In the event, things were settled a few minutes later when Kaierau wing Karl Pascoe went over, and Malo's extra points took the home side to 18-3 and ended the game as a contest.
The match, played in glorious weather before a decent crowd, started as something of an arm-wrestle as the teams tried to impose themselves on one another.
Ratana got a slew of early penalties and, with a good shunt in the opening scrum, suggested they had the edge there.
However, while they looked to move the ball through the hands, they lacked penetration in the backline.
Kaierau's slick passing always threatened to stretch the visitors' defence but, despite much effort, an opening score continued to elude both teams.
A quick tap penalty by half-back Denning Tyrell created a half-chance for Pascoe on the half-hour and, when he repeated the trick a few minutes later, the scoreboard was finally called into action.
Wade Vivian won a lineout for Kaierau and they surged into the visitors' 22 where Ratana killed the ball and were penalised. Tyrell ignored the easy three points on offer, tapped and went, catching the defence off guard.
No8 Darren Munro was there in support to barge over for the first points of the match.
A couple of minutes later, the home side got another penalty deep in enemy territory and, with time up in the half, it was left to Malo to kick the goal for an 8-0 interval lead.
He got another chance soon after the restart and nailed a 40-metre effort to extend the lead. However, Ratana at last got reward for their hard work when a Caleb Maraku penalty put them on the board.
The hot sun and early-season rust took their toll as the errors and penalties mounted and the teams struggled for continuity.
Hika had his "try" disallowed and Pascoe went over at the other end as scrappy got scrappier.
However, two tries enlivened the closing minutes.
A handling error by Ratana allowed Areta Lama to power forward and feed Malo. The second five-eighth had it all to do, but he wanted it more than the defenders wanted to stop him and his jinking run took him over.
In the dying minutes, the visitors got the try they deserved - wing Tony Tautarangi intercepting and scampering home for the consolation score.
Kaierau coach Keith Savell saw "plenty of positives" in the game - among them a tight, defensive effort, debutant Pascoe's try and the work of new back-rower Sidney Nikora-Rehu, one of a number of lineout options that the home side enjoyed.
Ratana's Mason was happy his boys had tried to play a free-flowing game and took heart from the strong scrummaging.
"I'm proud of the forwards and our set-pieces were good, but there were some new combinations in the backs and that's what we need to work on," he said.
