YMP run rampant but still have work to do

HAT-TRICK HERO: YMP left wing Jayden Milner scores his third and his team’s fourth try in a 50-16 demolition of OBM in a premier rugby match at Rugby Park on Saturday. The victory secured YMP second place in the competition and earned them a semifinal match against Ngatapa or OBM, depending on results in the final round-robin game. Ngatapa are third, on 35 points. Their last round-robin game is against bottom-of-the-table Tapuae. OBM, who are fourth on 32 points, take on competition leaders Waikohu. Picture by Paul Rickard

A rampant YMP produced their best performance of the season and sent a warning to other Lee Bros Shield contenders with a 50-16 thumping of OBM in a premier rugby match at Rugby Park on Saturday.

Despite being outplayed up front, East Coast Farm Vets YMP cemented second place and consigned Enterprise Cars OBM to fourth with a seven-tries-to two victory.

The game was delayed for an hour after an injury to an OBM senior one player, Benji McCann, in the game against YMP.

The delay had no effect on the YMP premiers, who opened the scoring in the first minute through the first of left wing Jayden Milner’s three tries.

OBM had kicked off and YMP blindside flanker Mekepio Brown won possession.

He charged straight ahead into the OBM defence before hooker Shayde Skudder gained another 10 metres up the middle.

The ball was transferred to first five-eighth Kahu Tamatea, who switched the play towards the left to second-five and captain Reihana Wyllie, who passed to centre Whaimotu Craft-Chemis.

He put the foot down and left would-be tacklers clutching air before cutting infield. As the cover defender came across, he cut back outside and sent Milner on his way to the tryline. Fullback Brian Whaitiri-White landed the first of his six conversions.

OBM regrouped and five minutes later tighthead prop Lance Dickson closed the gap with a five-pointer, after good work from lock Jody Allen.

Back came YMP with another super try in the ninth minute, and again Craft-Chemis was the provider and Milner the beneficiary. Whaitiri-White converted.

YMP further stretched their lead with the first of Te Peehi Fairlie’s two tries. He pounced on a loose ball and beat two defenders to score.

OBM skipper and first-five Holmes reduced the deficit with a penalty as his forwards began to get on top of their opposites.

YMP went down to 14 men when tighthead prop Rob Broughton was yellow-carded in the 28th minute for a late tackle.

After good work from halfback Keith Henderson, OBM were awarded a penalty and Holmes was successful . . . 19-11.

Apart from the Broughton yellow card, the game had been incident-free . . . that was until an incident on the stroke of halftime sparked a brawl (see story back page).

OBM blindside flanker Jacob Cook was yellow-carded by referee Royce Maynard.

YMP made them pay dearly for the man down. Inside four minutes of the second half, Milner and Whaitiri-White ran in tries, both converted by Whaitiri-White.

Milner’s try came after superb work from Brown, Tamatea, Wyllie and Craft-Chemis, while halfback Quinnton Pari-Collins was the instigator for Whaitiri-White’s five-pointer.

Whaitiri-White extended the gap with a penalty shortly after Cook’s return to action. Then came the try of the game, and it was fitting that Craft-Chemis should score it. Forty metres from the line he exploded into a gap, then accelerated away from one defender and wrongfooted another before being caught two metres from the line.

But there was no stopping Craft-Chemis, who showed tremendous strength to get across the line with two defenders hanging on to him. Whaitiri-White converted.

Fairlie then capped a strong game with his second try to take the score — with Whaitiri-White’s conversion — to 50-11, leaving OBM replacement prop Maumau Kaitara to score a consolation try.

Despite the win, YMP coach Steve Smith said his side had work to do before the semifinals.

“I think we won only one scrum all day,” he said.

“Individually, the forwards played well and all the boys showed they were up for it; we just need to tidy up the scrums.

Once we got the ball out wide we had backs who could finish.”

An outstanding day for Milner was capped with his being named man of the match. Skudder, Craft-Chemis and Whaitiri-White were not far behind, while seasoned campaigners Wyllie, Brown and brothers Kahu and Willis Tamatea also made valuable contributions.

OBM player-coach Tom Solomon said the better team on the day won.

“Our forwards gave us a good platform but their backs were too quick,” Solomon said.

“You can’t argue with the scoreboard.”

YMP 50 (J Milner 3, Te Peehi Fairlie 2, B Whaitiri-White, W Craft-Chemis tries; B Whaitiri-White 6 con, pen).

OBM 16 (L Dickson, M Kaiteria tries; J Holmes 2 pen).

HT: 19-11.