YMP stay unbeaten, reclaim Richard Bruce Memorial Trophy

YMP stay unbeaten: YMP prop Nehe Papuni (ball carrier) was one of the try scorers on Saturday against HSOBs. YMP took the win over their counterparts with a convincing 57-14 and reclaiming the reinstated Richard Bruce Memorial Trophy. Picture by Paul Rickard

Rugby is more than a game to both YMP and High School Old Boys.

Last week YMP rose to the occasion in dispatching Ngatapa 31-20 on Barry Park 1 in honour of (Nanny) Maude Brown. A week later at the same ground, they outscored HSOB nine tries to one in a superb 57-14 triumph to claim the reinstated Richard Bruce Memorial Trophy.

East Coast Farm Vets YMP and GT Shearing Waikohu remain the only unbeaten sides in the competition.

Of his team’s third outing of the season, HSOB head coach Danny Boyle said: “Our boys made a great start to the game and it was pleasing to get points on the board. We also made a few errors in pressure situations, and we’ll look to address that at training this week.”

HSOB No.8 Tamanui Hill won the toss and chose to receive the ball, YMP captain and hooker Shayde Skudder choosing an end under referee Aaron Brown.

HSOB first five-eighth, the left-footed Cory Reihana, drew first blood, a penalty goal of 37 metres from 17m off the left touch for 3-0 in the 21st minute.

To hold a premier grade team — in particular, YMP — scoreless for 21 minutes speaks to the improved fitness and confidence of a blue-and-white unit working hard under Wayne Ensor and Boyle.

HSOB improve with each outing.

Their pointscorers were Reihana, with three penalty goals, and tighthead prop Salesi Niuvao.

In the forwards, YMP’s tryscorers were loosehead prop Nehe Papuni, with a double, Skudder, and reserve tightheadcum-loosehead prop Hayze Nepia.

In the backs, first-five Xavier Bartlett and his replacement Sosaia Filiava, centre Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea, left wing Te Peehi Fairlie and fullback Andrew Tauatevalu scored tries, with Tauatevalu kicking six conversions.

YMP led 21-9 at halftime.

YMP are in excellent form.

In red-hot form, they’re hard to stop and in white-hot form, they’re untouchable.

That last bracket only materialises in brief bursts for any team but a confident YMP — taking a look at their personnel, such as powerful No.8 Jess Kapene and the mighty fullback Andrew Tauatevalu — are well-equipped to produce it. A confident YMP are more than a handful.

YMP head coach Kahu Tamatea keeps everything on a fairly even keel, 43-point margin of victory or not.

“Our set phases have definitely improved and that gave our backs a solid platform,” he said.

“I’m very happy with how these boys played. And to top it off, the bench came on and added punch, too.”