Hora Hora defence denies Hikurangi

Hikurangi hammered away but their inability to break Hora Hora's goal-line defence on Saturday cost them the match and ultimately a shot at this year's Joe Morgan Memorial title.
Their 12-17 defeat came as they dominated possession and territory in the second half of the match at the Hikurangi Sportspark with a strong southerly at their back but only managed to kick three penalties after Hora Hora turned back wave after wave of attack.
The visitors' captain Karl Milne knew their 17-3 lead at the break wasn't big enough to deter Hikurangi and the emphasis at half-time was quelling the coming storm.
"Hika were always going to keep coming ... and we would have been happier with another try in the first half, especially after we blew a late try," he said.
"We knew we had to back our defence, in the end we probably gave away too many penalties and they kicked some goals but I'm really proud of the boys' defence today, it won us the game."
Hikurangi tried everything to breach their opponents' line but nothing came off for them. In a frantic final five minutes, they gave up another chance to kick a penalty and swarmed for the line again and again.  After being beaten back by the Hora Hora forwards, they threw the ball wide but the Hora Hora drift defence coped with everything thrown at it.
If Hikurangi had more time to think about it, they may have put hooker Tim Dow in the backline - because he was the only Hikurangi player able to make any headway against the Hora Hora defence in his first game back for his club after returning from playing in Italy.
In contrast Hora Hora scored three first-half tries - two of them came from rolling mauls - a trusted and well-practised weapon in the Hora Hora arsenal.
Centre Warren Dunn scored the first, cutting back inside to cross over untouched after the rolling maul had pulled the Hikurangi defence out of shape.
 Prop Jamie Wati picked up the second midway through the spell in similar circumstances, with Hikurangi penalised, Hora Hora kicked for the corner and mauled from the lineout.
The third try came from an individual piece of strength by winger Troy Woodman, which took them out to a 14-point lead with 15 minutes to go in the spell.
The visitors might have scored again but the Hikurangi defence stepped up to give their supporters hope that with the wind behind them in the second spell they might prevail. However,  their inability to score with anything but Cass Walding's boot cost them the game.
Result: Hora Hora 17 (W Dunn, J Wati, T Woodman tries, K Milne con) Hikurangi 12 (C Walding 4 pen).