
REPORT | THEN. THERE. WERE. TWO.
REPORT | THEN. THERE. WERE. TWO.
Hot off TIghthead Ted’s Olivetti.
Well knock me down with a feather, who’d have thought, unbeaten Waihi and Paeroa, who have lost only to Waihi this year (x2), are into the final for the McClinchy Cup. Deserving, but ole Tighthead likes an upset, and a Whangamata versus Waihou final would have spoiled a few Sunday tea parties. Not to be though, and the final that the TAB would have backed, is happening. Not without a bit of puckering though, as Whangamata pushed the Green-Machine to the wire, and Waihou never let off against Waihi. Just like knock out footy should be. Roll on next week – all bets are off, Waihi to secure their second McClinchy, or the recently amalgamated Paeroa their first.
WAIHI ATHLETIC v WAIHOU
Kenny Street Stadium, Waihi. Referee: D Tui
Waihi march into the final, with no ticks in the loss column this season, and firm favourites for their second title. They were made to work though, with Waihou piling on the early pressure at Kenny Street, rattling the hometown heroes. The opening 15 minutes was no holds barred finals rugby, before the deadlock was broken, and the pressure vanished like a deflating balloon on a Sunday after the 21st.
It took an unfortunate pass to open the scoring, with Waihou’s Scotty Day blotting his otherwise fine game with a pass to Waihi flanker Brett Ranga, that saw the veteran loosie scamper 45 metres for the first try of the match. Duly converted by Thames Valley’s ‘Mr Boot’ Quinn Collard. Waihou replied at the 30 minute mark with a Todd Doolan penalty, before Waihi replied with a try to midfielder Kahu Craig-Ranga. The try topped off a quality game for Craig-Ranga, who controlled the rock solid Waihi defence for the full 80. Again, Mr Boot added the two.
Waihou continued to battle and put pressure onto the home team, but with their set pieces misfiring, the usually reliable scrum backpedaling, and lineout being picked to pieces by Matt Axtens, the points did not come. To cap it off, from some solid controlled phase play Waihi dotted down for a third try on the half to hard working number eight Isaac Seiuli. Surprise surprise, Collard again added the points after.
The second spell started much like the first, with Waihou applying all the pressure, and being rewarded by shortly after the restart to Sam McCahon. Doolan landed a conversion, and 21-3, became 21-10, and with their scrum starting to come right, Waihou were asking some tough questions of the Waihi defence. Then came a text book training ground try to hooker Brad Nightingale, running a great line off the midfield backs to score. Mr Boot failed to add the two, but at 26-10, the game was looking out of reach for the visitors.
With twenty to go, Waihou added another try to halfback Jake O’Connor, converted by Doolan, and again, the visitors were in with a sniff, 26-17. A few minutes later Mr Boot landed a penalty, and at 29-17 the match was beyond the reach of the visitors.
Waihou were not helped by usually reliable kicker Doolan leaving nine points on the field, and their set pieces crumbling, but full credit to Waihi, who had done their homework, dismantling the reliable set pieces, leaving Waihou without their usual launch pads for attack.
Leading the way for Waihi were the midfield of Craig-Ranga and Dylan Bower, powerful in defence. Big prop Matt Petterd and his front row partners Nightingale and Te Huia Kutia caused all sorts of problems, and the usual suspects, Seiuli, Axtens and Ranga always a menace.
Waihou, in a great team effort saw openside flanker Luke Gilbert finish the season on a high, tackling himself to a standstill. McCahon was all class with many powerful carries, while Jake O’Connor’s fine end of season form must see him sniffing around Valley selection again this year.
Waihi 29 (B Ranga, K Craig-Ranga, I Seiuli, B Nightingale tries; Q Collard 3 conversions, penalty) beat Waihou 17 (J O’Connor, S McCahon tries; T Doolan 2 conversions, penalty).
PAEROA v WHANGAMATA
Centennial Park, Paeroa. Referee: S Watts
A fast starting Paeroa made life tough for Whangamata, but in typical never surrender fashion, the Red ‘n’ Whites clawed back by the add break to tie the match up 17 apiece. The Green Machine opened the scoring via fullback Keanu May-Matafao, cutting back against the tide after a bounce pass saw the Whangamata defence lose cohesion. Winger Cole Kerr snapped the ball up and an inside pass saw the try scored. Nathan Emery added the extras for the 7-0 lead. Two minutes later with their first concerted period of pressure Whangamata replied with a try out wide to centre Brian Murphy. Paeroa repelled wave after wave of forward attack before running out of defenders out wide. Tiaontin Raoren shaved the upright with the conversion, 7-5.
The game continued to see-saw, before Paeroa sliced through out wide with Hendrix Beazley putting Taimua Malielegaoi through for a long bollocking run. From the ensuing breakdown fullback May-Matefao threw a nice dummy to get his second try of the match. Conversion again successful by Emery, who missed just one kick all day. The Whangamata forward pack got stuck in for the last twenty minutes of the match, and with Paeroa giving away penalties, two lineout drive tries ensued. The first to hooker Jack O’Halloran, and the second to the human wrecking ball number eight Tupou Tonga. Speaking of wrecking ball number eights, Paeroa’s version, Oneone Faafou spent ten minutes in the sin bin through this period. From what Tighthead Ted understood he’d not brushed his teeth or something, and thus spent ten in the bin.*
Seventeen all at halftime rapidly became 24-17 to Paeroa after a Whangamata kick was fielded by May-Matefao, who replied with a kick of his own. An unfortunate bounce saw Telly Hemopo not recover the ball, a a couple of phases later Samoa Toloa dotted down. Regulation conversion from Emery. Whangamata swung back onto attack through the next period of play, but with too many small errors creeping into their play, the only reward was a Raoren penalty with twenty-five minutes to go.
The match continued on like a heavy weight slug fest for the next ten minutes, neither side being able to land a knockout blow, until another wayward Whangamata kick saw the decisive moment of the match. From a steal, and long kick, Whangamata piled on the pressure, before a half break from fullback May-Matefao saw the ball slung wide for John Penu, who showed more toe than a roman sandal to outflank the disorganised Whangamata defensive line, and gallop sixty metres for the try. The try made into a seven pointer by deadeye dick Emery – 31-20.
Whangamata is made of stern stuff though, and with ten minutes to go on the clock, an attacking lineout saw replacement hooker Jake Jenson dot down, converted from out wide by Raoren. The final ten minutes were frantic as both sides threw everything at each other, but with the usually reliable Whangamata lineout, the visitors couldn’t apply any concerted pressure, and Paeroa marched into their first final since amalgamation.
Paeroa’s best in a good all-round display were out wide May-Matefao, who must have made some metres on attack, he was always hard to pull down. The midfield of Beazley and Malilegaoi got better as the match progressed, proving a handful with their footwork and hard running. In the pack, Faafou was lethal on both sides of the ball, brutal carries, crushing tackles, and on a couple of occasions showed some finesse by stripping the ball off Whangamata ball runners to diffuse attacks. Lock Manusamoa Leota and flanker William Faasavalu became more prominent with ball in hand the longer the match went, their many hard carries over the advantage line setting the backs away.
Whangamata saw yeoman service from the locking pairing of Tim Bond and Finn McCall, eighty minutes of grunt from the twin towers. Tonga at eight led the way with strong ball carries, while frontrowers Jordan Cordice and O’Halloran were not far behind in the tight exchanges. The back division had a tough day at the office, the best being Tiaontin Raoren and returning fullback Eli Byles, who was a rock on defence and made some tidy breaks with the ball in hand.
Paeroa 31 (K May-Matafeo 2, S Toloa, J Penu tries; N Emery 4 conversions, penalty) beat Whangamata 27 (T Tonga, J Janson, B Murphy, J O’Halloran tries; T Raoren 2 conversions, penalty).
*In breaking news, the sin-bin for Oneone Faafou was for not wearing a mouthguard, not for having clean, plaque free teeth. Tighthead Ted hopes that he doesn’t forget it next week, and if he does, the Paeroa reserve doesn’t throw it too him from the sideline in front of the referee!
SENIOR B
Waihou 12 lost to Coromandel 34
Waihi 5 lost to COBRAS 43
SENIOR C (semi finals)
Hauraki North 14 beat Mercury Bay 3
Thames 30 beat Ngatea 28
UNDER 21
Suburbs 17 lost to Rugby United 25
WOMENS CLUB OF ORIGIN
Ngatea 17 lost to Whangamata 47
Hauraki North 22 beat Thames 0
Te Aroha 40 beat Coromandel 5