Another OBM win clouded by injury blow

Get out of my way!: Ngatapa lock and captain Dan Law, left, and prop Ihaia Kerr, right, try to stop OBM prop Myles Lardelli-Muir on Saturday. Lardelli-Muir scored a try in their 24-7 victory. Picture by Paul Rickard

OBM made it four from four in a 24-7 premier club rugby win over Ngatapa on Saturday but it came at a price.

Star utility back Moses Christie is out for several weeks with a dislocated elbow — a huge loss for the unbeaten side, particularly as they face top-of-the-table YMP this weekend in a crunch Round 1-ending clash.

Christie was injured in the early stages of the game where he was moving up through the line and slipped in the wet conditions.

Enterprise Cars OBM were made to work by a resilient Larsawn Ngatapa outfit at the Oval.

“Ngatapa showed guts out there,” OBM coach Dillon Dolman-Tuhou said.

Ngatapa co-coach Kohi Waihi said his team knew they were in for a tough battle, and “it sure was”.

“I was happy with the effort. I don’t think they felt as though we were too far off the pace.”

The second round is just around the corner and Waihi believes something better is coming.

“Going into the second round, just like them, we can only improve. Having a young team, we just need to be patient with the ball and we’ll get the rewards.

“I think there were times where we probably overplayed our hand, but we’ll get there.”

It was a hard-fought game, with both sides not giving an inch, and the first half was filled with fast play.

Both teams were trying to find holes in defences and OBM were first to find a way through.

It came in the form of hooker and captain Rikki Terekia, ,who took the ball from a lineout drive and offloaded for halfback Jordan Christie to score in the corner in the 19th minute.

They added to the scoreboard with blindside Blake Beard scoring the first of his two tries after being at the right place at the right time.

After a storming 45-metre run by fullback Braedyn Grant, he was eventually brought down but managed to get the ball away for Beard to crash over the line.

First five Te Aho Morice converted from the sideline.

Ngatapa were trying to keep the ball alive and play physical and fast rugby.

But OBM were confident in their lineout and drive and used a similar move to their first try, with Terekia helping prop Myles Lardelli-Muir drive over to score and give them a 17-0 advantage.

OBM continued to apply pressure on the Ngapata defence in the second spell and a pick-and-go from Beard saw him crash over in the 46th for his second try,

Morice slotted the conversion for a 24-0 lead.

The home side finally got on the board through second five Ricardo Patricio.

After referee Damien Macpherson stopped play for a penalty after playing an advantage, Patricio tapped quickly from five metres out, caught the defence off-guard and weaved through for the try in the 56th minute.

He converted his own try  for 24-7 and from there the match became a stalemate with neither side able to add to the score.

Most Valuable Player honours went to No.8 Khian Westrupp (Ngatapa) and second five George Hooper (OBM).

OBM have a date with destiny against YMP this Saturday while  fourth-placed Ngatapa take on fifth-placed HSOB on Friday night at the Oval.

OBM 24 (Blake Beard 2, Jordan Christie, Myles Lardelli-Muir tries; Te Aho Morice 2 con)

Ngatapa 7 (Ricardo Patricio try, con)