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RUGBY by Ben O’Brien-Leaf
The 82 points scored in a recent OBM-Pirates game was thought to be a one-off.
But that remarkable 41-all result on June 15 was equalled for skills at speed by Eastland Vets Ngatapa’s 41-30 victory over OBM.
Week 7 of the Poverty Bay under 13 weight-restricted grade at Waikirikiri Park also saw a sensational performance by High School Old Boys in their 36-10 win v Pirates.
There were 13 tries in the Ngatapa-OBM game. OBM backs’ Most Valuable Player centre Levi Hune scored four, with Ngatapa blindside flanker Dylan Torrie and second-five Charlie Bennett scoring twice.
“That was a great game, with territory 50-50 in the first half. Our boys had more of it second time around,” said Ngatapa coach Matt Evans.
“Dylan (Torrie) had a great second half — he was in everything.”
OBM’s Hune opened the scoring in the fifth minute of play and No.8 Sam Gaddum hit back for Ngatapa in the seventh minute. Centre William Matthews, normally a blindside flanker, made the first of three successful conversion attempts to make it 7-5 to Ngatapa.
The next player to score was OBM captain and first-five Phoenix Pardoe-Crosby, 12 minutes in. His skipper opposite, openside flanker George Gillies, grabbed a five-pointer for Ngatapa in the 14th minute. Hune made it a personal double in the 20th minute — OBM 15 Ngatapa 12.
Bennett scored in the 24th minute and OBM elusive right-wing Owen Buchanan 28th-minute try gave them a 20-17 lead at the break.
Torrie led the charge for Ngatapa after halftime, scoring in the 32nd (converted by Matthews) and 36th minutes to send Ngatapa up 29-20.
Hune made it a hat-trick in the 38th minute, Bennett scored his second try to restore their nine-point advantage (34-25) in the 41st minute, then again showed his flair with his fourth and final try 55 minutes into the game.
OBM trailed 34-30 but Ngatapa fullback Harry Hayward scored try No.13 in the 58th minute and Matthews’ conversion sealed a 41-30 win.
The OBM forwards’ MVP was gutsy lock Tyler Rolls, whose hard tackling was a feature of the game.
Ngatapa’s Evans made his MVP a team award for the side’s good second-half play.
With two games remaining, High School Old Boys, under Gus Heuser and Lee de Thier, have hit their straps.
They beat Pirates 36-10.
The Phil Viljoen-coached Pirates are a dangerous team, as they proved in snatching victory from the jaws of a loss, 19-17 under lights v Ngatapa at the Oval on June 5.
The HSOB mantra of encouraging and supporting each other through thick and thin continued, and referee Aaron Brown deserves great credit for his efforts on behalf of both teams. His patience and willingness to make sure the scrum was set safely stood out.
HSOB fullback Max Kennedy ran 25m to score the opening try under the bar five minutes into the game, and converted for 7-0.
Powerful HSOB blindside flanker Mackenzie Wilkie scored a grand forward’s try in the 10th minute, going hard for 10m off the back of a ruck after four phases of play.
Talented left-wing Te Marangai Lamont-Milner struck for Pirates — the first of their two fine tries — to cut HSOB’s lead to 12-5.
Right-wing Fergus Heuser scored the last try of the first half and it was of the tries of the season. From a well-timed pass by HSOB backs’ MVP centre Kasey Ormsby, the younger Heuser ran 50m to score in the right corner.
HSOB led 17-5 at the break.
Ormsby claimed his reward for running good lines with a try just to the right of the posts and Kennedy’s extended HSOB’s lead to 24-5.
Tries followed for HSOB first-five Jayden de Thier (45th minute) and halfback Jonah Whitley (52nd min). Kennedy’s successful conversion of Whitley’s daring effort made it 36-5.
But Pirates were down but not done. Fullback Mahonri Aupouri scored their second try in the 58th minute of the game.
HSOB forwards’ MVP openside flanker Zandre Viljoen was excellent in his pursuit of the ball and tackling.
“It was a good game overall and HSOB played very well,” said Phil Viljoen.
“They’re a good team. Pirates’ MVP was our lock Keanu Makiri. With guys unavailable, and he himself sick, he still played his heart out for the team.”
While the five weight-restricted teams may not think of themselves as role models, some of their enthusiasm and daring has rubbed off on younger players.
The OBM under 11s won a brilliant game against Ngatapa Green 39-29. Ngatapa led 22-19 at halftime.
Ngatapa centre George Hume scored two tries, and there were tries apiece to No.8 Charlie Denton, halfback Georgia Beaufoy and left-wing Ngawiri Edwards, and two conversions by fullback Oliver Egan.
OBM’s loosehead prop Putu Reedy and centre Jerome Tamatea scored twice, first-five Quinn Piripi-Coutts, captain, MVP and second-five Mahuta Reedy-Tuhura and left-wing Jethro Morris crossed for one try apiece. Piripi-Coutts also kicked two conversions.
Ngatapa’s MVP was second-five Sio Tavake, who — in the words of coach Marcus Beaufoy — “tackled like a demon”.