Skill, speed and big hits

BRACED FOR CONTACT: Rikki Terekia stays just in play on a run for Town against Country. Picture by Paul Rickard

After ninety minutes of hard-fought play, it was a draw in the Town against Country rugby match.

The Civil Project Solutions game was broken up into three half-hour games, with scores restarting at the beginning of each third.

Gisborne Herald Town won the first match-up 15-5, PGG Wrightson Country rallied in the second, 43-10, setting the stage for a deciding final third that ended in a 12-12 draw.

Poverty Bay head coach Tom Cairns said rugby was the winner on the day.

The game was a final proving ground for players in contention for the Poverty Bay side, Cairns saying the players hadn't made it easy for the selectors.

“We have really good depth . . . it was fantastic rugby played by a whole lot of guys.”

He said it was “beautiful” to see the structure and positivity with which the games were played.

“There's really good development compared with last year . . . the clubs stepped up and pushed the bounds.”

The afternoon “tournament” was played in high spirits as a friendly contest.

Despite the game having a more casual feel off the pitch, with jersey changes and players fitting in where needed, it was a highly competitive game.

There were big hits on attack and defence, and the teams battled to the last in end-to-end action.

Players weren't afraid to take the ball into contact, and some paid the price. Ngatapa prop Campbell Chrisp played a third for the Town team after heavy contact left them short in the front row.

Rolling subs meant everyone had the chance to showcase their talent.

Fifty-three players took the field, wearing their club socks in a display of pride for their teams.

Considering the squads had only two real practice sessions in the lead-up to the match, the levels of skill, speed and execution were high. It was a noticeable step up from club rugby.

In an array of excellent team tries, both sides worked the ball along the entire width of the pitch.

Pirates lock Petelo Tuitakau scored one of the tries of the day. The ball pinballed from one side of the field to the other and back again, stretching the Country defence thin and giving Tuitakau an easy run to the line.

YMP fullback Andrew Tauatevalu and second five-eighth Louis Devery both continued their regular-season form, cementing their spots with storming linebreaks and probing runs.

In the forwards, Waikohu props Toru Noanoa and Jarryd Broughton showed their strength, dominating at scrum time and impressing with their work around the field.

A host of dazzling individual performances punctuated the game. It made for a challenging job for the selectors, Cairns saying he would have to watch the tape to make some of his decisions.

“Hats off to you (players); you haven't made it easy for us.”