Ngatapa’s Macpherson signs off with match-winning try

FOUR ON THE TROT: Larsawn Ngatapa winger Karl Macpherson takes on Woodbank HSOB flanker Tani Miikosi in premier club rugby at Rugby Park on Saturday. Macpherson scored the deciding try in a 16-10 win over the competition leaders, Ngatapa’s fourth victory in a row. With Aon Waikohu beating Enterprise Cars OBM 36-26, it’s all on in the race for the top-four playoffs. HSOB have a seven-point lead but only eight points separate the next four sides. There is no club rugby this holiday weekend. Poverty Bay play Ngati Porou East Coast in Ruatoria on Monday. Pictures by Paul Rickard

DEPARTING winger Karl “Gannet” Macpherson left Ngatapa a reminder of his pace, footwork and determination when he scored the match-winning try against High School Old Boys at Rugby Park on Saturday.

Larsawn Ngatapa’s 16-10 victory over Woodbank HSOB was the man known to his mates A last premier rugby game before he heads overseas.

“We’ll miss him,” said Ngatapa coach Will Faulks, who has now seen his side win four straight games after losing five on the trot.

“As well as being a very good player, Karl’s also a great club man. It was a great way to send him off. But the big positive for us is that not only did we win, we have a lot we can work on. With no game this week due to the Bay-versus-Coast match, we wanted to finish this round with a win, and now the boys can look forward to a good break.”

Macpherson’s try came two minutes into the second half. Despite dominating the next 38 minutes, Ngatapa made Faulks and their vocal supporters sweat before the final whistle sounded.

Reigning champions and competition leaders HSOB had more possession and territory than Ngatapa in the first 40 minutes but were restricted to a 10-8 lead, thanks to solid defence, some poor decision-making and a lineout that has gone off the boil in recent weeks.

HSOB camped inside the Ngatapa half from the kick-off and deservedly took the lead when No.8 Trent Proffit was driven across the tryline following a lineout in the 12th minute.

Before opening the scoring, HSOB turned down three kickable penalty attempts, opting for the touchline in search of a six-pointer and possible conversion without success.

The drive was onBut following another penalty five metres from the tryline, lock Leslie Hills secured possession and the drive was on, with Proffit the last man to emerge with the ball after a try was signalled.

HSOB continued to enjoy possession but against the run of play Ngatapa levelled the scores when first five-eighth Chris Richardson finished off a move involving fullback Henry Seymour and lock Semisi Akana. Richardson converted.

HSOB went back on attack but lost three successive lineouts after again chasing the eight-point combination. By now Ngatapa, whose forwards once again laid the platform, began to threaten as an attacking side. Props Campbell Chrisp and Todd Harris, hooker Hamish Forrester, locks Semisi Akana and Grant Law, and loosies Alex Chrisp, Paddy Allen and Moses Ma’u won the set pieces.

The backs are growing in confidence each week. Seymour and Macpherson started alarm bells every time they touched the ball.

Seymour got the crowd going with a brilliant counter-attack that started in his 22 and ended 20 metres inside the HSOB half. However, the next points came with a penalty from second-five Corey Reihana, who gave HSOB a 10-8 lead at the break.

Apart from the Richardson try, Ngatapa had not really fired a shot at their opposition in the opening 40 minutes. But they hit the front for the first time two minutes after the restart.

Akana, who gets better with every game, claimed the HSOB kick-off and from just outside his 22 he took play to within 27 metres of the HSOB line with a charging run.

Forrester and Alex Chrisp continued the move and, when the ball was spread wide, Seymour and Richardson showed great hands before Macpherson scored in the left corner.

With Campbell Chrisp, Allen, Akana and Mau lifting their games to a new level, it was all Ngatapa for the remainder of the game as they pinned HSOB inside their half but only had a Richardson penalty to show for their efforts.

“We had opportunities to put them away, so that’s disappointing,” said Faulks, whose side blew at least three good tryscoring chances, including a four-on-one overlap.

HSOB played the last seven minutes of the game with 14 men after co-captain and hooker Jody Tuhaka was yellow-carded for retaliation.

NGATAPA 16 (Chris Richardson, Karl Macpherson tries; Richardson con, pen).

HSOB 10 (Trent Proffit try; Corey Reihana con, pen).

HT: 10-8 (HSOB).