Victory spoils go to Waikohu

OVER FOR THE TRY: YMP's Jesse Kapene reaches over to score a try before Waikohu's ??? can stop him at the Money Round club rugby competition held at Barry Park on Saturday. Waikohu bounced back to win the game 26-21 with a penalty try on full time and went ont to win the tournament and $1500 first prize. Only three clubs competed after OBM and HSOG withdrew. Premier club rugby proper resumes this Saturday. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Spectators were treated to high-class club rugby and players were rewarded accordingly as Poverty Bay's one-off Money Round became a “game of three halves” at Rugby Park on Saturday.

Play was moved from Barry Park to Rugby Park for three 30-minute matches involving East Coast Farm Vets YMP, Larsawn Ngatapa and GT Shearing Waikohu after Enterprise OBM pulled out due to injuries and unavailabilities and Contract Consultants HSOB dropped out because of player unavailability.

That meant the Civil Project Solutions competition prize pool was upgraded, with Waikohu the biggest beneficiaries after finishing the day with two impressive wins to take home the $1500 for first place.

YMP were second and collected $1200 while Ngatapa earned $900 for finishing third.

The first game of the afternoon between Waikohu and YMP was a fantastic affair, with back-and-forth action to the final whistle.

It was a contest that had everything, including a streaker of the canine variety and a penalty try.

Both teams used the width of the field and produced dynamic plays that saw 47 points scored in the 30 minutes as Waikohu won 26-21.

The teams traded tries with a combination of free running by the backs and strong carries by the forwards.

Waikohu's scrum was the deciding factor. Prop Jarryd Broughton was brought on midway through the game and made an immediate impact as they started to dismantle YMP's pack.

That domination resulted in Waikohu scoring from the back of the scrum with a pushover try to bring them within two points (21-19) of YMP with only a few minutes on the clock.

After YMP's Andrew Tauatevalu missed a penalty kick, Waikohu patiently worked the ball from one end of the ground to the other and received a penalty for incorrect ruck entry. Time was up on the clock but Waikohu chose not to go for the kick that would have won them the game, opting instead for a scrum five metres from the YMP line.

It came up trumps, with the Waikohu forwards destroying the YMP pack and being awarded a penalty try.

Waikohu stayed on the field to take on Ngatapa and continued their roll to win 24-0.

Ngatapa's scrum started strongly and pushed Waikohu backwards but Broughton was brought back on to shore up that department.

Waikohu's Jacob Leaf was near-unstoppable, scoring two tries by gliding through implausibly small gaps in the defence.

Ngatapa were starved of the ball and consistently bombarded through the middle of the paddock by the big Waikohu forwards, freeing up the backs to stretch the green and whites out wide.

Ngatapa looked dangerous with the ball but mistakes or wrong options cost them on attack.

They could have scored several consolation penalties but instead opted to kick for the corner to go for the try, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Back-to-back wins for Waikohu made them guaranteed winners and meant the Ngatapa-YMP game was a play-off for second and third.

Waikohu captain Tane McGuire said their dominance at scrum time was decisive

“In both games our scrum took over, especially versus YMP. It was a big advantage.”

The prize money would be used within the club to help fund programmes from junior to premier level.

McGuire complemented the efforts of the three sides.

“All three teams turned up with a good attitude. For us, it was a tournament just to play rugby.”

YMP ran out 21-5 winners in the final game.

Ngatapa looked set to go through the day without scoring a point but crossed the line at the death.

Flying centre Suliano Rausavanua caught first-five-eighth Ricardo Patricio's cross-field kick under penalty advantage to score the team's only try.

That piece of brilliance aside, it was largely one-way traffic, with YMP controlling the possession like their life depended on it.

The pack was backbone, consistently moving the ball up the field and breaching the advantage line with relative ease.

Ngatapa coach Stephen Hickey said his team went into the games too blasé and were punished as a result.

“It was one of those days. A bit of fun but no stress. . . onwards and upwards.”

Ngatapa had brought up several players from their Senior A team, who had forfeited their competition game because they did not have a front row.

Hickey said it was a good opportunity to see how some of the exciting potential in the lower grade would fare at premier level.

YMP coach Brian Leach said he was happy with how his team performed, pointing out their scrum suffered because their only specialist tighthead prop was injured halfway through the first half.

“In the second game, everyone got to play. We needed to see where fellas could play.”

The team were flush with players and Leach said being versatile would be key in earning selection as they entered the business end of the season.

Matt Rutene, in his first game for YMP at first five-eighth, showed he was “a damn good player”, said Leach.

“You can put him anywhere.”

Leach also praised Aaron McLelland, who was moved to wing and instantly made an impact with two tries against Ngatapa.

“All in all I was happy. We had several players out and all the ones that filled in did well.

“Everyone is challenging for positions (in the team).”