Kaierau lost one to the sin-bin themselves near the end of the match, but otherwise stayed their hand and kept their eyes on the prize – their first trip to Cooks Gardens since 2021.
Player of the day Lasa Ulukuta turned back the clock as the veteran prop made some massive tackles, turnovers and key passing.
Try-scoring fullback Peceli Malanicagi and winger Peniani Saumaki created havoc on the fringes, with Saumaki’s intercept to dash over 50m and put his team 19 points ahead entering the final quarter proving decisive.
For Taihape, Luke Whale at first five-eighths and skipper Tyler Rogers-Holden at fullback did everything they could to keep their side in the game.
But up until the last 10 minutes when the home side camped in Kaierau’s territory, the visiting forward pack met and matched Taihape for physicality.
“Credit to [Kaierau], they came here with a really good game plan, and they just got us in the end,” said Taihape coach Sefo Bourke.
Having lost a steady stream of players to injury this campaign, Bourke agreed they had probably stretched one game too many.
“Definitely, we’ve still got walking wounded, and I think we had four on the bench to begin with.
“We still gave ourselves a chance. But in those moments you need to win, they won those.”
Kaierau’s Danny Tamehana was delighted his full-strength side had played their own game when it counted.
“It was just about trying to use that width, you know?” Tamehana said, saying his “boys executed a good plan”.
“That’s probably the first time that’s actually happened, and it’s coming at the right time – I was stoked and so are they, as you can see.”
He singled out Ulukuta for praise, having started him ahead of his two younger props.
“He’s been around a long time and he’s a moments player. He changed a few outcomes there with some big hits, it was unreal actually.
“The discipline, we spoke about that, [Taihape] are going to get into a dogfight, so let’s not get into that with them because that’s what happens – discipline goes and the next minute it’s cards.
“It was nice to have it changed around, for a change.”
Border make final again
The “Incomparables” of Waverley Harvesting Border have booked themselves a sixth straight Tasman Tanning Premier final appearance after a relatively comfortable semifinal win at Dallison Park on Saturday.
In their first Premier playoff in 13 seasons, Tāmata Hauhā Rātana were naturally the sentimental favourites after upsetting Premier’s two Metro teams to snatch fourth place in their club’s 100th season.
But Border were simply too well-seasoned in home semfinal football, working the ball so that young winger Luke Myers scored a first-half double on his way to a hat-trick.
Rātana never quit trying, scoring twice to ultimately win the second half 12-5.
In the Senior semifinals, the undefeated Forest 360 Marist Knights scored both a try and then a penalty in the shadow of fulltime to defeat Kelso Hunterville 23-16.
Hunterville led the Knights 16-15 from halftime all the way to the final five minutes.
Going to Cooks Gardens for the second year in a row are Utiku Old Boys, who shook off some erratic form in the past few weeks to hammer Bennett’s Taihape 35-5 in the Memorial Park derby.
Results, July 5-6
Premier Semifinals
Waverley Harvesting Border 29 (Luke Myers 3, Hamish Mellow, Unknown tries; Tyrone Albert 2 con) bt Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 12. HT: 24-0.
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 31 (Peniani Saumaki 2, Peceli Malanicagi ,Mairangi Tamehana tries; Ethan Robinson 2 pen, Sheldon Pakinga pen, con) bt Taihape 24 (Ratu Jeke Lesuma, Tyler Rogers-Holden, Tiari Mumby, Cyrus Tasi tries ; Luke Whale con, Rogers-Holden con). HT: 16-12.
Senior Semifinals
Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt Kelso Hunterville 23-16. HT: 16-15 Hunterville.
Memorial Park: Utiku Old Boys bt Bennett’s Taihape 35-5. HT: 25-0.
Women’s Final
Byfords Construction Taihape bt AGC Marist Clovers 37-34 after extra time. HT: 22-10 Marist. FT: 34-34.
