For Muriwhenua, this was the last game of a season marked by the odd upset win, and the 16 who turned up on Saturday enjoyed a team mudslide after the final whistle before saluting their loyal supporters huddling from the adverse conditions in the grandstand.
Muriwhenua Kuaka coach Vince 'Tini' Rudolph admitted he was happy with the way in which the season had been wrapped up, noting it was good to have the last game at home after missing out the previous weekend due to a weather bomb which saw all senior sport in the Far North called off. Try scorers included captain Sandy Hepi, Hoani Tahana, Jeremy Tecklenburg and Leighton Karena, with Rudolph as per usual complimenting the usual suspects including Hepi and Tecklenburg who "led from the front" along with players like Karena, Brent 'Everready Battery' Tecklenburg, and Jay Ngaruhe, "working hard all day".
Also thanked were the various refs for their efforts this season before Rudolph, on behalf of the team, wished the opposition all the best at next Sunday's play-offs.
Kerikeri Makos 10 Hokianga Pioneers 40 (ht 6-14): Hokianga convincingly winning the Far North derby at Kerikeri and consigning the Makos to wooden spoon infamy for the 2014 championship in the process.
Despite the margin of the final scoreline, Hokianga's Rob Marsh said Kerikeri were very competitive. He also described Saturday's conditions as "unbelievable!" noting the spectators were huddled together as far back in the little grandstand overlooking Kerikeri Domain as they could get.
"It was everything that you have in winter. The wind, the rain, the thunder, the lightning. Thankfully this game is out of the road. It was still a hard game physically. We had to dig deep to get the win even though I felt we were pretty comfortable throughout. The Makos made us work but the [Pioneers] coach was pretty happy afterwards."
Eight tries scored altogether including those by Wiremu Te Rangi, Te Wairongoa Tohu and David Wikaira (playing his first game for a while), with most being dotted down under the posts but only four were successfully converted, Marsh noting the "guys just couldn't kick the goals!" (With the season over for the Pioneers' usual reliable kicker, Vern Wilson, who broke his arm against Portland in the round 14 clash on July 5.)
Of this coming Sunday's affair at Toll Stadium against the Bulls, Marsh predicted, "It will be a brutal game. [But] So will the main game."
Moerewa Tigers 6 Hikurangi Stags 36: Any argument the Tigers may have put forward about warranting a minor semi-final berth was put to bed firmly by the Stags at Simson Park on Saturday.
However, some commentators noted the scoreline didn't reflect the intensity or the competitiveness of the occasion, with the Tigers drawing first blood, a try by DJ Palmer, and playing until the 80th minute to demonstrate the potential they had shown in the latter half of the season at least.
Moerewa player coach captain Tawio Davis said both teams put on a quality game of rugby considering the conditions: "It was hosing down, lot of surface water. Handling was pretty good by both sides. Clean game too. They just got us wide a couple of times."
Looking ahead, Davis said the focus for Moerewa was to try to put a generally forgettable 2014 campaign behind them and start placing some urgency on rebuilding for next year.
"We're starting early. After our meeting on the 30th [July], going to crack into it straight away!"
Other results from the final round were, Northern Wairoa Bulls 16 Portland Panthers 17 (Portland winning back the Ville Salase Memorial); and, Hora Hora Broncos 4 Takahiwai Warriors 54.
Final standings feature nearby.
