Turanga Pirates and Wairoa Athletic in final

Celebrating success: A scene like this one after last year’s Senior 1 final would be the ideal way for Wairoa Athletic to finish the season. They face Turanga Pirates at Rugby Park in this year’s Senior 1 final at 1pm on Saturday. The game is the curtainraiser for the premier grade final, which starts at 3pm. File picture by Paul Rickard

Can Anthony Kiwara's Buccaneers dethrone last year's Senior 1 champions?

The Kiwara-coached Turanga Pirates will take on the grade's dominant force — and holders of the Lew Patterson Cup — Charteris Choppers Wairoa Athletic, at Rugby Park at 1pm this Saturday.

Pirates beat an incredibly resourceful and resilient Nuhaka V8s outfit 16-10 in the 2 v 3 semifinal at the Oval on Saturday, while Athletic beat their 2021 Senior 1 final opponents Roseland Tavern Tapuae 20-15 in 1 v 4 at Bayleys Real Estate Gisborne Athletic Park.

Pirates captain and No.8 Patriah Kaliopasi won the toss and chose direction; Nuhaka went with the wind and kicked off.

Nuhaka opened the scoring with a penalty goal to co-captain and centre Blayze Waiari-Taylor eight minutes in.

Pirates first five-eighth Tyreke Casey reciprocated after 15 minutes.

In the 26th minute, Nuhaka second-five Hickson Raroa got in for the first try. Waiari-Taylor had taken a shot at goal, been unsuccessful and Raroa charged down the clearing kick to score. Waiari-Taylor converted to give the visitors a 10-3 advantage.

In the 31st minute, Pirates lock Setefano Tolu scored the home team's first try. The conversion attempt failed and Nuhaka led 10-8 at halftime.

Casey kicked his second penalty goal to give Pirates a one-point lead, 11-10, in the 51st minute and in the 71st minute second-five Nahau Holani scored the third try of the match, which was unconverted, for 16-10.

Pirates lock Charlie Kepa and Nuhaha No.8 Kava Tupe won their teams' MVP (most valuable player) awards.

Veteran Raroa, who was superb, said it was a rugged game, while Pirates coach Kiwara said it was a spectacle to watch and be a part of.

“Both sides played excellent, exciting rugby, and Nuhaka's community support made for an awesome atmosphere,” Kiwara said.

“Charlie (Kepa) is a little bit older than many of our other boys but in the way he plays you wouldn't think it.”

It wasn't just a classic local derby.

The 1 v 4 semifinal at Athletic Park between Wairoa Athletic and Tapuae was a replay of the 2021 Civil Project Solutions Senior 1 final.

And with the top berth in Saturday's 1pm showpiece up for grabs, it was always going to be a big ask for Tapuae to beat Paul Morunga's Athletic posse at home.

But under captain and hooker Wayne Hema, the visitors gave it a heck of a shot.

Wairoa Athletic co-captain and loosehead prop Alex Little won the toss and chose an end on a warm day on a heavy ground. Hema's side kicked off in front of 300 spectators.

Wairoa Athletic led 17-0 at halftime, on the back of tries to Little (10 metres in from the left corner, 12 minutes into the game), and fullback Sean Taylor (21st minute), both converted by centre Moss Doran, who also kicked a penalty goal after 32 minutes.

The Tapuae second-half fightback stirred the soul. Lock Gabriel Doull scored in the 55th minute, rake Hema rumbled home in the 71st minute and reserve blindside flanker Te Kauri Carroll got across on fulltime to give the home team a terrible fright. Had all three Tapuae tries been converted, the result might have been a massive upset.

As it was, Hema had no complaints: “Both teams won their own lineout and scrum-ball on set piece, which was testing due to ground conditions.”