Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post / Sport

Rugby: Whaka win in a nailbiter

Rotorua Daily Post
12 May, 2013 09:08 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

From heartache to jubilation in one week that's what rugby can do to you just ask Whakarewarewa coach Maurice Stone.

Last weekend he had to watch as his side went down in the dying seconds 21-22 to Greerton Marist.

The role was reversed at the weekend, with Whaka winning a 23-22 nailbiter over Mount Maunganui at Puarenga Park.

The home side jumped out to a 20-8 half time lead followed by a Mount resurgence with 22 points in 25 minutes.

It would take a pressure filled penalty kick from replacement fullback John Ririnui to give the red and blacks an "ugly" win.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As I've said ... in the past any wins a good win. Yeah [it] was disappointing last week but I'm glad the boys have bounced back and they deserved it. They worked hard during the week," Stone said.

It looked like the hard training had paid off with Whaka opening their points account in the 14th minute from a well worked try off the back of a solid Whaka scrum on the 22m line.

Halfback Chris van der Vlugt, took the ball from the scrum fired a bullet-like pass to first-five Bauro Kairaoi, he skip passed it to a charging Dougie Edwards, who off loaded to fullback Chris Miller who ran into space and sprinted 20m to score in the left hand corner.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's good to see set plays coming off. You know, what's the point in practising [them] if we're not going to try them."

Stone put his side's domination in the first half down to a solid scrum foundation with Peter "Boxer" Smith, Trent Sweeney and new player Tamahau Palmer. The trio was devastating at scrum time ripping into its opponents like ravenous lions.

Whaka would score two more tries in the first half to Chanse Perham and James O'Neill.

First-five Kairaoi had a poor time with the boot only able to kick a conversion and one penalty but a strong south-easterly didn't make it an easy job for the kickers on Saturday.

The visitors showed grit in the first half and when they did get quality ball, they were effective especially with the pick and go. Their efforts with the ball were rewarded in the 35th minute, when centre Chad Jacob latched on to a pass to score in the corner after sustained pressure by his forwards.

Although second-five Sam Beard nailed an earlier penalty, he wasn't able to get the direction for Jacob's try.

The visitors, came out for the second with venom, smashing into a startled Whaka side who appeared to struggle with Mount's intensity.

With only three minutes on the clock Mount had their second try to Caleb Oakes which was converted by Beard.

Mount Maunganui lifted and kept Whaka stuck in their danger zone for most of the second half and when Miller went down with an ankle injury, the visitors sniffed a scent of victory. In the 25th minute the visitors took the lead when Matty Axtens barged over in the corner for Beard to convert and have the score 22-20 in their favour.

Miller succumbed to his injury and was fortuitously replaced by Ririnui who was only on the field for about 5 minutes when he took the deciding penalty kick.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was heartbreak for the Mount but ecstasy for the Whaka supporters and players.

Other results in the round:

Tauranga Sports beat Rotoiti 42-22, Rangataua beat Paroa 35-22, Te Puke Sports beat Greerton 39-17, Opotiki beat Te Puna 52-24. In division one; Poroporo beat Katikati 34-29, Kahukura beat Ruatoki 32-14, Te Teko beat Ngongotaha 51-17, Whakatane Marist beat Rangiuru 26-19 and Waikite beat Marist St Michaels 24-12.

Scorers:

Whakarewarewa; 23 (C Miller, C Perham, J O'Neill tries; B Kairaoi 1 con, 1 pen, J Ririnui 1 pen) Mount Maunganui; 22 (C Jacob, C Oakes, M Axtens tries; S Beard 1 pen, 2 cons) Halftime: 20-8

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

15-year-old earns NZ team call-up after defending national surfing crown

20 Jan 02:12 AM
Sport

Return of the Stylebender: Adesanya back in UFC octagon in March

14 Jan 01:20 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Today’s the day’: Gapes delivers top Kiwi finish in brutal World XC heat

11 Jan 01:33 AM

Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

15-year-old earns NZ team call-up after defending national surfing crown
Rotorua Daily Post

15-year-old earns NZ team call-up after defending national surfing crown

He knew he'd won when his mates cheered him up the sand.

20 Jan 02:12 AM
Return of the Stylebender: Adesanya back in UFC octagon in March
Sport

Return of the Stylebender: Adesanya back in UFC octagon in March

14 Jan 01:20 AM
‘Today’s the day’: Gapes delivers top Kiwi finish in brutal World XC heat
Rotorua Daily Post

‘Today’s the day’: Gapes delivers top Kiwi finish in brutal World XC heat

11 Jan 01:33 AM


Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 
Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP