Tokararangi had the bye at the weekend while Hicks Bay beat a gallant Tokomaru Bay United 33-12 at Te Rahui o Te Rangi, Wharekahika.
The Tanetoa Parata-led Hikurangi had a great 22-12 win — their first in this shortened season — v Waiapu at George Nepia Memorial Park in Rangitukia.
The three teams who bowed out of the race for the Rangiora Keelan Memorial Shield at the weekend were: Hikurangi (11pts, placed fifth), Waiapu (11pts, 6th) and United (10pts, 7th).
Both semi-finals will be held at 2.30pm, with restrictions on crowd numbers to be reviewed and confirmed.
To Saturday — it was bright, cool and windless at Tolaga Bay for the 2 v 3 clash for the George Keelan Challenge Shield, currently held by Uawa.
Uawa made an iron-fisted start to the game, sending their Player of the Day fullback BJ Sidney, captain giant lock Adaam Ross, powerhouse No.8 Paddy Allen and Ross’s second-row partner Scott Lasenby as battering rams at the visitors.
Eleven minutes into the game, 12m from TVC’s goal line in front of the posts, Uawa were given a penalty by referee Matt Richards and the hosts’ halfback Sam Parkes opted for the tap-kick and went right to Sidney. Parkes then cleared the ensuing ruck, for head coach tighthead prop Laman Davies to score 10m in from the right corner.
Uawa led 5-0, yet — even as they held good field position — the visitors set a harsh defensive tone, as in TVC player-coach openside flanker Moana Mato’s shattering hit on semi-retired former Uawa skipper Lasenby.
In the 15th minute, Uawa first-five Josh Dearden kicked a 35m penalty goal from centrefield for 8-0.
Eight minutes later, from an attacking lineout set 10m short of the home team’s goal line on the right touch, TVC turned the ball over. Uawa went up the middle, then counterattacked on the right edge through a break by Jordan Birch. He thundered down the sideline, hooked a pass off the touchline to fullback Sidney who then gave a great assist infield to Dearden, who scored under the bar.
Dearden converted his own try for 15-0.
In the 32nd minute, TVC centre Tutere Waenga put his side on the scoreboard with a 37m penalty goal from mid-pitch for TVC 3, Uawa 15. Three minutes later, Waenga missed an almost identical shot: TVC had come back into the contest territorially through forward rushes, committed defence and chases on kicks. Two minutes before the break, they struck: from an attacking lineout set 13m from Uawa’s goal line on the left touch, athletic lock Solomon Vaka won the ball — TVC went right, through the hands of first-five Verdon Bartlett and Waenga to fullback Peti Delamere, who scored.
Waenga then converted the Delamere try 11m off the right touch, 22m out: Uawa led 15-10 at halftime.
TVC Player of the Day second-five Ben Houia was solid on both defence and attack while the experienced Bartlett and Sidney both exerted great influence on the game: Bartlett’s passing ability gave the TVC ball-runners what they needed to get over the advantage line, and Sidney’s footwork in this era of stifling defence — his ability to beat would-be tacklers one-on-one — is priceless.
Of scrums set and won absent a penalty, TVC won the count 8-4; lineouts were 7-5 to Uawa; with the penalty count 20-11 to TVC.
Referee Matt Richards kept 30 players on the field for as much of the game as possible: TVC reserve blindside flanker Hube Matchitt and Uawa reserve right-wing Les Te Reo — both clean, tough competitors — the only recipients of yellow cards (late in the game) for technical infringements.
Uawa scored first in the second half: at an attacking lineout 7m from the TVC goal line on the left touch, Ross won the ball, the hosts pushed to the right three times before Sidney scored 7m from the corner in the 50th minute.
His try was unconverted, so the score was 20-10 to Uawa.
In the 68th minute, Uawa were awarded another penalty just off-centre to the right, 23m out, which Dearden potted for 23-10. TVC continued to compete, territorially with the boot and tackling hard. In the 70th minute, right-wing Taleq Simeon picked up a pass from Bartlett on the bounce and scored in the corner. The 18-year-old, in his second year with TVC, showed composure to finish: absent a conversion, the score was 23-15 to Uawa.
In the 76th minute, Uawa’s Lasenby evened up the big-hit stakes with a heavy tackle on TVC’s Mato who, to his credit, popped straight back up. It is worth noting that Mato has made the move from second-five to No.7 seamlessly this season.
With a minute remaining, from 30m out, 5m off the right touch, Dearden kicked his second penalty goal of the day for 26-15, the final score.
Speaking for TVC, Mato remarked on the physicality and also the pace of the game, while Uawa head coach Laman Davies reflected on the tightness of scores between Uawa and TVC traditionally, owing much to the opposition’s discipline.
Victorious captain Adaam Ross said: “Paddy was his normal consistent self in all parts of play, and Ben had an especially good game.
“Our forwards did the job, we just have little things to work on.”
