Player welfare top priority

GOING FOR IT: Pirates first five-eighth Jacob Leaf goes for the gap between Ngatapa second five-eighth Pete Livingston (left) and lock Sam McDell in premier-grade rugby at School Park on Saturday.Picture by Paul Rickard

Concern for player welfare is a binding tie in rugby.

And all present were concerned about a possible neck injury to Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates loosehead prop Jesse Sweeney at the weekend.

The incident, which occurred in general play four minutes before halftime in the Pirates-versus-Ngatapa game at School Park, was handled according to New Zealand Rugby guidelines with poise by Wairoa-based 19-year-old referee Keelyn Smith, on his premier debut.

Ngatapa and Waikohu were the only teams to claim a bonus point for scoring four tries, and so the premier table lists first Ngatapa, then Waikohu (five points), then High School Old Boys (four), OBM (one), and YMP and Pirates.

Ngatapa beat Pirates 32-8 but knew they’d been in a fight.

Capable hooker Ihaia Kerr is nursing a bruised right shoulder and Ngatapa head coach Steve Hickey knows why.

“Pirates, with their size, played to their strengths and nullified ours for most of the first half,” he said.

Hickey acknowledged a grand Ngatapa forward effort from the likes of lock Sam McDell and big-hitting fetcher Lynden Manuel upon the resumption.

“After halftime, the Chrisp brothers (Campbell, at loosehead prop, and Alex, at No.8) got us going with some good carries — front-foot ball.”

Pirates head coach Willie Waitoa has a high regard for Ngatapa.

“They have big motors and push you. We were digging deep in the last 20 minutes.”

He said debutants Lyric Baty-Akurangi (right wing), Alex Maile (second five-eighth) and Te Kauri Waitoa (lock) all tackled hard, as did Nathan Te Whata-McClutchie, who played for Pirates last season and came on at blindside flanker from the reserves.

Pirates scored first at School Park through centre Taveti Ikavesa, 12 minutes into the game, with a simple yet classy play.

From a Pirates scrum set just inside the Ngatapa 22, a metre to the right of the posts, captain and No.8 Will Bolingford broke hard right. Two defenders came at him. He found canny halfback Keith Henderson, who drew the last man and sent Ikavesa in to score in the corner.

Henderson, Pirates’ player of the day, is a cagey veteran. He drives his forwards around the field of play as well as any halfback in the competition. Although he was shown the yellow card by referee Smith in the second half on Saturday, both before and after that he made a lively contribution to the game.

In the 18th minute, Ngatapa struck back. The try-scorer was their powerful tighthead prop, Semisi Akana. The game then returned to pattern, with pick-and-go play being favoured by both teams.

Pirates kept possession in the rolling maul for long periods.

The score at the break was 5-5.

Ngatapa second-five Pete Livingston broke the deadlock with a penalty goal in the 47th minute.

Pirates first-five Jacob Leaf answered in kind on 58 minutes for 8-8 before Ngatapa player of the day, centre Isaac Thomas, scored the first try of his double to make it 13-8.

Livingston, a capable goal-kicker, converted the try for 15-8 and in the 66th minute potted his second penalty for 18-8. Thomas then completed his double in the 72nd minute. With Livingston’s conversion, it was Ngatapa 25 Pirates 8.

Fullback Matt Raleigh scored the fourth and last Ngatapa try under the crossbar in the 78th minute, with a conversion by Livingston for 32-8.

Pirates coach Willie Waitoa and captain Will Bolingford are laying the groundwork for a productive season with their young team.

In Week 1, they were busy up front and with great-hearted veterans (not to mention Lee Brothers Shield-winning captains) such as lock Eru Wharerau still able to encourage and inspire on the field, the Buccaneers will improve.

Greater cohesion is the main item on Ngatapa’s must-have list this week.