YMP and OBM had a test referee in charge. Canadian-born Auckland official Maggie Cogger-Orr did a top job for both sides.
YMP hit OBM like a hammer, first-five Kayleb Te Whare converting tries to his captain, hooker Shayde Skudder (6th minute) and lock Willis Tamatea (10th minute) for 14-0.
OBM came back with a feat of footwork from left-wing Bosca Tikicidre, whose try in the 25th minute was converted by Austin Brown. In the 34th minute, Brown landed a penalty goal and his teammate, centre Ale Paulo, got the ball down right on halftime to give the home team the upper hand 15-14. That try was not converted.
YMP ran in five second-half tries to win 49-15.
They set a furious pace from the kick-off.
Rake Skudder scored the first and second-to -last tries. But for OBM’s resilience and capacity to regroup, it might have become a rout.
OBM’s second try spoke to the skills that composure lets flow.
On the left touch at halfway, Terekia threw the ball in to lock Jordan Kingi. Loosehead prop Ratu Naroba came though, and got the ball to halfback Atunaisa Rokotuiwei, who went infield to Brown, who put a wiper’s kick across the field. The ball sat up on the YMP 22 and Tikicidre got a great pass back right to Paulo, who scored 8m in from the left corner. It was a gem of execution off a great kick.
YMP applied method from the beginning of the second half and the performance of class centre Mitchell Purvis was a feature.
Te Whare (64th minute), Tamatea (69th), flanker Te Peehi Fairlie (72nd), Skudder (77th) and reserve flanker Legend Winiata (85th) all scored tries after the break and Purvis did not miss a second-half shot at goal.
YMP coach Kahu Tamatea said: “We started off well, retaining the ball and building phases quickly. For a while, though, we went away from that but after halftime we got back to what we’ve been training to do. Strong carries from guys like Stu and Taine got us going forward again.”
OBM’s Terekia: “We scrummaged well . Ratu, 18, made a great first start in a competition game. YMP came out with a hiss and a roar but strong defence. Taking the opportunities we had to score got us back into it to halftime.
“I’d say too that fitness is a factor for all teams.”
Tapuae dominant
The awesome force that is Kahu Scaffolding Tapuae has returned to the big stage, and how.
In Star Wars parlance, the force awakened to the tune of 55-20 against Earthworks Solutions HSOB in a fast-paced match on Oval 2.
George Whakatope, Tapuae captain, No.8 and the Tiny White medallist for 2024, played superbly. He ran as hard as YMP’s Stuart Leach, and was as strong in the tight as Pirates skipper Moui Paongo.
Whakatope, fetcher Keanu Taumata and hooker Ngahiwi Manuel were as good for their new club as they were once were for OBM.
Head coach, fullback and former Poverty Bay representative Paoraian Manuel-Harman was pleased with much of what he saw.
“Our plan was to get into shape first, gain momentum with carries, then attack the space out wide with skill and speed . . . and we stuck to that. I thought it was a good spectacle for all supporters to enjoy, thanks in large part to referee Joel Pearse.
“Joel is just 16 but he found the pace for the game and saw that we were on side as a well-drilled defensive line who put the opposition under pressure.”
Tapuae led 29-3 at halftime, scored nine tries in total and Manuel-Harman landed five conversions. They have not just familiar names and players of quality but also cohesiveness and the likes of former head coach Frank King to support the side.
First-five Nikau Kaimoana and blindside flanker Atonio Marewai scored two quick tries for 10-0 before HSOB first-five Bryan Howard kicked a penalty goal in the 14th minute.
There followed tries to Tapuae right-wing Eneriko Tupou (21st minute), Manuel (25th minute) and wing Tatana Smith (33rd minute), with Manuel-Harman converting two.
Whakatope scored three minutes into the second spell. The Blue and whites then fought back. Howard scored a try in the 47th minute, converted it, then big lock Nelson Moran went in to score in the 54th.
Back came Tapuae again, with tries to Harawira Kahukura (67th minute), Wayne Hema (73rd minute) and Whakatope again (82nd minute).
Puhi Tau’s try in the 77th minute, the second-to-last try of the game, was well deserved and despite the great showing by Tapuae, the home team showed enough in scoring 20 points.
SCORERS
Larsawn Ngatapa 40 (penalty try, Archie Harding, Ben Johnson, Akuila Waqa, James Law, Ruapani Smith tries; Smith 2 con, Waqa 2 con). Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates 0.
HT Ngatapa 19 Pirates 0 .
East Coast Farm Vets YMP 49 (Shayde Skudder (2), Willis Tamatea (2), Kayleb Te Whare, Te Peehi Fairlie, Legend Winiata tries; Mitchell Purvis 5 con, Kayleb Te Whare 2 con). OBM 15 (Bosca Tikicidre, Ale Paulo tries; Austin Brown conversion, penalty goal)
HT OBM 15 YMP 14.
Kahu Scaffolding Tapuae 55 (George Whakatope (2), Nikau Kaimoana, Atonio Marewai, Eneriko Tupou, Ngahiwi Manuel, Tatana Smith, Harawira Kahukura, Wayne Hema tries; Paoraian Manuel-Harman 5 conversions). Earthworks Solutions High School Old Boys’ 20 (Bryan Howard, Nelson Moran, Puhi Tau tries; Howard pen, con)
HT Tapuae 29 HSOB 3.
