‘The mountain’ stirs

In form: First five-eighth Verdon Bartlett earned TVC’s player-of-the-day award against Hikurangi in East Coast club rugby at Whangaparaoa on Saturday. TVC won 20-10. File picture by Doone Harrison

RUGBY

Here’s the good oil on East Coast rugby.

Uawa remain atop the eight-team club competition with 23 points after Week 5 games. They beat Tokararangi 14-7 at Te Araroa.

Hikurangi moved from fourth to second place, on 21 points, by virtue of their 32-18 home win against former competition leaders Tihirau Victory Club.

Tokararangi and TVC are now tied on 18 points apiece, but Tokararangi are in third spot on points differential despite TVC having won the Week 1 clash between the clubs 36-33.

Ruatoria City (8pts) claimed maximum points for their 49-31 win against Tokomaru Bay United (6pts) and so have moved to sixth spot.

Hicks Bay (9pts), 31-7 victors over Waiapu, have moved up by one place to fifth, while Waiapu are still without a point.

Uawa beat Tokararangi the hard wayCompetition leaders Uawa beat Tokararangi the hard way. The Tolaga Bay-based team led 14-7 at the break and that was the final score.

Uawa’s giant loosehead prop Laman Davies and Tokararangi fullback Teina Potae scored in the first half. Uawa were also awarded a penalty try.

Uawa halfback Tipene Meihana converted the try by Davies, and Tokararangi first five-eighth Pamona Samupo converted Potae’s try.

“That was a tough game,” Uawa captain and lock Scott Lasenby said.

“We were strong at set piece, but also made it hard on ourselves with small mistakes. The boys showed heart to get through it.”

In perfect conditions — but with only three reserves (veteran front-row forwards Richard Tuhaka and Puri Hauiti, and lock Bradley Sidney) — Uawa mixed and matched backline personnel to excellent effect. Starting fullback Kereama Leach replaced Mangu Kemp at first-five, Drew Hunt moved from second-five to centre for Kemp with Niao Savage dropping back from centre to Leach’s former berth. Leach turned in a player-of-the-day performance.

Uawa blindside flanker Rikki Kernohan, and Tokararangi’s tighthead prop Chub Hale and lock Eru Bristowe all received yellow cards from referee James Palmer before the break.

Tokararangi coach Morgan Wirepa Jnr said his side put themselves under pressure in the first half, due in part to their discipline.

“I was happy, though, that we kept Uawa scoreless in the second half,” he said.

“It wasn’t a fast game. Uawa kept the ball in their forwards and our backs didn’t see much of it.”

Fullback Teina Potae won Tokararangi’s player-of-the-day award for his positional play and tackling.

Tokararangi captain and halfback Israel Brown said lock Frank Henderson had a superb game.

“Frank took charge for us at the front of the lineout. He challenged Uawa — and won a couple — against the throw. And he never missed a tackle.”

The men of 'the Maunga' are grinding into gearThe Mountain has stirred.

Hikurangi fought back to beat Tihirau Victory Club 32-18 at the weekend — the surest sign yet that the men of “the Maunga” are grinding into gear.

First-five Te Kaiwi Parata grabbed a double for Hikurangi. Loosehead prop George Tuala, second-five Rob Ngarimu and centre Kaimoni Soutar were their other tryscorers, while fullback Te Aho Morice kicking a penalty goal and two conversions.

“A collective effort In the last 39 minutes was what got us home,” Hikurangi coach Doone Harrison said.

“Rob Ngarimu showed his experience in the midfield when we needed it; TVC are a tough unit.”

The continued improvement of Tuala and promising tighthead prop Tahu Walker, as well as a marked improvement in discipline (no Hikurangi player received a yellow card) pleased Harrison.

Tough openside flanker Trent Proffit was Hikurangi’s player of the day, an honour his captain Tanetoa Parata had in Week 4.

With No.8 Parata’s substitution for injury (right knee) in the first half, blindside flanker and 2017 skipper Te Rangi Matanuku Parata took up the captaincy again.

Trailing 8-7 at the break, Hikurangi returned to the Whakarua Park field in time to see the visitors awarded a penalty at halfway for late resumption.

TVC first-five Rapata Haerewa tapped the ball, made his escape and was brought down by left wing Zyon Collins — the only man then on the field for Hikurangi — as he scored in the right corner for 13-7, eight seconds after the whistle . . . surely the “fastest” second-half try in the history of East Coast rugby.

TVC captain and second-five Moana Mato testified that far from being knocked by this stunning turn of events, Hikurangi went to another level.

“They came back physically, twice as hard,” he said.

“They carried well. They broke tackles. Their support play was good. Our own discipline was very good but basic errors cost us.”

Mato was more than happy with the play of TVC debutants, hard-tackling Cody Wheeler at lock and player of the day Joe Waenga on the left wing. The 16-year-old flyer from Opotiki College scored a try in each half — Haerewa kicking a first-half penalty — but TVC fullback Verdon Bartlett, Ngati Porou East Coast’s Meads Cup hero in 2012 and a 60-cap representative in sky blue — was as much of a threat as any other TVC player.

Harrison was moved to say: “I thought he was their best.”

Ruatoria City earn their first win of the seasonRuatoria City have shown everybody what they’re made of.

In the first five weeks of a 16-week season, they have gone from defaulting, to kicking two penalties, to scoring their first try, to a 27-all draw with the defending champions and — finally — to their first win of 2018.

City’s fairytale form reversal continued with their 49-31 victory over Tokomaru Bay United. Right wing Quentin Takarangi scored two tries, while hooker Cody Ellis, tighthead prop Pera Bishop, lock Nathaniel Pritchard-Fitzgerald, halfback CJ Fox-Campbell and left wing Te Ra Warmenhoven scored a try each.

Fox-Campbell converted all seven of City’s seven tries. It was as good a display of goalkicking as has been seen in the first round.

Warmenhoven received a yellow card in the first half, Bishop received the same in the second half and Warmenhoven’s replacement, Ricki Grace, was then sent off. City were reduced to 13 men, and played the last 12 minutes with 14 on the park.

For the Adam Williams-led United, the sense of occasion that a double-header creates brought renewed all-round strength — and rubbed off on the scoreboard. They produced their best rugby since the 25-12 win against Hicks Bay in Week 1.

Player of the day and lock Saul Parata, player-coach and No.8 Mike Tiopira, second-five Seb Chambers, right wing Steve Brown and fullback Jay Matenga scored tries for the visitors. Chambers kicked three conversions.

“We’ve got six key players — all forwards — out with injury, so we’re very proud of these guys for fronting up,” manager Ronnie Babbington said.

“The team and the club — they’re crucial to their families and the community as a whole.”

United captain and tighthead prop Adam Williams added: “With the injuries, we never expected to have a team — but we even had a reserve! And, with what we had, we gave City a fright.”

Williams was rapt with the spirited running, ball in hand, of his team (“Couldn’t ask for anything better than that”).

City coach Lisa Muller’s reaction was delight and relief in equal measure.

“Toko brought it to us and we didn’t help ourselves,” she said.

“The positives included our forwards coming together as a tight unit — the likes of our captain (No.8) Paddy Allen and (lock) Tim Barbarich playing well again. And Quentin had a magic game. The confidence was there and all the skills: the speed, the step and the vision.”

Hicks Bay beat Waiapu 31-7They made it back.

Hicks Bay returned to form in Week 5 with a 31-7 win against Waiapu — their second win of the season — coming off a 46-5 loss to Hikurangi.

The crowd of 150 at George Nepia Memorial Park saw Hicks Bay player-coach and second-five Warren Henderson and veteran Tyrone Delamere roll back the years in grand style.

Five minutes into the game and 10 metres out from Waiapu’s goal-line — just to the left of the posts — starting halfback Baven Horua cleared the Hicks Bay scrum right-side to Henderson, who then beat two men to score under the bar. Henderson converted his own try for 7-0.

Delamere — who bagged 22 tries in his 72 caps for Ngati Porou East Coast from 1998 to 2009 — has lost none of his zest for the game and still knows when a try is “on”. He scored a first-half try on the blindside flank and again in the second half, from halfback.

First-five Hona Delamere and left wing Morpheus Gladstone also cut the line for Hicks Bay with right wing Pirika Pahuru-Huriwai kicking two conversions and fullback Sean Murtagh playing soundly at fullback. The dangerous Murtagh was a handful on the run and was his team’s player of the day.

The home team’s only try — well taken by impressive No.8 Rihara Houia — was converted by first-five Slade Tiopira, while lock Frank Hina and player of the day and right wing Richard Tupou stood out for their commitment and energy.

“Hicks Bay had the wind in the first half, and kept us pinned down in our own 22 for most of the second half,” coach Kahu Waitoa said.

“Our kicking game wasn’t there — and when we did get attacking ball, we lost it.”

Hicks Bay coach Henderson praised Waiapu’s Houia, for his hard running, centre Lyndon Green and fullback Prince Tangaere.

But he was in no doubt as to where Hicks Bay had the goods: tighthead prop Aaron King, lock Richard King and captain and No.8 Frank Taiapa drove events up front.

“The forwards’ pick-and-go was outstanding this week and Kai Te Awhitu was huge for us, on both sides of the scrum,” Henderson said.

“Our tries then came from great support play.”

This Saturday, from 2.30pm, East Coast club rugby fans can look forward to more meaty action. Competition leaders Uawa host team No.4 Tihirau Victory Club, second-placed Hikurangi travel to Wharekahika as guests of the fifth-placed team, Hicks Bay. It will be 3 v 6 with Tokararangi at home to Ruatoria City and 7 v 8 at Hatea-a-Rangi, Tokomaru Bay United to be visited by Waiapu.