ROAD TO THE FINAL 2024

ROAD TO THE FINAL 2024
Tighthead Ted recaps

Well the boys have bloody well done it – a Meads Cup Final, at home, for the first time in 29 years.  Ole Tighthead was just learning the dark arts back then, getting bent into all sorts of pretzel shapes by the likes of Des, Ray and Paul Silvester, but I digress.  Twenty nine years ago when the mighty Swampies last hosted a final they crushed Poverty Bay 47-8, a young Carl Hoeft leading the way up front.  But enough of the dim dark past – let’s look at this season’s journey to a home final.

GAME 1 v Wairarapa Bush | Masterton | won 37 – 24
A game that was put away in the opening minutes with a quick fire 16-0 lead.  But it’s harder than that to beat the bush on their home patch, and the local side hit the lead 21-16 with a quarter of the match remaining.  A dominant scrum in the final quarter saw tries to prop Te Huia Kutia and super-sub Jake O’Connor, and in the final wash up, a win that looked more comfortable than it was.
Wairarapa Bush 24 (3 tries; 3 conversions; penalty) lost to Thames Valley 37 (T Kutia, J O’Connor, T Doolan, C Marsh tries; Q Collard 4 conversions, 3 penalties).

A great start, a win on the road, just what the doctor ordered, and a bonus point to boot – home to face the boys from the deep south.

GAME 2 v North Otago | Te Aroha | won 24-15
Like the first match of the season, the Swampies started like a house on fire, and were in front 14-0 before ole Tighthead Ted had got to the lemonade stand.  As the rain pounded down, Jake O’Connor at halfback was running amok as the forwards smashed through the North Otago pack.  However, as per the opening match, the Swampies proceeded to let North Otago back into the game for the next 70 minutes, before making the game safe with a late try to Fletcher Morgan.
Thames Valley 24 (T Doolan, F Morgan 2 tries;  Morgan 3 conversions, penalty) beat North Otago 15 (2 tries, conversion, penalty).

Two from two, I’m sure the coaching staff would have taken that at the start of the season, a bonus point would have been nice, and later in the season would prove vital, but such is life.  Ole Tighthead Ted was starting to get a little excited about the season.

GAME 3 v King Country | Te Kuiti | won 23-18
In rain that would have had Noah frantically checking on the progress of his big arse boat, the Valley won the match that mattered, giving them three from three to start the Heartland season.  It was also payback of kind for the pre season curtain raiser loss for the Chiefs match.  Valley played a heck of a lot of rugby for limited reward, while King Country fed on the Valley errors and penalties to stay in the hunt.  Valley scored three tries to none to take the win, but only by five points.  The win gave them the Bill Osborne Taonga – which KC won back off Whanganui, who the Valley lost it to in the next match.
King Country 18 (6 penalties), lost to Thames Valley 23 (A Thrupp, M Axtens, L Mau tries;  F Morgan conversion, penalty, Q Collard penalty).

Three from three, even the most fickle of Swamp Fox supporters were starting to get on the bandwagon.

GAME 4 v Whanganui | Thames | lost 14-16
Once again, the Valley started well against last season’s nemesis Whanganui.  A tidy try to big flanker Cam Droomgol after just five minutes, and a monopoly in possession had Tighthead Ted thinking revenge was nigh!  Whanganui though, playing into that horrible breeze that only Thames locals can love, got stuck into their work and held onto the ball for phase after phase, denying the Swampies any scoring chances.  In fact, the visitors were unlucky to only score three in the first spell.  A try to Whanganui’s fullback from a horrible clearing kick when he ran through the whole Valley team put the visitors ahead with ten to go.  A second try to the Valley, to that man Morgan again, with time almost up on the clock gave the home side a sniff of a win.  But the scoreline of 14-16 remained, even after the eight minutes that Valley battered the stoic Whanganui defence.  The visitors also took the Bill Osborne home with them!
Thames Valley 14 (C Dromgool, F Morgan tries; Q Collard 2 conversions) lost to Whanganui 17 (try, conversion, 3 penalties).

Well, the bandwagon jumpers were starting to look for soft landings after the self-inflicted wounds of the loss to the Butcher Boys, but three from four – you can’t complain.

GAME 5 v East Coast | Ruatoria | won 60-45
A try fest in Ruatoria saw the defensive coach pulling his hair out, while the attack coach was reaching for the champaign.  Each time the Valley scored a try, they seemed to make a cock up of receiving the kick-off, or their exit play, or something.  A little more accuracy would have seen 60-20.  But the massive score seemed to instill the belief that high scores are more than possible, and you don’t have to win all matches by three points in an 80 minute arm wrestle.
East Coast 45 (6 tries; 6 conversions; penalty), lost to Thames Valley 60 (A Thrupp, I Seiuli, M Axtens, T Tupia, L Neels, T Doolan Z Coffey tries; Q Collard 6 conversions, 2 penalties; penalty try).

Back on track with a bonus point win, and a home game at the beach to come at the halfway mark of the round robin.

GAME 6 v Buller | Whangamata | won 84-14
The second highest score by a Valley team in 102 years, not a bad bloody effort, but the most pleasing aspect would have been the 14 points conceded after the week before, and 45.  While the forwards did the hard yards, the back division reaped the rewards, all twelve five pointers going to the blokes with two numbers on their backs.  The scoreline of 49-0 at halftime had ole THT dreaming of a ton, but not to be, Buller stepped up their game, but it was not long before the scoring started again for the Valley.  Quinn Collard was in line for the individual scoring record until late in the game where he hurt his knee and the kicking duties were relinquished.
Thames Valley 84 (Q Collard, S Etoni 2, A Thrupp, C Marsh 3, R Tongotea 2, J O’Connor 2, T Doolan tries; Collard 7, Doolan 3, F Morgan 2 conversions) beat Buller 14 (2 tries; 2 conversions).

GAME 7 v Poverty Bay | Gisborne | won 71-17
A potential banana skin match after two high scoring affairs.  But with a 50th match to veteran Brett Ranga to celebrate, the team did not let their standards down, and the scoring continued at a high rate of knots.  At least this time out, the fatties got some reward for their toil, and man of the moment, Ranga slotted the final conversion of the match, a kick that in future years will have been from the sideline off his bad foot in a near hurricane breeze with light fading and using an empty beer can as a kicking tee.
Poverty Bay 17 (3 tries; conversion) lost to Thames Valley 71 (A Thrupp 2, L Mau 2, B Ranga 2, J Tye, T Doolan, Q Collard, J O’Connor, S Etoni tries; F Morgan 6, T Doolan, B Ranga conversions).

With the last three results, the fair weather fans were well and truly onboard the Valley juggernaut, and the final match of the season saw a chance, if results went well, of hosting a home semifinal.

GAME 8 v Horowhenua Kapiti | Whitianga | lost 35-41
What a topsy-turvey day.  After three weeks of scoring at will, the Swampies had to chase the game after Horowhenua Kapiti scored first.  They seemed to get back on track, leading 14-7, before two quick tries saw the visitors take the halftime lead 21-14.  The second spell saw the harder the Valley tries, the more points the visitors would score.  with twenty to go on the clock the scoreline read 14-38.  The home side stormed back but ran out of time.  Even more galling after our mates over the border, King Country, beat Whanganui, at Whanganui.  A win would have seen a home semi, against Whanganui.  but not to be.  KC also won back the Bill Osborne Taonga, that they had lost to the Valley, who then lost to Whanganui.  Try to keep up people.
Thames Valley 35 (A Thrupp 3, J Tye, H Beazley tries; F Morgan 5 conversions), lost to Horowhenua Kapiti 41 (5 tries, 5 conversions, 2 penalties).

So a potential home semi turned into a trip back to Whanganui where last season they thumped the Swampies in the semi final.   End of the road looked to be approaching, however, funny old game rugby….

GAME 9 v Whanganui (Meads Cup Semi Final) | Whanganui | won 38-15
Once again the Valley hit the field running, two tries before Whanganui even knew the match had started – much like the Thames match.  However, this time patience was a virtue, and while Whanganui did make the Swampies work hard, the visitors were always in control.  It took a late try to make the match almost safe just before halftime though, 25-8 being a mental hurdle the home team couldn’t overcome.  A scoreline of 18-8 may have been a different kettle of fish, but we’ll never know!  So a win, and into the final, probably against Mid Canterbury, who had not lost a match since tries were four points.  But, funny old game rugby, Mid Canterbury pulled out their game of the season, coming from 6-16 down to beat the defending champions 17-16 on the hooter – the only time they led in the whole match.  Gotta love rugby!
Whanganui 15 (2 tries; conversion; penalty) lost to Thames Valley 38 (C Marsh 2, S Etoni 2 tries; Q Collard 3 conversions, 3 penalties; F Morgan penalty).

So there you have it sports fans.  A home final, for the first time since 1995.  Get to Boyd Park this Saturday (2:05pm), wear your yellow, lubricate those vocal cords at the lemonade stand, and cheer the might Swamp Foxes to a Meads Cup victory, it’s the least you can do.