RUGBY
IN sport, as with larger concerns, the odds may be great and margins for error small, but the stakes infinite.
And for some teams in Civil Project Solutions Premier Rugby heading into Week 6 action tomorrow, that is a reality.
Unbeaten Waikohu (24 competition points), Ngatapa (18pts) and YMP (16pts) are in good shape at the start of the second round, with High School Old Boys (10pts), Pirates (6pts) and 2019 champions OBM (2pts) needing to not just win games but accrue bonus points regularly to have a chance of qualifying for the 1 v 4, 2 v 3 semifinals.
OBM hold the Lee Brothers Shield but have yet to taste victory in this shortened season. The epic turnaround in form required for them to defend the Shield on September 12 from here, would be without precedent in 130 years of Poverty Bay senior club rugby.
At the other end of the scale, if Waikohu were to win every game in Round 2, they would surpass their nine-match super-streak of 2017. Waikohu made the grand final for the first time that year, but lost 34-3 to HSOB.
Tomorrow East Coast Farm Vets YMP host GT Shearing Waikohu on Barry Park 1. Larsawn Ngatapa are at home — Paddy’s Park 1, Patutahi Domain — to Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates and Oval 2 is the venue for Contract Consultants HSOB v Enterprise Cars OBM.
All games start at 2.45pm.
YMP are keen to test a theory: that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Both YMP and Waikohu are led by their hookers, Waikohu’s Geoff Pari and YMP’s Shayde Skudder — men of their time. Skudder’s team have been a revelation in terms of zest for training and rugby; they lost 24-10 to Waikohu on the Gisborne High School Rectory No.1 ground on Tiny White Opening Day, but beat OBM 28-12 on Barry Park No.1 in Week 2 and have grown as a unified force since.
“We’ve done our experimenting, and put Round 1 behind us — this is where it counts,” said Skudder, whose team have won three games and lost two so far.
“We have to put our heads down and work at the business end.”
YMP head coach Brian Leach relishes the prospect of his forwards locking horns with those of Waikohu: “I want to see good back play and forward play but the battle up front, first.”
Blindside flanker Shyann Wyllie, tough No.8 Jess Kapene, classy first five-eighth Austin Brown and vice-captain and right wing Te Peehi Fairlie have consistently been among YMP’s best in 2020, while fullback Andrew Tauatevalu — since signing with YMP a fortnight ago — has given glimpses of the threat posed by his size, speed, skill and strength.
Waikohu won their first-round matches by an average of 29 points to 13: their closest game was 24-18 against HSOB and biggest margin of victory 31 points (38-7 against Pirates on June 27). But their dominance extends beyond statistics.
Their huge forwards have worn down brave opposition and given a backline featuring such talents as Kelvin Smith, Tane McGuire, Tione Hubbard and Ethine Reeves space in which to operate. While metres made can be counted, traditionally bruises given or conceded per metre are not.
A ledger containing those for Waikohu would be quite a read. From halfback, their player-coach Ra Broughton keeps a waspish eye on the competition leaders, who will be without their regular captain, hooker Geoff Pari (right shoulder). His place as rake and as skipper will be taken by Tristan Morten, who scored two tries against HSOB from No.8 in Week 4.
Pari believes that Waikohu slipped into cruise-mode at times during the first round.
Broughton said: “By this stage, we always wanted to be in sync; it’s all positive stuff as we build. The boys are enjoying it.”
BILL Maxwell, the first captain of the Ngatapa sub-union, and Don “Cougar” McDonald, the Pirates club’s original skipper and openside flanker in 1952, still love their rugby.
Maxwell attended Ngatapa’s pre-season game against Opotiki Sports at Opotiki and McDonald is in his 91st year.
Tomorrow Ngatapa have home-ground advantage for the second meeting, having won the teams’ first encounter this season at School Park 32-14. Ngatapa won two games, lost at home 38-21 to Waikohu and finished Round 1 with two strong performances.
Ngatapa have always been a close-knit team, but since the injuries to centre Isaac Thomas (right ankle) 37 minutes into the 18-8 win against HSOB and captain hooker Jason Jones (right knee) five minutes into the Week 3 clash with Waikohu, they have been a tighter unit than ever.
Loosehead prop Campbell Chrisp and halfback Willie Short, as co-captains, have done and run what was needed to keep it together on-field for head coach Stephen Hickey.
Like all coaches, Hickey is mixing and matching players with combinations in a basic, workable game-plan.
“We’ll start Todd Harris at hooker and Jack Fuller at lock in the forwards, and move Alex Chrisp from blindside flanker to No.8,” he said.
“We want to extend our time-frames for playing our best rugby — to this point, we’ve been great in 10-, 15-minute bursts.”
Chrisp said: “We’re setting weekly goals, breaking the game down to basics. It’s good but we’re determined to keep the momentum going, and continually improve.”
Ngatapa have as ball-winners at lineout time the likes of blindside flanker Jacob Samuels, lock Sam McDell and his second-row partner — on debut — Jack Fuller.
Pirates head coach Willie Waitoa was pleased at his side’s turnout at Barry Park last night.
“Those were the best numbers we’ve had at training for three weeks,” he said.
“We got one W in the last round, and I’d love the boys to match that or even get two Ws in Round 2. I’d like us to be competitive in all matches.”
Paora Mullany will return to his position at blindside flanker after playing second-five against High School Old Boys in Week 5. He scored in the 79th minute for the Buccaneers last Saturday. Junior Akurangi will play second-five tomorrow. Centre Rasari Solomoni remains at centre.
Waitoa’s aims and the mindset of Pirates captain and No.8 Willie Bolingford line up: they will not compromise or relent.
Pirates captain Bolingford said: “We know where we stand and also where we need to get to as a team. We’re excited, determined and ready to get stuck into it.”