Rugby: Roller Mills team make final in style

The Taniwha let rip with their haka at the Roller Mills Tournament last week. Photo / Supplied

Kaitaia's Isaiah Harding will remember for a long time when he crashed over to score an injury-time winner, sending a large group of Northland supporters into ecstasy and the Taniwha through to the Roller Mills final.

The try on Friday was the high point of a week of fantastic rugby for the team at the Silverdale Rugby Club and manager Catherine Stewart said it was an emotional moment for the players, management and supporters.

"It was absolutely amazing. When Ice [Isaiah] scored, I burst into tears and the rest of the supporters went crazy too," she said.

Their semifinal was scoreless at halftime against a physically bigger and talented Auckland West side that were unbeaten to that point. Northland trailed 7-5 with time up on the clock until the last-minute score gave Northland a fairytale 10-7 win.

Support for both teams was massive, with many supporters making the trip down State Highway 1 for the match.

"I've never seen such support for the team. The Auckland team's supporters had their drums but Northland had their vuvuzelas and those things blew loudest in that game," she said.

It was a huge victory for Northland but they had nothing left for the final against Auckland East the following day.

Auckland East had beaten Northland 22-3 in their Section B fixture on Monday so it was never going to be an easy match. A nervous start saw the Aucklanders cross the Taniwha line and the game quickly slipped out of Northland's reach. After haemorrhaging points, the side stood up again to finally score a try and lift their spirits, despite losing in a 5-50 blowout.

"They kept trying during the match, but didn't have enough left after playing their hearts out all week, and that's all you can ask for," Stewart said.

Northland started with a 50-0 win over North Harbour Development before going down to Auckland East on Monday. They demolished Counties Manukau 63-5 on Tuesday and beat Thames Valley 48-5 on Wednesday before their bye on Thursday.

Despite the disappointing end, it was one of the best tournaments for the Taniwha in years, capped by three players making the tournament team: captain Rivez Reihana, vice-captain Matt Harrison and Rihari Pomere.

Next year's tournament is in the Bay of Plenty, with Northland the hosts in 2015.

Northland Roller Mills squad: 1. Isaiah Harding (Kaitaia Abundant Life School), 2. Matthew Harrison (VC) (Dargaville Intermediate), 3. Liam McNally (Okaihau College), 4. Oliver Hilton-Jones (Kaitaia Intermediate), 5. Tomislav Baker (Pompallier School), 6. Micheal Conrad-Ellis (Pukenui School), 7. Shyne Fulton (Kerikeri High School), 8. Joseph Ngere (OC), 9. Dylan Brown (Whangarei Intermediate), 10. Rivez Reihana (C) (Huanui College), 11. Takerei Rollo (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Pukemiro), 12. Lathan Hutchinson-Walters (DI), 13. Pukeroa Rollo (TKKMOP), 14. George Fanning (DI), 15. Corey Evans (KI), 16. Rihari Pomare (KI), 17. Romeo Kakara (DI), 18. Ethan Sherwood (DI), 19. Sam Yates-Harrop (Taipa Area School) 20. Remedi Broughton (WI), 21. Ryan Nankivell (Moerewa School), 22. Johnson Peters (Wellsford).