Line-out heroics pave way to final

Their tall timber played a huge role in Wairarapa-Bush felling Mid-Canterbury 16-9 in their NPC third division semi-final rugby match at Memorial Park, Masterton on Saturday.
The dominance middle rowers Dan Joblin and Stu Smith achieved at lineout time proved crucial in a game which could have gone either way right up until the final whistle.
Crucial because the closeness of the two teams, both on the scoreboard and on the field of play, meant controlling any one department always had the potential to be a match winning feat.
Aided and abetted by the accurate throwing of hooker Rob Foreman ,Joblin and Smith comfortably took down the bulk of their own ball and, just as importantly, they also managed to take or spoil a number of opposition throws as well.
It was, in fact, a lineout "steal" which drew the greatest acclaim from what was one of the largest crowds to have gathered at Memorial Park in years.
Time was almost up on the clock with Wairarapa-Bush hanging on grimly to a 13-9 lead but Mid-Canterbury having the throw to a lineout deep in their own territory.
It was basically their last chance to launch an attack and score the try which could win them the match, but Smith denied them that opportunity, leaping high to grab the ball and present it to his supports.
Just moments later Wairarapa-Bush were awarded a penalty and the successful kick by Patrick Rimene signalled the end of proceedings.
The match itself was a somewhat dour affair with both teams electing to keep the ball close to their forwards.
Considering the pace and flair in their three-quarter line the conservative nature of the Wairarapa-Bush game plan came as something of a surprise, but it was sound enough to produce a victory, and with it a place in the third division grand final, so who could argue with it.
Wairarapa-Bush had the chance to open the scoring very early in the game when they were awarded a penalty close to the Mid-Canterbury line and well within kicking range.
With no bonus points at stake it seemed logical to take the three points on offer, but instead Wairarapa-Bush chose to set up a lineout with the obvious intent of scoring a try. However, the Mid-Canterbury defence held and it was the visitors who scored first, a penalty by second-five Matt Dunlea giving them a 3-0 lead.
Minutes later a Patrick Rimene penalty for Wairarapa-Bush evened things up at 3-3 and then came what was to be the only try of the match.
The Wairarapa-Bush forwards gathered possession deep in Mid-Canterbury territory and drove 20 metres to the line with prop Logan Ili being awarded the touch down. Rimene converted and Wairarapa-Bush led 10-3.
Two more penalties to Dunlea and one to Rimene completed the first half scoring action with Wairarapa-Bush going to the break 13-9 ahead.
It was an advantage which would have been greater had second-five Nathan Couch managed to link with his supports after making a clean break in midfield and having the Mid-Canterbury defence at sixes and sevens.
The Rimene penalty almost on fulltime represented the only points scored in a second half which saw most of the play revolve around the middle of the paddock.
There were though a couple of prime scoring chances. A desperate tackle by centre Simanu Simanu averted what looked likely to be a Mid-Canterbury try and at other end of the paddock a try to Wairarapa-Bush seemed on after the ball had been kicked close to the Mid-Canterbury line and two Wairarapa-Bush players led the chase but the bounce went the wrong way.
Joblin and Smith were the standouts in a Wairarapa-Bush pack which had reason to feel satisfied with their efforts. The two middle rowers not only did sterling work in the lineouts but were prominent in all other phases of the tight game as well.
Smith, of course, has had a tremendous season and has no challengers for the player of the year award, but for the less experienced Joblin this could well be seen as his coming of age.He had a huge work rate despite being troubled by an ankle injury which had bothered him through most of the representative season.
Hooker Foreman combined his accurate lineout throwing with some strong running in broken play and also impressed with the sureness of his defence around the fringes of the rucks and mauls.
For No 8 and captain Mike Robinson this was his 50th first class appearance for Wairarapa-Bush and he led by example, invariably playing a starring role in the rolling mauls and defending solidly.
Flankers Sam Henderson and Brian Saolele were quick to the loose ball and constructive when they got there, and Henderson was a useful second string to Joblin and Smith at lineout time as well.
In props Dylan Higginson, Logan Ili and substitute Kojak Faioso, Wairarapa-Bush had three players who buried themselves in the tighter aspects of the game and who anchored a scrum which, apart from being put on the back foot a couple of times, generally held up well.
Second-five Nathan Couch was clearly the pick of the Wairarapa-Bush backs.. He was required to play the part of battering ram on numerous occasions and was a willing workhorse in that regard. His strength generally meant it took more than one tackler to halt his progress.
Both halfbacks used, Hamish McKenzie, and James Bruce, had busy games and, in the first half in particular, first-five Patrick Rimene impressed with both his option taking and tactical kicking. And , of course, the accuracy of his goal kicking had a big day in the end result.
The three-quarter line of Simanu Simanu at centre and Jorji Tamani and Esava Teko on the wings had very limited chances on attack, but all of them were sound on defence, particularly the hard tackling Simanu. Similar things could be said of fullback Richard Carroll.
Mid-Canterbury were a no-frills team. They were clearly reliant on their forwards to pave the way for victory and when they failed to achieve the required ascendancy they had little else to offer from a tactical viewpoint. No 8 Clark McLeod, flanker Andrew Morgan and prop Nick Hartley worked hard up front and there were some neat touches from halfback Nick webster and fullback Ross Leadley.