RUGBY
Whoever beat Uawa — whether to get to the final or in the final itself — was always going to have to cover all bases.
They would need physical strength, stamina and resilience first.
In addition, they would require quickness, a high level of skill, experience and a good, simple, flexible game plan.
Finally, they would have to be able to read the game, adapt to conditions and opposition and — in these Covid 19 times — have the ability to roll with the punches routine-wise, allied to team spirit, guts, confidence, determination and great discipline.
Which outfit in the 2020 Enterprise Cars Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby championship has all of these attributes? Some super crew no-one’s seen yet?
No. The answer is Tihirau Victory Club.
One moment, one key play in TVC’s 20-10 win against two-time defending champions Uawa in the 2 v 3 semifinal at Uawa Domain on Saturday stands out as proof that the Mo Mato-led side have the attributes listed above.
In that moment — the 77th minute of play — TVC second-five Tutere Waenga, who scored 17of the visitors’ points, decided the contest with an intercept try, which he then converted for a 20-10 lead.
The third-ranked team going into the semifinals went on to avenge their 15-26 loss of the week before.
“What matters most is that we won. We didn’t want to travel back home, feeling like we did last week,”said TVC captain and openside flanker Mato.
“It was very physical. Defensively we did well and we capitalised on every opportunity to score.”
The halftime score was 3-all.
TVC Player of the Day Waenga, who scored both of their tries (44th minute, 77th minute), drew first blood with a penalty goal in the 11th minute.
Uawa first-five Josh Dearden cleared his guns with a 35m penalty in the 11th minute, both teams having scrapped before and after at scrum, lineout, ruck and maul.
Four minutes after the break, TVC set to work from an attacking lineout on the left touch 12 metres from Uawa’s goal-line.
Three times the visitors picked the ball up and drove before going down the short side.
Veteran first-five Verdon Bartlett gave a magic flat pass to Waenga, who scored in the left corner.
His sideline conversion lifted the score to 10-3 and it became 13-3 when reserve right-wing Benny Haerewa kicked a penalty in the 53rd minute.
In the 59th minute, Uawa centre Jordan Birch ran 41m down the left touch to score and Dearden converted his try in storybook fashion (13-10).
The home team, led with unbreakable spirit by their captain and colossus No.8 Adaam Ross, were once again within striking distance.
Three minutes from time Waenga put an end to that and Uawa’s hopes of making three consecutive final appearances.
Uawa head coach tighthead prop Laman Davies was, as is Uawa’s way as a club, exceedingly gracious in defeat.
“As with last week, it was a good game, but I think our discipline again let us down at times and we just didn’t adjust to TVC’s defence. They’d learned from the weekend before.
“Nothing proved that more, than their intercept try from one of our set plays.”
Uawa’s openside flanker Paddy Allen, later named their Player of the Day, produced some of his hardest and most committed rugby. He was constantly involved and a tower of strength.
TVC, who won the title in 2017 and were beaten 24-23 by Uawa in the 2019 final, face Tokararangi in Saturday’s decider.