“On Saturday morning, there was a kawa mate (carrying the deceased) ceremony for our former head coach, the late Henry Maxwell, at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae — remembering that we've still got guys here who were with Henry and Pirates through the good times, the hard times, and now this rebuilding phase.”
Waitoa was skipper of Pirates' second Lee Brothers Shield-winning team under Maxwell in 2011.
“Also, we got our new Pirates team strip — and our captain, Willie Bolingford, got last year's skipper, Ken Houkamau, in to present them.
“Those things helped our boys to get up for that game and we were hungry to win that — we need to be just a little bit fitter, so that we can be doing it again in that last 20 minutes.”
Pirates made a spectacular start from a scrum at halfway in the first minute. Captain and No.8 Bolingford picked the ball up at the back of the scrum and went right to halfback Jacob Leaf, who then turned the ball back to the inside channel to fullback Eferemo Davobalavu on the fly. Davobalavu broke upfield, found Leaf on the inside, and he — with the last pass — found Davobalavu on the outside.
Davobalavu cut back left as defenders and teammates alike spun like tops, and he scored eight metres to the right of the posts.
The try was not converted.
Pirates led 5-0 until the 21st minute when, from a five-metre scrum eight metres to the right of the posts, Leaf surged to score and then converted for 12-0.
In the 25th minute, OBM were awarded a penalty 10m from Pirates' goal-line, three metres to the right of the posts. Three phases later, OBM player of the day and starting blindside flanker Rikki Terekia — who is having a stellar season — scored the first try of his hat-trick on the day, five metres in from the right corner.
First five-eighth Michael Fox (deputising for game-day vice-captain and regular goal-kicker Jake Holmes, who left the field with an injury in the 20th minute) then converted OBM's try from the right touch to close it to 12-7.
Bolingford scored the first try of his double for Pirates in the 30th minute which, converted by Leaf, gave Pirates a 12-point lead, 19-7, at the break.
OBM were working overtime in every phase of the game to compete.
Lock Clement Tuipulotu secured loose ball from the lineout, fetcher Nicolas Carrizo won great two-handed ball throughout, and centre Keanu Wainohu-Kemp showed athleticism, balance and desperation (in a good sense) to save the ball in-field off an attempted clearing kick by the opposition.
So determined were they to score tries that, despite waging war on Pirates' goal-line for seven phases, they opted not to take a penalty kick at goal from inside the 22 — just off-centre — in the 39th minute.
Five minutes after halftime, Pirates set a five-metre scrum 10m off the right touch and Bolingford came off the back to score to make it 24-7. Leaf converted for 26-7.
On 53 minutes, Pirates' short lineout throw to big lock Williamson Maraki led to loosehead prop Bernard Nepe scoring five metres in from the left corner. The conversion attempt failed, and the score was 31-7. A similar move in the 12th minute had almost led to a try for hooker Rob Broughton
OBM reserve lock Juston Allen received a yellow card from referee Isaac Hughes in the 60th minute. Hughes is a mild-mannered official and his manner with teams, both of whom in this case were vying for their first win, was excellent.
Then OBM rallied.
Superb cover defence by blindside flanker Evan Bryant won OBM field position and moments later his fellow flanker, Carrizo, made a ball-and-all tackle to effect a turnover. These two vital stops gave Terekia the chance he needed to score again, in the 63rd minute.
It was 31-12 to Pirates until, seven minutes later, Terekia struck again —completing his hat-trick. Fox converted to close it to 31-19.
At the 74-minute mark, Bolingford took wise action: given a penalty 17m from the goal-line, a metre to the right of the posts, Leaf kicked a penalty goal for 34-19.
Although OBM loosehead prop Blake Beard — a tremendously keen young player — got a try in the 79th minute with a conversion by Fox, the final score was 34-26 to Pirates.
Both teams took bonus points for scoring four tries. For Pirates, it was their first scalp of the season.
OBM head coach Trevor Crosby said: “That was a huge improvement in parts on our effort last week but Pirates' backline is well organised and they took their chances. Willie and Jacob both played well. Congratulations to Pirates and their coaching staff on winning the Keith Webber Shield.”
The game was eventful for OBM. Holmes played his 50th game for the club, emerging players Beard, Fox and halfback De-Villa Pirihi-Coutts all played a full game, reserve openside flanker Felix Burns debuted in the second half, reserve second-five Jale Tiko left his sickbed to play and veteran tighthead prop Rama Te Are joined the fray in the second half.
Most astonishingly, Terekia played blindside flanker, No.8 and hooker with no reduction in effectiveness.
Pirates captain Bolingford was a proud man — proud to see great effort within his club rewarded.
“Everybody bought in to what we wanted to do and we came together — the tone was set before the warm-up, the talk on the field was good.
“That was our best game of the season so far, we're only just hitting our straps. I feel that the best is yet to come.”
