Two wins in two days for champions

RUGBY

The sporting world turned upside down at Cape Runaway on Saturday.

The defending champions of Enterprise Cars Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby, Tokararangi, beat Tihirau Victory Club 14-13 at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa in their Week 4, Round 2 clash for the Jury Harrison Memorial Cup.

Tokararangi (14 competition points in Round 2) followed up their second one-point game against the hitherto unbeaten TVC (16pts) this season with a 26-20 win against Hicks Bay (8pts) at Kawakawa mai Tawhiti on Sunday.

More NPEC club history was made at the weekend, with Ruatoria City (10pts) recording their first-ever win — 19-18 — at Kahuitara. As victors in the Ruatoria derby against Hikurangi (3pts), the away team claimed the Tanara Dunn Kaiwai Memorial Trophy for the first time.

Uawa (10pts), placed third above City on points differential, beat Tokomaru Bay United 65-5 at Uawa Domain to retain the Raroa Shield and Ngoi Pewhairangi Cup.

Tokararangi captain and openside flanker Hone Haerewa — who led the Te Araroa-based club to Rangiora Keelan Memorial Shield glory in 2019 and the Sky Blues of Ngati Porou East Coast to the PJ Sayers Cup against Poverty Bay a fortnight ago — has yet another reason to be over the moon.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way our boys played and how we held things together,” Haerewa said.

“At times, it felt as if everything was against us, but we played to the best of our ability and were fortunate enough to come out with the win.”

His fellow fetcher, TVC championship-winning skipper Mo Mato, saw the game as a continuation of the great rivalry between last year’s finalists.

“It was a top-of-the-table clash with one point between the teams, same as in the first round, but even faster than that game,” said Mato, under whom TVC triumphed 13-8 at Te Araroa Domain on April 17.

“Discipline and the ability to convert pressure into points made the difference.”

In front of about 300 spectators, the home team opened the scoring with a penalty goal to centre Tutere Waenga in the ninth minute. In the 24th minute, TVC first five-eighth Manu Herewini scored the first try of the match — converted by Waenga — for 10-0, and four minutes before the break, the hosts’ goal-kicker landed his second penalty goal to give TVC a 13-0 halftime lead.

The Israel Brown-coached visitors knew they could not allow TVC to score next. Haerewa bagged the first Tokararangi try in the 56th minute, which second-five Rapata Haerewa converted to close it to 13-7.

With a quarter of an hour to play, Tokararangi fullback Mohi Bartlett scored in the right corner. Rapata Haerewa, from the junction of the 22 and the right touch, converted the game’s third and last try for 14-13 to the visitors.

And they didn’t stop there.

Tokararangi followed up their 14-13 triumph over the NPEC competition leaders TVC with a second win on the road, 26-20, against Hicks Bay.

Hicks Bay are known for their ability to spring an unpleasant surprise on either guests or hosts. They are always there or thereabouts come the semifinals, and they are proud of the application and competitiveness of their forward pack.

Hicks Bay coach Aaron King said this, of last Sunday’s clash with Tokararangi: “We were in it right to the end. Our defence, from 1 to 15, was excellent and some of the Tokararangi boys told me afterwards that it was the hardest game they’d played all year.”

King senior gave the home team’s MVP (most valuable player) award to second-five Te Whetu Waitoa but spoke, too, of his No.8, Anton King, Hicks Bay hooker Harley Roberts and Anton’s opposite, Hone Haerewa, as all making big hits in defence.

Haerewa won the toss. In front of 300 hardy souls, the team of the moment (Tokararangi having beaten TVC 24 hours before) played into a slight southerly breeze at Kawakawa mai Tawhiti.

Hicks Bay first-five Pamona Samupo kicked a penalty goal six minutes into the contest, that remaining the score to half-time.

The opening try of the second half, at the 47-minute mark, was a long-range effort from Tokararangi centre Whakarae Henare. With first-five Rapata Haerewa’s conversion, the visitors took a 7-3 lead.

From the restart of play, Tokararangi reserve halfback Mo Kenworthy featured in the lead-up to a try for in-form blindside flanker Richard Green: the score was 14-3 to the visitors, courtesy of another Haerewa conversion.

Samupo, an instinctive player capable of great things, scored and converted his own try for Hicks Bay 10, Tokararangi 14 in the 60th minute.

Kenworthy then scored a try that was converted to give Tokararangi a 21-10 lead.

In the 67th minute, Hicks Bay loosehead prop Angus Kingi-Te Purei dotted down, to draw the home team within striking distance at 21-15.

Reserve right wing Karaitiana Kenworthy then scored a try for TVC to go 26-15 up, minus the conversion and Hicks Bay reserve left wing Rawiri Hoera (a convert from loosehead prop/hooker) scored the last try of the match in the 78th minute. No conversion followed, and Tokararangi won the game 26-20.

What Tokararangi achieved at the weekend speaks to a side capable of banding together in tough situations with a smile. In that, they follow their captain’s example, and he’s often the toughest hombre on the park.