The final of the 2013 Tasman Tanning Wanganui premier rugby championship boiled down to the dying minutes on Saturday when table-toppers Ruapehu edged out Pirates 16-13.
The win gave McCarthy's Ruapehu back-to-back titles and an unbeaten record for the season, although it did draw with Integrity Motors Pirates in the first round in April at Spriggens Park, the scene of Saturday's nail-biting final.
Several thousand people, including a large band of loyal Ruapehu supporters, settled in for a battle between the two worthy opponents, but little did they realise how intense the final few minutes would be.
The match began ordinarily enough and within the first five minutes Ruapehu was awarded a penalty which looked relatively easy for back-up kicker Zyon Hekenui. Put it down to nerves or whatever, but the fullback missed the uprights and that mistake very nearly came back to haunt the visitors later in the game.
The first points came 10 minutes into the match when Ruapehu captain and openside flanker Peter Rowe shrugged off a tackler and dotted down between the posts after solid build-up from his forward team mates. Hekenui made no mistake this time and converted to put Ruapehu ahead 7-0. Rowe was quite rightly named Player of the Day for his efforts throughout the game. Several minutes later Pirates first five Denning Tyrell showed his class scoring his side's only try of the game which was easily converted by fullback Josh Marwick to even the score 7-all.
Pirates played expansive football and there were some magic moments from Tyrell and his team mates without ending in points, while Ruapehu played its normal grinding rugby. Just before half-time, Hekenui kicked a penalty to nudge Ruapehu ahead 10-7, a scoreline Pirates couldn't change despite a spirited late first half attack.
Pirates had plenty of ball but couldn't break out of their own half and much of that ball came from turnovers in the rucks and mauls normally dominated by Ruapehu. The first time Pirates did make it into the Ruapehu half, they were awarded a penalty which Marwick kicked to level the score 10-10.
Ruapehu No 8 Jason Hughes went off injured and was replaced by Fraser Hammond, although he slotted into blindside flanker while Andrew Evans moved to the back of the scrum. Pirates continued to apply the pressure midway through the second spell without scoring and then, almost against the run of play at that stage, Ruapehu was given another penalty which was converted again by Hekenui. However, Pirates' hard work paid off when it too was given a penalty to even the score 13-13 with just minutes left on the clock. It looked to all that extra time would be needed to find a victor, but in a bizarre twist of fate, Ruapehu was given a lifeline when referee Kawana Tihema called foul 10 metres into Pirates territory immediately after the kick off.
The crowd rose to their feet and the atmosphere was electric as Hekenui eyeballed the uprights 40 metres away. It wasn't necessarily the best of kicks, but it fell over the posts to put Ruapehu ahead 16-13 with just seconds remaining.
A win by either side would have been a worthy result, but at the death, the look on Pirates' coach Red Morris' face said it all.
"That was the rep side we played today," Morris said alluding to the fact that 11 of the 26-strong Heartland squad announced on Saturday were Ruapehu players and only one was a Pirates player, No 8 Lasa Ulukuta.
"It was a worthy final and I'm so proud of the players - they emptied their tanks today. Unfortunately, we didn't get enough territory in the first half, but that's finals rugby," Morris said. Ruapehu coach Chris Winter was ecstatic and relieved. "That was close, but we always knew it would be a grind today. Those boys out there deserved to win it. These guys are people you can rely on and each of them fully deserve this outcome and their spots in the rep squad," Winter said.
The 16-13 scoreline was the same as the 2012 final when Ruapehu snatched a last minute victory over Border in almost a mirror image of Saturday's game.
Turn to Page 29 for more photos, the Senior final, and the 26-man Steelform Wanganui Heartland squad announcement.
Tasman Tanning championship final
Premier championship -
McCarthy's Ruapehu 16 (Pete Rowe try, Zyon Hekenui 3 pen, con) bt Integrity Motors Pirates 13 (Denning Tyrell try, Josh Marwick 2 pen, con). HT: 10-7 Ruapehu. Player of the Day: Peter Rowe.