No more easy games

Test for defence: Uawa forward Harley Phillips will test TVC’s mettle in defence in an East Coast club rugby clash at Whangaparaoa on Saturday.Picture by Doone Harrison

RUGBY

Grit your teeth and get on with it. That’s what Hicks Bay are going to do at 3pm this Saturday.

Game 2 of the East Coast rugby double-header at Whakarua Park in Week 13 pits sixth-placed Hicks Bay (20 competition points) against Hikurangi (49pts).

Hikurangi’s 20-10 away loss to defending champions Tihirau Victory Club at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa last weekend cost them top spot.

Uawa are now top, with 50 points, Hikurangi are second, TVC (46pts) are third and Tokararangi (39pts) are fourth.

In Game 1 of the double-header, fifth-placed Ruatoria City (29pts) play Tokararangi at 1.15pm.

TVC have a home game at Whangaparaoa against Uawa at 2.30pm. Waiapu have the bye for Tokomaru Bay United’s withdrawal.

Some games you never forget.

And this could be one of them: the second meeting of TVC — who in a white-hot atmosphere, won their first title last year — and Uawa, whose forwards are “terror belli, decus pacis” (“terror in war, ornament in peace”), or in rugby terms, awesome on the field of play but gentle giants off it.

TVC know their opponents will be big, blue, and in the mood to stamp their authority. Uawa beat Tokararangi 23-20 last week, but were unhappy with their performance at home.

The TVC front row who did the job against Hikurangi — Rika Mato, player-coach Whetu Haerewa and Rawiri Waititi — will be up against an even broader proposition from the visitors.

“Everyone’s focus is accuracy, minimising basic errors,” TVC captain and second-five Moana Mato said.

“It’s about capitalising on territory, and mistakes by the opposition.”

Rapata Haerewa, the man whose right boot decided the 2017 East Coast club final in extra time, and Verdon Bartlett, the man who scored the match-winning try for Ngati Porou East Coast in the 2012 Meads Cup final, were sensational for TVC as a halfback/first five-eighth pairing last Saturday.

Mato and Haerewa no doubt want them to be solid again but there is also a need to keep Uawa guessing.

Hicks Bay did a little of that in their match against Uawa at Wharekahika a fortnight ago — although they lost 35-33 — on the same day that Ruatoria City pummelled TVC 38-20 at Whakarua Park.

None of the top four teams have found it plain sailing or had an easy run during the second round; teams who in the first round struggled for players and were easily beaten have been digging their heels in.

Uawa had won five in a row before, on May 12, TVC came back from 10-0 down at halftime to beat them 13-10. That day, Hikurangi — “The Maunga” — rose to the No.1 ranking, and Uawa captain lock Scott Lasenby handed the George Keelan Memorial Shield over to Mato.

Lasenby and his crew intend to take that trophy back.

“We’re pretty excited,” Lasenby said.

“It’s the last game for us before the semifinals, so we want to make it a good one.

“TVC run hard, tackle hard and always play the whole 80.”

Uawa fullback BJ Sidney kicked two penalties and a conversion against Tokararangi but TVC’s composure and organisation should minimise penalties as a factor.

Bulky Uawa forwards Laman Davies and Harley Phillips will test the home team’s mettle in defence — and also put under the spotlight an important consideration for one of the competition’s sharpest coaches.

When asked what he wanted his Hikurangi team to maintain and improve in the last two weeks of round-robin play, the Maunga’s Doone Harrison said simply: “Discipline”.

Harrison’s crew, under captain hooker Ngarimu Parata, have improved immeasurably in that area. Although both teams had 15 players on the field when Uawa hooker Richard Tuhaka scored to give “The Awa” a 17-15 victory over Hikurangi in their Round 1 clash, the penalty-count against Hikurangi was 40.

That had to change and it did.

Hicks Bay player-coach and second-five Warren Henderson knows that to subdue Hikurangi at home, his team have hard riding ahead.

“Although we’ve had good numbers on and off this season, our top priority is to get a team out there,” he said.

“The boys have had their moments, and this should be another week of having a blast.”

This season, Hicks Bay have been served by two captains — No.8 Frank Taiapa and fullback Sean Murtagh — whose instinct is to attack.

Murtagh is an exciting player. Highly skilled and fearless, he looks for space, has a varied kicking game and plays spirited rugby.

Taiapa is a clever player who tackles as hard as any but also keeps a clear head in the battle.

Veteran Tyrone Delamere and often four or five other family members ensure that some of what might otherwise pass for off-the-cuff play is actually advanced teamwork.

Tyrone Delamere scored the last try in Hicks Bay’s 35-33 loss to Uawa on June 23. If Hicks Bay hadn’t given Uawa a 21-0 head start, the current competition leaders might have lost a thriller.

Avenging the 36-0 loss to Hikurangi in Week 6 or reclaiming the Pirika Huriwai-Jones Memorial Trophy are not on the shortlist of things to do for Hicks Bay. At times, listing the opposition’s most dangerous players — halfback Neihana Ratahi-Brown, first-five Te Aho Matua Morice and left wing Zyon Collins — is a good idea. Then, counter-measures can be devised, options discussed.

At other times, teams are better off to simply tackle anyone not wearing their jersey, and run as hard, as fast and as far as they possibly can — the “go for the doctor” approach.

Hicks Bay must live dangerously to threaten Hikurangi; an arm-wrestle won’t do it. And, yes, the odd line-ball or 50-50 pass may need to be thrown.

Repeat, 50-50 . . . not 25-75.

Ruatoria City don’t lack for motivation.

The Lisa Muller-coached City beat 2017 champions TVC on more than just courage a fortnight ago, although they showed plenty of that.

City’s player of the day, openside flanker Jerry Mataira, scored and — much more importantly — made his tackles. Loosehead prop Pera Bishop dotted down and was superb in his core role at the scrum.

Every City player contributed to the greater whole because they had no option. To beat the team holding the Rangiora Keelan Memorial Shield requires unity and maximum effort. City produced that then, and they’ll need more of it on Saturday. Home advantage in and of itself won’t be enough to beat Tokararangi.

Tokararangi are tough. In Week 12, left wing William Martin kicked two penalties and two conversions for a team who have earned their position — fourth — the hard way. They gave Uawa a bad fright at Tolaga Bay last Saturday and have the controlled confidence born of their 27-19 win against City in Week 6.

The Israel Brown-led Tokararangi led 17-5 at halftime that day, against a team who had turned their fortunes around with a 27-all draw against Mo Mato’s TVC, and then let loose in a 49-31 win against United.

City lost an outstanding No.8 and captain, Paddy Allen, but their next man up — Tim Barbarich — has brought a hard edge to the top job. He is a strong, tough forward who carries the ball well. He’ll need to, because Tokararangi player-coach Morgan Wirepa Jnr has a ton of experience and is a leader in the visitors’ pack.

The battle up front will be interesting. Hone Haerewa played at No.8 for Tokararangi in Week 12. He is skilful and teammate Frank Henderson, at lock, is a hard-working tight forward — an unsung hero who does his job.

The Tokararangi-City match is 4 v 5; the semis are two weeks away. That’s all the motivation they need.

Match officials —Ruatoria City v Tokararangi, at Ruatoria, 1.15pm: Matt Richards, Victor Herbert, Melvin Ashford.

Hikurangi v Hicks Bay, at Ruatoria, 3pm: Jimmy Green, Matt Richards, Victor Herbert.

TVC v Uawa, at Whangaparaoa, 2.30pm: Royce Maynard (Poverty Bay).