Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports Premier's Josh Coffin in action against his old team Ōtorohanga. Photo / Justin Miezenbeek
Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports opened their premiership account with a grinding 25-20 victory over Ōtorohanga in a brutal encounter at Island Reserve, settling a score from their loss a fortnight ago.
Lock Joshua Coffin scored two tries against his old club, and midfielder Shauncy Waho bagged his 13th of the season.
Pivot Logan Karl successfully converted two conversions and two penalties from the tee.
The first quarter was a war of attrition as both sides battered each other without reward.
After 20 minutes, Coffin crossed close to the ruck, and Karl converted from out wide to take a 7-0 lead.
Down a man from a red card, Ōtorohanga set about holding the ball close and playing for possession. They were rewarded at the half-hour mark with their own score, trailing 7-5.
Karl quickly answered with a penalty goal to stretch the lead to five points with five minutes to play.
Just before halftime, Karl caught the hosts short out wide with a wide kick, and Coffin was on the spot again to grab his second try, giving Te Awamutu Sports a 15-8 lead at the break.
After the break, the hosts used their rolling maul to score early and close the gap to two points.
Then, after an extended period where both sides attacked each other’s lines but couldn’t cross, Ōtorohanga took the lead at the hour mark through their forward pack, hoping to ride the vocal hometown support to a win in the final quarter.
But Sports took control from there, pinning Ōtorohanga back into their half and forcing them to defend their line.
They defended valiantly in the face of constant pressure, but even with turnover ball, they couldn’t escape their own quarter as Sports increased the tempo.
After laying siege on the goal line through the forwards, Tairoa Crean displayed quick thinking and swung the ball wide, where Waho raced to the corner.
Karl’s conversion gave them a two-point lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Te Awamutu worked their way back onto the attack. Initially, they struggled to break through the defence until Manase Mohuanga burst free from the ruck base and scored. However, the try was ruled a double movement.
With Te Awamutu having a penalty advantage pending, Karl stepped up and kicked the penalty goal on full time to seal the game.
Standing out for Te Awamutu against his old club, lock Coffin brought his physicality to the breakdown, along with a controlling hand in the lineouts, contributing to a strong all-around game.
Prop Mimio Fuimaono impressed with ball in hand, while winger Stacey Daniel posed a constant threat down the left wing.
Te Awamutu will travel to Cambridge next weekend to take on their Waipā neighbours, Hautapu.
MVP POINTS: 3: Joshua Coffin, 2: Mimio Fuimaono, 1: Stacey Daniel.
ECOLAB DEVELOPMENT
Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports Premier Development proved to be too strong for Ōtorohanga at Island Reserve on Saturday, as they kicked on in the second half to secure a 31-24 victory.
Pivot Dillon Martin stood out with a masterful performance, scoring twice and adding four conversions and a penalty goal for a total of 21 points on the day.
His excellent performance also took his season tally over the 100-point mark, reaching 108 points and earning him the man of the match honours.
Wingers CJ Kaua and George Poolman also contributed by crossing the try line.
Sports struck first in a tight first-half battle as early pressure created space for Kaua down the left flank, resulting in a try after five minutes.
Martin successfully converted from a wide angle, giving Sports an early 7-0 lead.
Ōtorohanga, however, answered with a score to tie the game 7-7. The teams then exchanged penalty goals, leaving the score split 10-10 at halftime.
In the second half, the hosts struck first, utilising their powerful rolling maul to good effect and taking their first lead of the game.
However, it soon became the Dillon Martin show, as he scored two tries and converted both himself, swinging the seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
Despite a strong fight from the hosts in the final quarter, Sports’ defence held firm, and they sealed the game with five minutes to play when Poolman scored in the right corner.
Martin successfully converted from a wide angle, extending the lead to 31-17.
Ōtorohanga managed to score on the stroke of full time but it was too little, too late, Te Awamutu finishing as the deserving winners.
THE HONDA SHOP UNDER 21s
The Honda Shop Te Awamutu Sports Under 21 team secured their second consecutive win with an impressive 23-3 victory over United Matamata Sports at Albert Park on a cold and dewy Friday night.
Tries from loose forward Rameriz Viane and lock Matthew Henderson were supported by two conversions and three penalty goals from winger George Poolman, who displayed excellent accuracy by converting five out of six attempts.
Poolman broke the early deadlock with a penalty goal in the 10th minute.
Sports then proceeded to keep Matamata pinned in their own half, thanks to the efforts of pivot Renata Palmer and midfielder Austin Frederick.
They built pressure until Viane burst through a ruck, reaching out from his back to score and give Sports a 10-0 lead.
Matamata managed to score a penalty of their own on the stroke of halftime, with Sports holding a 10-3 lead at the break.
Despite the challenging dewy conditions, Sports continued their dominance in the second half by pushing Matamata back into their own half.
Their efforts were rewarded with another penalty goal in the 56th minute, further stretching their lead.
Then, in the 64th minute, Henderson delivered the decisive blow by scoring a try, increasing the lead to 20-3.
With five minutes remaining Poolman added another penalty, and Sports’ defence held strong against a desperate Matamata side, securing a clinical victory.