Muscular defences in Oval’s first game back

Crashing through: Hooker Paea Halafihi storms through the OBM defences. He kept HSOB looking good with a try right on halftime, but it did not prove enough in the end to get his team over the line. Picture by Liam Clayton

OBM were too good for High School Old Boys in Saturday's first game of premier grade rugby at the Oval for the year.

Contract Consultants HSOB were unable to capitalise on their opportunities, while Enterprise OBM were ruthless in their execution, winning 31-19 on the newly irrigated grounds.

It was a perfect day for running rugby, making for an exciting game, with both teams passing the ball around freely.

HSOB started strong, camping themselves in their opponents' half and earning several set-piece opportunities in their 22. But the OBM defence held firm, absorbing the waves of attack and fighting back at every opportunity.

The relentless defence was rewarded as OBM stormed to a 19-point lead early in the game, capitalising on every chance they had.

HSOB were reduced to 14 men for a period of the first half, when hooker Paea Halafihi was given a yellow card for a high tackle in the clean out, which further contributed to OBM gaining such a strong early advantage.

After repeated attempts to build pressure and cross the line, HSOB kept themselves in the game with a try on the stroke of halftime to Halafihi.

They were camped in OBM's half for long periods, but before their try had been unsuccessful in finding the line break they needed to score. Halafihi's try came at the perfect time, scoring through a rolling maul to take the team into the sheds down 19-5, but with their tails up.

The second half saw a back and forth game where the structure started to break down as the pace of the first half started to catch up with the players.

OBM opened the scoring in the second stanza through prop Bailey McDonald off a rolling maul of their own, but opened the door for HSOB when flanker Keanu Taumata was sin binned for a tip tackle.

The man advantage meant the edge at scrum time changed hands, with HSOB starting to dominate the OBM pack. Substitutions had also evened the advantage OBM had in the first half, which had seen them awarded several penalties.

HSOB utilised that advantage to score next with back-up halfback Sam Middleton, who had started the game at flanker, burrowing through the disintegrated forward pack.

OBM's centre John Jones put the game out of reach for HSOB when he glided through a gap to score under the posts.

A consolation try went to No.8 Tamanui Hill from the back of the scrum after another big push by HSOB saw their game end on a positive note.

OBM coach Clint Pirihi said the key to their success on Saturday was the forwards and backs complementing each other.

OBM's defence was one of their strongest points, but only half the equation, he said.

“I don't panic when we're on the line trying to hold our own. . . but rugby is made of two things, and it's called attack, as well.”

Pirihi said he was proud of how his team picked up what they had been practising at training and applied it to the game, particularly in attack.

He said their forward pack had wanted to make a point of their scrummaging on Saturday and had “pushed them over” a couple of times.

HSOB coach Danny Boyle said he saw improvements across the park from his team and he was “as happy as you can be, when you get beaten”,

Their defence held strong and made OBM work for their tries, but he said HSOB still needed to focus on finishing their opportunities.

“When you're camped in their 22 for half an hour and then you make one mistake and they go down the field and score quickly, it's quite demoralising.”

He said that the chances they had were promising and as they refine their finishing, HSOB will be a hard team to overcome.

Boyle said it had been good to see the Tucker family come down to watch the game and have them at the club to remember Erle Tucker, a life member of Poverty Bay Rugby and ardent HSOB supporter.

OBM 31 (Rikki Terekia, Bailey McDonald, Keanu Taumata, Blake Crosby, John Jones tries; Jake Holmes 3 conversions).

HSOB 19 (Paea Halafihi, Sam Middleton, Tamanui Hill tries; Corey Reihana 2 con).