Proud of the boys: Ngati Porou East Coast coach Hosea Gear said he was “proud of the boys and their effort this season . . . but in terms of captain Hone Haerewa, I can’t say enough about him.” Haerewa is pictured getting a pass away in a match against Poverty Bay in 2018. File picture
RUGBY
This is just the beginning.
Ngati Porou East Coast’s inaugural clash with the Northland development 15 at George Nepia Memorial Park on Saturday looks set to be the start of something special in rugby.
East Coast and Northland officials were enamoured of the event which drew 1000 fans to Rangitukia for a cracking game, 10 tries being scored in a 43-19 win to Northland.
The Coast’s try-scorers were blindside flanker Trent Proffit, gutsy left-wing Mohi Bartlett and halfback Hamuera Moana, with first-five Rapata Haerewa and right-wing cum first-five Te Rangi Fraser kicking one conversion apiece.
Hooker Ben Tou and reserve tighthead prop Michael Tuiloma scored twice while left-wing Brody Lam, first-five Brady Rush and Northland blindside flanker Aorangi Stokes also dotted down for The Taniwha. Rush landed four conversions; the visitors led 17-7 at halftime.
NPEC captain No.8 Hone Haerewa, who has led the side with distinction and was a Heartland 15 representative in 2019, said: “It was important to everyone at our end involved in the trip to make sure Northland and their supporters enjoyed the visit — that it was as memorable as possible, because we’re similar in terms of culture.
In terms of rugby, they were fit, clinical, strong at set-piece and very physical too.”
Northland captain Stokes and his men were deeply moved by the warmth of the reception, hospitality and camaraderie of their hosts.
“It was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. I’ve never been fed as well as we were by our hosts at Hinepare. The value they place on their traditions, tikanga — it was an eye-opener,” Stokes said. “The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all of our lads. They were over the moon. It was the best feeling I’ve had in my five years in the development side.”
In casting a critical eye over the opposition, the captain of The Taniwha admitted a bias in favour of forward players:
“(Loosehead prop) Perrin Manuel was mobile, did a great job in his core work. Their hooker Raniera Whakataka was, like Perrin, a strong scrummager, strong in contact and a hard body to move. Hone is an excellent ball-player and leader; the skills ran through both sides, but I love how the Coast played.
“It certainly felt like the longest game I can remember.”
East Coast referee Eruera Kawhia, with assistants Jackson Reuben-Swinton and Shirley Mullany-Mato, did a top job to keep 30 players on a picture-perfect playing surface for the duration.
Haerewa won the coin-toss and chose an end, a gentle nor’easterly breeze prevailing.
NPEC played with commitment, big lock Netani Seruwaqa catching the ball from kick-off and openside flanker Moana Mato soon after making a textbook tackle on dangerous Northland fullback Shay Te Haara.
Northland opened the scoring in the eighth minute. From a Coast line-out 9m on their side of halfway, right touchline, Northland lock Fano Funaki won the ball at two against the throw, left side of the ground with the visitors then retaining the ball over four phases of play before halfback Jayden Kemp, at a ruck, cleared left to Rush on the fly for Tou. Tou cut off the left touchline, and Rush swooped around him to score in the corner.
Northland led 5-0 until, in the 21st minute from an attacking line-out set 5m from the left corner, Funaki again won his own ball at two, and three phases later Tou drove a bodylength to score 16m off the near sideline.
Neither Northland try was converted. They led 10-0, but Coast first-five Rapata Haerewa did convert the hosts’ first try. It came in the 47th minute, from a Coast line-out throw, 10m from halfway on the right touch, Whakataka found Haerewa. Over three phases, NPEC improved their field position and strung four passes together down the left side of the ground before Bartlett chipped the ball upfield for Proffit to score beneath the crossbar.
First-five Rapata Haerewa converted Proffit’s try for NPEC 7, Northland 10.
The Taniwha, stung into action, scored the last try of the first half in the 51st minute. From an attacking line-out set 12m from the left corner, Tou hit Funaki at three. Northland then drove and from that maul and subsequent ruck, Tou scored 16m in from the near sideline.
On Rush’s conversion, the visitors took a 17-7 lead into the halftime break. Their openside flanker Sage Walters-Hanson, beyond even Funaki, was to that point the game’s dominant line-out figure and was later named to be his team’s Most Valuable Player. For the Coast, Whakataka’s ability to drive through would-be-tacklers and also reserve centre Pamona Samupo’s performance were outstanding features.
Samupo, who took the field at the five minute-mark following an injury to second-five Tawhao Stewart (right foot), proved to be a handful with his hard running and pace.
The Coast were fortunate that right-wing-cum-first-five Te Rangi Fraser’s versatility and quickness allowed him to cover both spots and while no official MVP was chosen by the Coast, had one been chosen, Moana would surely have been in the mix. He almost caught the visitors napping close to their own goal-line eight minutes into the second half and in the 76th minute did indeed return with a vengeance.
Alarm bells had been sounded for The Taniwha. In the 61st minute, the Coast set an attacking scrum 5m from the Northland goal-line, 15m from the left touch. Awarded a scrum-penalty by referee Kawhia, Hone Haerewa tap-kicked the ball, went left, cut Baker out and Mohi Bartlett beat his marker Jack Colebourne on the outside to score.
Fraser could not convert. The Coast, then only five points behind at 17-12, had come as close as they would on the day. In the 64th minute, from an attacking line-out 5m from the right corner, Pou hit Funaki at three. From the ensuing drive, Stokes, captain of The Taniwha, scored 15m in from touch. Rush converted, for 24-12.
At the 72 minute mark, former Poverty Bay speedster Brody Lam scored after a good build-up. Funaki won his own ball at three, the line-out taking place 14m on Northland’s side of halfway, left touch. Halfback Jayden Kemp hit Lam on the fly and the winger turned the defence first inside, then out, in a 60m-run. Rush converted for 31-12.
In the 76th minute, Coast halfback Hamuera Moana got his just desserts. Northland, who had scrummaged to great effect throughout the game, set a defensive scrum 5m from their own goal-line centrefield. Inexplicably, the ball popped out and Moana swooped on it to score under the posts, for 31-19. Fraser’s conversion made the score NPEC 19, Northland 31.
Enter former Samoa A titan Michael Tuiloma. The Northland reserve tighthead prop scored the last two tries of the day, in the 79th minute and the 84th minute. In the first instance, he got an unselfish assist from centre Patrick Ella in the right corner and on the second occasion, did well to pick up a bobbling ball and then overpower three defenders to score a metre to the right of the posts.
Rush converted Tuiloma’s second try for a final score of 43-19 . . . but in the 89th minute came the comic turn of the season. From a ruck 12m from their own goal-line, 15m off the right touch, Northland reserve halfback Malachi Reweti appeared to find touch 5m short of halfway with a clearing kick . . . the ball having bounced — on its point — 5m over the sideline, then back infield. The Taniwha were astonished to see the Coast’s Seruwaqa, minus a line-out, scoop said ball up and charge back towards them.
Play continued.
NPEC head coach Hosea Gear said: “I’m proud of the boys and their effort this season. Communication is something we’ll keep working on, but in terms of Hone as captain, I can’t say enough about him. I’ve known a lot of people and players in my time; he’s up there with the best of them. The balance he strikes between family, work and rugby is second to none, he has great values, a fantastic work ethic, is an exceptional role model for our youngsters.”