A last-minute try in a come-from-behind win saw Moerewa take out the third and final leg of the 2013 Northland Rugby Sevens at Simson Park on Saturday, giving the Bay champions the series title in the process.
The final match of the day was a high quality affair which provided a dramatic and fitting conclusion to this year's series. Moerewa A were trailing by 21-7 to Awanui at halftime but stormed back in the second spell to secure the win by 22-21 when Jimmy Anderson dotted down in the final minutes of the game. Awanui went on a fierce offensive to try to take back the lead, only to see the ball knocked on when a desperate pass didn't stick. The ref blew for full-time allowing the Moerewa players and supporters to celebrate wildly.
The result was even more remarkable considering Moerewa - one of two sides fielded by the host club on Saturday - went into the final knowing they had to win outright to secure the series title as a loss or draw meant sharing the honour with Mid Northern.
Moerewa stalwart Paul Owen put the win down to the performance, both on and off the field, by Moerewa's player/ manager/ coach and captain, Rhys Tenana. Also notable were younger brother Kadin (who played for Mid Northern during the 2013 club season in Whangarei), Anaru Thompson and Kaeo's Matarae Tauroa.
"Awesome day, good crowd. Great final, high standard ... Good to see two Far North teams in there," Owen chuckled. Was he making an oblique reference to the Far North's domination of Northland rugby this year? Well, since it's been raised ... other victories claimed over various Whangarei sides this year include the North Zone Maori winning the Johnny Isaacs Shield in Whangarei in February, and the Bay of Islands team successfully defending the Harding Shield in Kaitaia in July.
Finalists do it toughThe third and final leg of this year's rugby sevens series was played on a rock hard Simson Park surface under an, at times, blazing hot sun which put Northland's best and fittest players severely to the test. The event also provided an opportunity for players to impress the Northland selectors and win selection into the team making an all-expenses-paid trip to the Fiji Sevens this week.
Conditions and the competition took its toll with two shoe-ins for the squad to travel to the Fiji Sevens tomorrow, Awanui's Jone Macilai and Rhys Llewelleyn, ending their day with rolled ankles. Macilai was cleared yesterday to leave with the squad, but Llewelleyn's injury meant he missed out. Off the record, Northland are looking to secure the services of Llewelleyn (formerly of Canterbury and a former player with the New Zealand IRB Sevens champions), for their 2014 national provincial championship campaign.
Back at Moerewa, Mid Northern eventually finished the series in 2nd place, their favourites' title hopes destroyed after being knocked out in the semi-final by a rampant Awanui (exacting revenge of sorts for the 21-14 loss earlier in the day where the ref failed to spot the ball being dropped short on of the line in Mid Northern's last-minute winning try). Front-runners going into the Moerewa leg of the series, Kamo eventually finished 3rd overall.
Other placegetters in Moerewa included Hora Hora winning the Cup final by default with Waipu players forced to leave early on the day, and Kamo winning the Plate final over Mid Northern B. In the women's division, Kerikeri won the final over an Ohaeawai who took out the overall series title. The other two legs of the Northland Sevens series were at Waipu and Wellsford on October 12 and 19 respectively.
On Monday, the Northland selectors confirmed the 12-strong squad to contest the Fiji Coral Coast Sevens being played from November 14-16, as follows. Denny Windelborn, Whiria Meltzer, Jone Macilai (Awanui), Troy Loebendahn (Kerikeri), Rhys Te Nana (Moerewa), Andrew Kavienga (Ohaeawai), Warren Dunn (Hora Hora), Mac Sykes, Josh Brown (both Kamo), Will Whetton (not at Moerewa, he was in Kuala Lumpur playing for the Penguins side which knocked Northland out in the quarters of the Singapore Sevens earlier this month), Derek Carpenter (Mid Northern), and Heath Colthurst (Wellsford).
Manager is Kyal Collins (Kerikeri RFC), coach Peter Nock (Kerikeri), assistant manager Glen Subritzky, and strapper/masseuse Paul Scutt. The field for Fiji includes eight 'sponsored' New Zealand sides, eight Fijian sides and eight international sides. The Northland team departs tomorrow and returns on Sunday.