Swampies win try fest in Ruatoria
Fourteen tries, twelve conversions and three penalties. There’s no way you can say the crowd didn’t get their money’s worth as the Swamp Foxes beat Ngati Porou East Coast on their home patch of Ruatoria. It was a genuine ding dong battle as Valley threatened to put the game away numerous times, before the Coasters would feast off mistakes and claw their way back into the match. Certainly something for the Valley’s big brains in the coaching box to work on over the week, before they host Buller next week at Whangamata.
A 15-3 lead was turned around to a 15-17 deficit in a nine minute scoring burst from the sky blues, and with the match sewn up at 60-31 with fifteen minutes to go, two tries to the home side saw the final score 60-45. A few dodgy exits from kickoffs, not taking the ball cleanly, kicking the ball out on the full, and basic errors kept letting NPEC back into the hunt for the Heartland points. But the Valley had enough firepower to keep ahead of the eightball, and bank the win.
Not to say there wasn’t plenty of good play from Thames Valley, there must have been, you don’t score sixty points by accident! Once again the scrum was dominant, props Will Martin and Te Huia Kutia leading the way like a couple of supercharged D8 bulldozers. Kutia and Martin also prominent in the fringe defence and tireless in carting the ball forward.
Tayne Tupia, on for the injured Finn McCall was also a human wrecking ball on defence, jackal hungry, and capped his game with a five pointer, he certainly starting to hit his straps after an injury plagued club season. Another forward try scorer, captain Matty Axtens had a massive game, leading from the front, the bloke is a perpetual motion machine that just never stops for 80 minutes. The lineout again operated well, earned a penalty try, and was the starting point in three other tries, with twin towers Cam Dromgool and the man tougher than a ten minute steak, Connor McVerry, the reliable targets.
Fletcher Morgan is starting to look comfortable at centre, and was into everything like a kid in a lolly shop, and his break and kick through for debutant Zack Coffey to score was poetry in motion, if the Valley can get more ball to the big fella in full flight more often it could wreak havoc on opposing defense lines. Jake O’Connor added plenty of zip when he hit the field, his clearance from the base of the rucks was sharp and accurate, he’s rapidly becoming a super sub, lifting the team late in the game.
Speaking of the bench, regular starters Oneone Faafou and Laulea Mau both added more punch than Mike Tyson when they hit the field. One Faafau tackle looked like an out of control Khaibar missile when he leveled the ball carrier. More selection problems for the boffins next week, as ten into eight just doesn’t doesn’t go. Tighthead expects his selection suggestion of just putting more forwards on the field to start with once again will be ignored!
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).
Other Heartland Results (home team first)
Mid Canterbury 26 lost to Whanganui 48
South Canterbury 44 beat North Otago 31
Buller 36 beat Poverty Bay 28
King Country 43 beat West Coast 17
Wairarapa Bush 45 lost to Horowhenua Kapiti 62
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