BUSH FIRE QUENCHED
Heartland Round 1 | Wairarapa Bush v Thames Valley
Saturday 17 August, 2024 | Masterton
From the touring Tighthead Ted
Well, a win’s a win, but those buggers from the Bush just didn’t know when they were beaten did they? The mighty Swampies took their time to warm into this match, before the boys from the Bush tore into them for a solid thirty minutes, just before halftime, and for the first period of the second half, going from 0-16 down to 21-16 ahead with 20 to go.
Thankfully though, Valley got their ducks in a row for the final twenty, and with the bench making an impact, scored two late tries to take the win. It looked like it might be an easier affair though as Quinn Collard punished any and all offences from the home team, slotting three penalties and converting a fine counter attacking. That try, from a Bryson Williams turnover, a surging run from skipper Matt Axtens followed by a perfectly timed pass to John Penu who clapped on the afterburners before giving the final inside pass to Toddy Doolan. Sixteen nil and looking like the floodgates might open.
Not to be though, as the Bush eight rolled their sleeves up led by impressive number eight Joe Tako, and with their midfield starting to dent the home sides defence, scored a try just before halftime to big prop Jerry Junior Samania. This was followed rapidly by two more touchdowns in the opening ten minutes of the second spell. A second to Samania, and after a shocker by the Swampies high numbers letting the ball bounce, a long-range score to inside centre Charles Mataitai.
Through this period the Valley ball security at the breakdown was not the flashest, with the Bush pilfering pill faster than Cookie Monster can gobble a cookie. However, with the scrum starting to gain ascendancy after a shaky first spell, a midfield break from winger Fletch Morgan saw a try to halfback Charlie Marsh, and the lead snatched back 23-21 after another Collard conversion. The battle was still on through, as the Bush was still not getting the memo that they are losing, and a penalty to the home side saw a 24-23 lead to Brain Lochore’s favourite sons.
With ten minutes to go, it was looking like the TAB got this one wrong, with the favourites looking shaky and an upset on the cards. The mighty Swampies dug deep, and finally got some phases together after a fine snipe from substitute halfback Jake O’Connor saw the bush split wide open. A try looked on after a Collard crosskick was taken by Cam Gerlich, but he cut back in and the cover defence took him down. From the resulting rucks, reserve prop Te Huia Kutia crashed over for the five pointer, and the regulation conversion to Collard saw the lead taken back 30-24. A few minutes later the Valley lineout, from about 18 metres, drove to the line, before being brought down on the line. O’Connor saw a gap and muscled his way through it for the five pointer that made the game safe. To put the icing on the cake, Collard slotted the extras from wide out, 37-24, and game over.
So, a win, but pretty ugly – in rugby speak, ‘plenty to work on’. Great to see no drop off in effort or results as the bench was emptied, in fact the Swampies seemed to step up as the subs came on, which is what you want to see – certainly some depth there this season. But that is needed in the high impact combat sport that is modern day rugby.
I don’t think the coaching staff will be resting on their laurels after this one. Ball security was a foreign concept at times, the scrum a little creaky in the first spell, and the lineout had a few hiccups in the second – until that drive for the O’Connor try! I’m picking there will be a few high balls put up over this weeks trainings too for the back three to sort out too, I’m sure ‘YOURS’ is not the correct call
Up front, the piano movers in the low numbers, they were well led by skipper Matt Axten’s at his preferred spot of number 8. He carried hard, distributed well, and just about had more first receiver carries than Collard at ten! Meanwhile front-rankers, and Paeroa’s favourite sons, prop Bryson Williams and hooker Oneone Faafou were making hits and taking names. Ball carries, turnovers, and big hits were the order of the day for this pair. Laulea Mau was also channeling Jerry Collins like a clairvoyant, with some ferocious hits that you could feel in the third row of the grandstand.
The piano players, watching all the hard work up front also got stuck in, with Quinn Collard at ten driving the show – one missed kick off the posts, and a personal tally of 17 points. His midfield of Hendrix Beazley and Leroy Van Dam were also industrious with limited chances to shine. Van Dam busy all over the field, and on ‘both sides of the ball’, as Razor would say.
Five points banked, and straight to the top of the points table on points differential, we’ll take it.
Wairarapa Bush 24 (J Samania 2, C Mataitai tries; L Walmsley 1, T Haira conversions, Haira penalty) lost to Thames Valley 37 (T Kutia, J O’Connor, T Doolan, C Marsh tries; Q Collard 4 conversions, 3 penalties).
Results (home side first)
Wairarapa Bush 24 lost to Thames Valley 37
Whanganui 36 lost to South Canterbury 37
West Coast 38 beat Poverty Bay 29
King Country 27 lost to Mid Canterbury 30
North Otago 14 lost to Horowhenua Kapiti 16
East Coast 11 lost to Buller 13
Standings after week 1.
Pos. | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | TF | TA | TB | LB | +/- | BP | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Thames Valley | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 5 |
W
|
2 | West Coast | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
W
|
3 | South Canterbury | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 36 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
W
|
4 | Horowhenua Kapiti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
W
|
5 | Buller | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
W
|
6 | Mid Canterbury | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
W
|
7 | Whanganui | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 37 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 2 | 2 |
L
|
8 | King Country | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | -3 | 2 | 2 |
L
|
9 | North Otago | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 1 | 1 |
L
|
10 | East Coast | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 1 | 1 |
L
|
11 | Poverty Bay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 38 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | -9 | 1 | 1 |
L
|
12 | Wairarapa Bush | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 37 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -13 | 0 | 0 |
Other results saw the Jackals playing on the artificial turf in Hamilton and having a solid win over the Waikato Colts 31-12, and at Waitakaruru International Stadium the Vixens went down narrowly to King Country 20-26.
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this article are directly from the addled mind of Tighthead Ted and of THT alone, although sometimes the voices in his head might help. In no way are they indicative or expressing the views or thoughts of the Thames Valley Rugby Union and / or the employees of the TVRU. Although the TVRU may agree on some of the matters, they’ll never say so, as then they’ll get into trouble in this mad world of PC wokeness. So once again, if you get upset, suck it up princess, and move on, the world doesn’t care!