TVC and Maunga retain memorial trophies in exciting home games

RUGBY

So far Tihirau Victory Club have taken the biggest and the best that everyone else could throw at them.

They beat Uawa 33-14 at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa on Saturday in Week 2, Round 2 of Enterprise Cars Ngati Porou East Coast rugby.

Cape Runaway powerhouse TVC have won eight games in a row since the season opened on March 27. Having claimed the Kath McLean Memorial Cup for the first round, the Mo Mato-led unit defended the George Keelan Memorial Trophy on home soil and have the maximum 10 competition points in the second-round quest for the Jury Harrison Memorial Cup.

Second-placed Hicks Bay (7pts) drew 21-21 with their hosts — team number six Hikurangi (2pts) — in Week 2, the guardians of Kahuitara retaining the Pirika Huriwai-Jones Memorial Trophy.

Team No.3 Ruatoria City (5pts, placed ahead of defending champions Tokararangi — who also have 5pts — on points differential) beat seventh-placed Tokomaru Bay United 43-7 at Hatea-a-rangi. United have yet to take a point in R2; NPEC club rugby’s No.6 outfit, Uawa, have two points.

Defending champions Tokararangi had the bye in Week 2.

TVC captain openside flanker Mato knows that his forward pack’s improvement at set-piece stands the Victory Club in good stead.

“On Saturday, our scrum was tight and made it possible for us to attack from that platform,” said the 2017 Rangiora Keelan Memorial Shield-winning skipper. “We’ve stuck to our structure and built on what we’d done in the first round.”

Uawa coach Chris Richardson acknowledged the versatility of his men.

“Rikki Kernohan was our Most Valuable Player; he and George Waddy were into everything. Rik started at centre, moved to lock — George was lock, went to blindside flanker. Te Atapo Kirikiri, who was down to start at blindside, instead had to step up, do a job at loosehead prop — and did, for the first 18 minutes. When our regular loosehead John Mathias got a yellow card later on, Te Atapo even went back and covered that spot for us again.

“TVC had most of the possession and better field position.”

TVC opened the scoring with a try to nippy halfback Anaru Waiariki two metres to the left of the posts, nine minutes into the game. Centre Tutere Waenga converted Waiariki’s try for 7-0.

Left-wing Ron-Paul McRoberts scored the Victory Club’s second try, unconverted, at the 32nd minute to give the hosts a 12-0 advantage at the break.

TVC No.8 Hoani Te Moana scored after 47 minutes; reserve second-five Benny Haerewa’s conversion put the unbeaten competition leaders 19-0 up.

Waenga scored in the 52nd minute, which (with his own conversion), gave the home team a 26-0 lead.

At this point, Uawa dug deep and found a try through Kirikiri in the 60th minute; first-five Slade Tiopira converted Kirikiri’s try for Uawa 7, TVC 26.

Cape Runaway’s best were not long in responding: their MVP first-five Manu Herewini dotted down for 31-7, 63 minutes in. Haerewa converted for 33-7 but Uawa’s Tiopira had the last word in the 78th minute: he converted No.8 Mahuta Moran’s try.

TVC had won 33-14.

Uawa game-day captain second-five Sam Parkes is a feisty competitor — and a realist.

“TVC were far better on the day,” he said. “We need to go back to the drawing board.”

It was a good win for Ruatoria City.

As visitors to Hatea-a-Rangi, Lisa Muller’s City did exactly what they needed to in the 5 away to 7 clash v Tokomaru Bay United. City took the first-round meeting 48-5 at Whakarua Park, and won again at the weekend, 43-7.

On April 3 in Ruatoria, four try-scoring flyer Leethan Tipene-Rawiri’s terrific form at fullback had dominated proceedings. In sublime conditions on Saturday, the City fullback scored only one try — as did tighthead prop Jayden Leiua-Pokia, No.8 Tanetoa Parata, second-five Luke Brown and reserve blindside flanker Shaun Aupouri, with a double to right-wing James Te Kahaki.

Lock Nathaniel Fox kicked four conversions for City. Their MVP was blindside flanker Tawhai Aupouri.

The visitors led 31-0 at half time.

Tokomaru Bay United’s MVP was centre Niao Savage and their sole try-scorer was reserve lock Adam Williams. His try was converted by left-wing Holden Maraki.

United coach Kuru Gray was rapt to see his club scrummage well again, and that while they started slowly, they finished strongly.

Poverty Bay premier grade referee Isaac Hughes, a proud son of Tokomaru Bay, was delighted to blow the whistle at Hatea-a-Rangi and like the men in the middle at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa (Jackson Reuben-Swinton) and Kahuitara (Eruera Kawhia), he did a fine job.

Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa, Tihirau Victory Club v Hikurangi (referee Jackson Reuben-Swinton, assistant referees Mohi Shelford and Ario Rewi); Whakarua Park, Ruatoria City v Uawa (referee Eruera Kawhia); Kawakawa mai Tawhiti, Hicks Bay v Tokararangi (referee Harawira Matahiki, David Newton and Melvin Ashford).

Waiapu v Tihirau Victory Club.

: Waiapu v Hikurangi.

Tihirau Victory Club v Hikurangi.