Like Uawa, defending champions Tihirau Victory Club (15) are unbeaten three games into the season, but a bonus point for scoring four tries in their 48-0 win against Tokomaru Bay United at Whangaparaoa saw them retain top billing.
Tokararangi swamped Waiapu 81-0Hicks Bay took the laurels 14-5 against Ruatoria City and Tokararangi swamped Waiapu 81-0.
United (5pts) are fifth on the table, Hicks Bay (4) sixth, City (0), despite having defaulted to Hikurangi in week 1, are seventh and Waiapu (0) eighth.
Lasenby praised his team’s 80-minute performance.
“Early on the game was a physical battle up front, then the pace slowed a little,” he said. “But the second half was fast and hard.
“The contest at the scrum was even but because of Rikki Kernohan (blindside flanker), we dominated the lineout. We also got impact off the bench. The effort was there from everyone for 80 minutes.”
Hikurangi left-winger Tanetoa Parata scored a try to open the scoring and blindside flanker Trent Proffit scored for the hosts in the second half. Te Aho Morice kicked a first-half penalty and converted Hiku’s second-half try.
Proffit, who played three times for Ngati Porou East Coast last year, first five-eighth Te Kaiwi Parata and centre Karauria Keelan were among Hikurangi’s best with the ball in hand while openside flanker Jessie Tuala was their player of the day.
Uawa’s try-scorers were openside flanker Te Atapo Kirikiri, loosehead prop Laman Davies and Tuhaka while No.8 Harley Phillips carried the ball to great effect.
Hikurangi made four line breaks in the first half and led 8-0 at the breakHikurangi made four line breaks in the first half and led 8-0 at the break but the game changed five minutes into the second spell.
Awarded a penalty five metres from Hikurangi’s goal-line, Tuhaka tapped the ball, went right and was felled two yards short.
Under advantage, Kirikiri drove a body length to score 10m in from the right corner, and halfback Jesse Saywell slotted the conversion.
The tide had turned as Uawa dominated field position in the second spell, with Hikurangi only able to apply pressure in the visitors’ 22 for 10 minutes.
Uawa’s second try came in the 70th minute when Davies surged a metre to score in the left corner
Tuhaka — also from a penalty — tapped, charged five metres and dived low and under several defenders to score in the right corner and seal Uawa’s come-from-behind win on fulltime.
Both sides were reduced to 14 men at stages of the match. Hikurangi loosehead prop Tahu Walker was binned in the first half while his teammate Neihana Ratahi-Brown and Uawa right-wing Roland Waru received yellows in the second half.
“Uawa rallied and got there in the end,” said Hikurangi coach Doone Harrison. “Harley (Phillips) told us he’ll look after Uncle Chas’s trophy until our next meeting in round two.”
The date for that is June 16 at Uawa Domain.
