Four of the Wairoa-based Tapuae’s tries went to their forwards, including a first-half double to burly hooker Ngahiwi Manuel.
In a contender for the fastest try scored in Premier history, Manuel charged down an attempted clearing kick by OBM fullback Braedyn Grant and scored after 28 seconds.
Tapuae set up camp in their hosts’ half and Manuel scored his second try after 16 minutes, which first five and coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman converted for 12-0.
In the 26th minute, hard-working lock Duran Smith scored Tapuae’s third try and Manuel-Harman’s conversion made it 19-0.
OBM got on the board with a pushover try to veteran No 8 Ratu Asivuriusi Nairoroi in the 32nd minute.
Left-footer Austin Brown converted for a 19-7 halftime score.
In the 50th minute, Manuel-Harman scored in the left corner and converted for 26-7.
Six minutes later, Tapuae won a lineout on the right touch on OBM’s 22 and got to within striking distance of the posts in one carry.
From the ensuing ruck, No 8 Knox Ranitu went left to score under the crossbar and the conversion increased their lead to 33-7.
OBM’s second try was a magic moment from three reserves.
Second five De-Villa Pirihi-Coutts chip-kicked down the blindside for centre Bosca Tikicidre, who caught the ball, bent space and time to narrowly avoid two Tapuae defenders and swung a pass infield to left-wing Inosa Qativi, who finished accordingly for 33-12.
The tempo didn’t slow. Sixty-two minutes in, OBM reserve loosehead prop Ratu Nairoroi junior hulked over to score (33-17).
From the restart, Tapuae went four phases forward and left before unleashing reserve centre Ethine Reeves, who cut in off the sideline, beating three would-be tacklers in the process, to score.
Both forward packs dished out and absorbed jarring punishment, none more so than hooker Lance Dickson, OBM’s Taste One Most Valuable Player.
Tapuae co-captain Wayne Hema said it was important they started well and were “very physical”.
“We had to be against OBM. Our blindside flanker Harawira Kahukura had a great game at the lineout and Knox was solid all-round.”
Ranitu was named Tapuae’s MVP.
While acknowledging a grand effort by his pack, OBM captain and lock Jordan Kingi said he wanted more from his outfit.
“It was a tough day for us,” he said. “Tapuae managed to find a few holes out wide and they made metres from it. Our structure was good in the first 20 minutes of the game and the last 20. It showed with the ground we gained during those periods and the fact that we set up some space for our backs to run.
- George Halley’s boys know they’ve been in a game.
High School Old Boys, on the road with the Carmichael Cup at stake, edged Ngatapa 28-24 at Paddy’s Park.
Ngatapa beat Pirates 37-5 on the Tiny White Opening Day in April and while they have had only two wins this season, the green and whites made HSOB earn their success the hard way on a wet day at the weekend.
The handling skills of quality players as capable as openside flanker Ryan Jones were tested.
HSOB opened the scoring eight minutes in. They took possession at a lineout 5m from the right corner, pushed towards the posts twice and powerhouse No 8 Siosiua Moala scored. Fullback Matt Proffit converted for 7-0.
Ngatapa responded with an excellent try, remarkably simple in its execution, after 18 minutes. From a solid, stable 5m scrum, halfback Willie Short attacked the short side and one more pass saw right-wing Mosese Bulicakau score in the corner.
First-five Rian Norton landed the conversion for 7-7.
In the 25th minute, HSOB went ahead with a penalty kick from the left foot of Proffit, and at the half-hour mark, he landed another for 13-7.
In the 36th minute, the visitors scored from the same point at which they got their first try. They won their own lineout ball again, but this time darted down the narrowest channel imaginable and right wing Liam Beattie scored in the corner for 18-7.
On the cusp of halftime, Ngatapa scored a beauty. From the left touch, 5m into HSOB’s 22, hooker Ben Johnson found lock Lachlan Johnson at No.3. Three phases of play right and forward later, and scrum anchor Semisi Akana cut the line.
Norton converted for 18-14 at the halftime break.
Four minutes after the resumption, Norton kicked a penalty to close it to 18-17.
In the 61st minute, sweeping back play saw Proffit score in the right corner for 23-17.
In the 65th, Ngatapa reserve loosehead prop Sam Hudson brought home the bacon from a lineout 5m from the left corner at HSOB’s end, and Norton converted to put Ngatapa 24-23 ahead ... all bets were off.
Three minutes after Hudson went in, a HSOB scrum on the wheel 15m into Ngatapa territory produced crucial ball and centre Cohen Loffler made a break on the angle. Second-five Rylan Tuwairua-Brown’s fine support play saw him go over to regain HSOB the lead 28-24.
The game ended with HSOB - from sideline to sideline - holding on by the skin of their fingertips.
Ngatapa captain lock Jack Twigley said: “HSOB had good field position for long periods of the game. Our boys put in a good performance, but we just couldn’t quite get over the line at the end.”
Halley was relieved.
“We backed our defence on the line in the last few minutes. Ngatapa came in wave after wave, and we had to dig deep to grind out that result.”
Pirates coach Anthony Kiwara regretted they were unable to field a side against YMP because of work commitments.
The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union has confirmed Pirates have withdrawn from the remainder of the competition.
