Thriller at Te Karaka

NO STOPPING HIM: KC Wilson scores in the corner for Waikohu despite the attempted tackle of Andrew Tauatevalu, of YMP. Waikohu won an enthralling game 27-24 and went to the top of the premier-grade rugby table. Picture by Paul Rickard

Waikohu have taken the top spot on the premier rugby table after beating YMP in a game that went down to the wire at Te Karaka.

The 27-24 thriller featured back-and-forth action as both teams jostled for control of the game.

Victory for GT Shearing Waikohu meant they took the top spot in the Civil Project Solutions competition from East Coast Farm Vets YMP.

Neither team could establish a big lead as they attacked and counter-attacked in terrible conditions.

Despite the rain, both teams used their backline to create space and opportunities. A lot of the play was predictably close to the ruck, but the majority of the points were scored out wide.

With the ball skidding on the sodden surface, the ball-handling from both teams was impressive, with few mistakes.

The YMP back three played well, with right wing Aaron McLelland scoring a try and fullback Andrew Tauatevalu scoring two.

Prop Jarryd Broughton made an immediate impact off the bench for Waikohu in the second half. He made several barnstorming runs and dramatically improved his team's scrum.

Waikohu had a slight edge at scrum time all game but YMP initially held their own. The only first-half scrum penalty was given against Waikohu.

After the introduction of Broughton, however, the YMP scrum was in all sorts of trouble. The forwards were regularly penalised after breaking apart in dramatic fashion.

Both teams were hesitant about getting into a battle of the boot, and often opted to run the ball back rather than kick it.

With the scoring neck and neck and the teams never separated by more than seven points in the second half, the game was up for grabs until the final whistle.

The only thing that separated the two teams for the last period of the game was a penalty kick early in the second half from Waikohu's Jacob Leaf.

Leaf's kick enabled Waikohu to quickly retake the lead after lock Adrian Wyrill had scored to level the game at 19-all early in the second half.

Stubborn defence was the theme of the second half. After Leaf's penalty, neither team could score until the intensity of the game caught up with the players.

The final two tries of the match were scored off mistakes.

YMP retook the lead when Tauatevalu recovered his own chip-and-chase down the sideline when the ball was fumbled by the covering Waikohu defence behind their try-line.

Waikohu seemed revitalised by conceding a try, and they answered with a five-pointer of their own only minutes after the restart, through fullback Tione Hubbard.

Strong Waikohu defence pushed the YMP attackers further and further behind the advantage line until the ball squirted out of the ruck and was kicked over the line for Hubbard to dive on it and bring the score to 27-24.

YMP coach Brian Leach said he was happy with his team's performance but felt there were still areas to improve.

“There were a couple of lapses . . . we need to knit more closely as a unit.”

He said their scrum was weak, particularly in the second half, and they would be working to improve it in their two-week break.

“We've never had that problem with them before. Maybe it was the mud, and they couldn't really grip (the ground) in the front row.

“The hardest thing for us is that we've never trained in the rain; the grounds get closed.”

Leach said he thought the conditions played a big factor in the outcome.

“Next time we meet, it'll be a totally different game if the conditions are like today (Sunday).

“The only difference at the end of the day was that penalty kick that they got in front of the posts.”