Te Awamutu Sports played their first pre-season match against the Ruakuri Contracting Waitomo side at Waitomo Domain. Photo / Te Awamutu Sports Rugby Club
Te Awamutu Sports played their first pre-season match against the Ruakuri Contracting Waitomo side at Waitomo Domain. Photo / Te Awamutu Sports Rugby Club
After two false starts against Auckland's College Rifles and Flaxmere's Māori Agricultural College due to Covid, Te Awamutu Sports played their first preseason match against the Ruakuri Contracting Waitomo side coached by King Country Rams stalwart Dean Church.
"They played with a lot of mana, we are very appreciative thatWaitomo hosted us at the domain," says Te Awamutu Sports head coach Travis Church (cousin of Dean).
"It was great to support our neighbouring cousins in the King Country and we just want to wish Dean and his side all the best for their season."
Te Awamutu arrived with a large squad and had the luxury of presenting a different 15 in each half which added to the strength of the local Waitomo boys' performance.
Down 28-0, having conceded four converted tries after 20 minutes, Waitomo regrouped and with experienced former Waikato and King Country back Joe Perawiti leading the way, turned vigorous defence into a weapon and disrupted the backline, restricting the scoring to just one try in the second quarter.
Te Awamutu Sports' Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong scored one of Te Awamutu Sports' tries. Photo / Justin Miezenbeek
But Te Awamutu Sports were up 33-0 at halftime.
For Sports, ex-Hamilton Boys' High School head boy and First XV co-captain Sean Ralph bagged a double, former Te Awamutu College man George Poolman finished off two class tries with Boston McCullough, Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong, Manahi Goulton and Clark Towers also crossing the line.
Conversions were slotted by Taha Kemara (4/5), Dillon Martin (2/2) and Josh Bennett (1/1).
