Hikurangi work to keep Hora Hora 'flat'

Frontrunners Hora Hora came away with the points but never really showed their championship edge against a slowly improving Hikurangi at Hora Hora Park.
Though a little off colour on Saturday, Hora Hora recorded a bonus point 22-16 victory on Saturday but assistant coach Mark Wati was at a loss to explain why his team were so "flat".
"The last couple of weeks we've talked about maintaining attitude and intensity but we didn't seem to bring that today, but on the other hand Hika played well and that had something to do with it."
Wati and coach Mark Seymour needn't panic. Hora Hora had the game well won with 10 minutes to go but then let Hikurangi run in a couple of late tries to register a well deserved bonus point.
"In the past few years we've started slow and only started playing some rugby about now so really it's been a good start for us this year," he said.
Both sides lost valuable ball to turnovers with the loose forwards dominating. Hikurangi were vastly improved from last week but their error rate was still too high and they failed to capitalise on their chances, particularly in the first spell. They dominated possession and territory but just had two Henry Foy penalties to show for it before Hora Hora fired up with five minutes remaining in the spell.
The home side spurned another penalty attempt to maul forward from the lineout inside Hikurangi's 22 with the visitor's unable to stop Mark Bennett crashing over for their first try.
Hora Hora must have got an earful at the break and within minutes of the restart had doubled their try tally when first five-eighths Jack McPhee scored in the corner on the back of momentum started by a 20m break by No.8 Rukuwai Waata off the back of a ruck.
Buoyed by their early success, the home side played with spirit and Hikurangi were pinned deep in their half for the next 15 minutes. They defended well and had just begun to enjoy some possession again when big prop Matt Stainbridge smashed into the midfield defence. He dropped the ball and it bounced neatly for Hora Hora centre Warren Dunn to race 40m to the line untouched.
The try robbed the visitors of their fizz and McPhee added his second try with just over 10 minutes to go, picking out a forward in the defence to zip past and he was quick enough to beat the cover to the line.
At 6-22, Hikurangi were beaten but didn't give up and prop Mark Lawson, then Rhyan Caine scored tries in the final five minutes.
Hikurangi's set-piece was good. The lineout was excellent with Tim Dow's throw-ins on the money and Wiremu Snowden displaying great athleticism at the front of the lineout. The scrum earned two tight-heads and spoiled some of Hora Hora's possession.
Dow said it was a better display for new coach Sam Pinder to ponder after watching them play "rubbish" against Otamatea the week before, in Pinder's first week since taking over.