Northland Kauri second five Kararaina Wira-Kohu (with ball) was too strong for Tasman's defensive line at the Trigg Sports Arena on Saturday afternoon. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland Kauri second five Kararaina Wira-Kohu (with ball) was too strong for Tasman's defensive line at the Trigg Sports Arena on Saturday afternoon. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland Kauri captain Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate was centre of attention on Saturday as she led her side to a 35-29 win over Tasman in her 50th Farah Palmer Cup game.
Ngata-Aerengamate, a current Black Fern and Northland hooker, scored the first and last of Northland's six tries at the TriggSports Arena in Whangārei in front of a strong local crowd.
What made the day even more special for the inspirational captain was a surprise visit from her parents who had travelled up from Auckland to watch their daughter play for Northland for the first time in person.
"To see them today, I was just bawling my eyes out," Ngata-Aerengamate said.
The hooker, who used to play for Counties Manukau until she changed to Northland for their first ever season this year, said her parents had always watched her games since she was 5 but hadn't recently after her move up to Kaitaia.
Saturday's game was a tough one for both sides and it showed in how the momentum swung throughout. While Northland led by just one point midway through the second half, it was clear the home side had the upper-hand with a strong defensive performance.
"It was just so awesome, going back and forth, we had to really dig deep in those moments, that's what I told them at halftime," Ngata-Aerengamate said.
Northland captain Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate (right) played her 50th Farah Palmer Cup game against Tasman in Whangārei in front of her parents, who made the surprise trip up from Auckland. Photo / File
"Our team went all the way to the last minute, the last whistle, so I'm just so proud of our girls, it was a really good match out there."
Northland winger Savannah Bodman was a stand-out with two classy tries, one off the back of an expert cross kick from former Black Fern first five Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali, who was playing her first game back from injury.
But no one could outshine the captain who broke the Tasman line with a few minutes on the clock and a few phases later, would go over to score her side's sixth try and seal the win and her brace.
"To get that last try, I didn't care about anyone, I was going to get it no matter what," she said.
Northland winger Savannah Bodman (centre) was ruthless with ball in hand, scoring two tries in her side's 35-29 win on Saturday. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The win saw Northland third on the Farah Palmer Cup championship table which gave the side a home quarterfinal against a winless Taranaki team on Sunday, possibly at Semenoff Stadium before the Taniwha play Bay of Plenty.
"It's going to be another hard game, it's probably going to be like this game," Ngata-Aerengamate said.
"[Taranaki] may have lost all their games but they are a fighting team and we can't be complacent."
A loss for Tasman meant they would travel to North Harbour to play their quarterfinal next weekend. Tasman captain Jessica Foster-Lawrence said she was proud of her team's effort against a formidable Kauri team playing at home.
"It was a pretty good battle out there for both teams, Northland came at us pretty hard physically and mentally, they got in our heads a little bit."
Foster-Lawrence credited her first five Hayley Hutana, who was outstanding for the visitors and put Northland's defence under a lot of pressure.
Northland fans were glad to have former Black Fern first five Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali (right) back in the Kauri line up after she had been out with injury. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland Kauri coach Cheryl Smith was all smiles after the game and said everything from now on would be a bonus in the team's maiden Farah Palmer Cup season.
"We trained well all week and we started slow but we just pulled through and look at us, who would have placed us third on the table?" she said.
"We've got something unique about this team, we're growing at the right part of the season."
For a confirmed time and venue for Northland's home quarterfinal, visit the Northland women's rugby Facebook page.
