KEY PLAYER: Uawa forward Kerehama Blackman looks to pass. Blackman’s athleticism and strength make him hard to stop, and he will be a key player for his side against Ruatoria City in East Coast club rugby on Saturday. Picture by Tania Hunter
All guns blazing — this Saturday, that’s what Uawa and Tokomaru Bay United have to bring to East Coast club rugby’s version of the OK Corral — Whakarua Park.
“We need to regroup, because City will be very tough,” Uawa captain lock Scott Lasenby said of his crew’s 3pm appointment with a team risen from — if not the ashes — hard times.
“We’re going up there to play hard.”
The Uawa-Ruatoria City clash, Game 2 of a double-header, follows the 1.15pm meeting between Hikurangi and Tokomaru Bay United.
Like Uawa, Hikurangi have a seven-from-eight record this season and in the next six weeks will look to add the Jury Harrison Memorial Trophy to the Kath McLean Memorial Trophy they received as winners of the first round.
Defending champions Tihirau Victory Club will host Waiapu at Whangaparaoa and Hicks Bay will play Tokararangi in Te Araroa. Both games kick off at 2.30pm.
Uawa coach Tip Nukunuku knows what lies ahead.
“City are starting to put it together, but we’re back to full strength — we’re ready,” he said.
“Rikki Kernohan, Harley Phillips, Jesse Saywell and Patti Leaumape are back from injury — Patti will start on the bench — and Sam Parkes can play anywhere we need him to.”
Uawa’s mega-pack features the likes of powerhouse tighthead prop Laman Davies and Kerehama Blackman, who is devastating with the ball in hand. Blackman’s athleticism and strength make him hard to stop.
Yet City are dangerous. They have only two wins — but they also drew 27-all with TVC at home in Week 4, one of the most talked-about results of the first round.
Uawa beat City 46-6 in Week 2 after City had held the home team to 17-6 at halftime.
City first five-eighth Nathaniel Fox kicked two penalties, and was his team’s player of the day in Tolaga Bay. He will need to make every shot at goal count if City are to upset the competition’s biggest unit.
Tokomaru Bay United started the second round as they did the first, with a win against their great rivals Hicks Bay.
They were at times sublime in their 29-22 win at Hatea-a-Rangi, and will be well aware of the fact that City led the No.1 team in East Coast rugby 8-5 at halftime two weeks ago.
Hikurangi are a powerful unit with a hard core and great self-belief, but no teams are undefeated this season and all of them have won a game.
United No.8 Shagan Tomoana’s tough carries and the skill-factor of fullback Jason Babbington are enormously important.
Captain and loosehead prop Adam Williams, lock and player-coach Mike Tiopira and the rest of the blue-and-white pack can challenge any unit on their day.
“Our pods — groups of three — have to work,” Williams said.
“Aside from giving the game our all, the details are important — we have to secure possession, and clean out. That’s where those pods are important.”
Hikurangi, with the likes of No.8 Rhys Walker to the fore, won the local derby against City 22-8 on May 26. Walker scored Hikurangi’s first try of the second half, latching on to a super pass from centre TK Moeke beneath the posts for the lead, 10-8.
“It’s hard to say what sort of game this’ll be or what they’ll be like to play against,” Hikurangi captain and hooker Ngarimu Parata said.
“But this weekend I’d like us to put to use everything we’ve learned so far. Crunch-time is close.”
They need it to break.
Hicks Bay have been gutsy competitors in 2018, but have been without a win since Week 5, when they beat Waiapu 31-7 at George Nepia Memorial Park in Rangitukia.
“Tokararangi are having a good year, so that’s the challenge,” Hicks Bay player-coach and second five-eighth Warren Henderson said.
“We’ll have players back from injury and we’ll be training today, so we’ll have a better idea about personnel after that.”
Henderson’s side have played good rugby at times since April 7, and at times have struck teams on what for those teams has been “their day”. A case in point is the 36-0 loss to Hikurangi at Wharekahika in Week 6. Hikurangi won the Pirika Huriwai-Jones Memorial Trophy, scored six tries on the day and in the process took the lead in the eight-team competition.
Captain and No.8 Frank Taiapa was injured in the first round, and the Hicks Bay skipper had been in brilliant form.
Mercurial fullback Sean Murtagh took on the captaincy and, like Taiapa, his form was enhanced by the burden of leadership. And it can be a burden.
But far from becoming overly cautious, Murtagh continued to run. Before that, loosehead prop Dylan Biddle — who scored a memorable try against United in Hicks Bay’s 14-5 win — and right wing Cleveland Taiapa were just two of the other Hicks Bay players turning heads with their effort.
The task at Te Araroa Domain will be difficult. The visitors will need to show great courage.
Tokararangi have won four out of eight and are coming off a 29-15 loss to TVC.
Their captain and second-five Israel Brown and his men have already shown they can bounce back — a week after losing 14-7 to then-competition leaders Uawa in Week 5 they beat Ruatoria City 27-19.
Of this weekend’s clash, Brown said simply: “We’re keen to be together again after the break, we’re keen to play and we want a bit of everything — good play by our forwards, hard running, hard tackling — this Saturday.”
Waiapu are still confirming player availability for the game against Tihirau Victory Club, while TVC — a team who owe their success in no small measure to routine and discipline — have been unable to train as a result of ground closures.