Coast pipped in eight-try thriller

Wairarapa Bush hooker Terongo Tekii is tackled by Ngāti Porou East Coast winger Kris Palmer, with first-five Terangi Fraser on the ground, centre Apirana Pewhairangi coming across and Bush fullback Andre Taylor backing up. The Bush won the Heartland Championship opener 32-31 in Masterton. P{icture by Jadve Cvetkov Photography

Whichever impish deity penned rugby’s scripts in Week 1 cut loose with twists and turns.

Ngāti Porou East Coast got their Heartland Championship campaign off to a rollicking start at Masterton on Saturday.

Wairarapa Bush prevailed 32-31 at home in an eight-try thriller, having trailed the Coast

21-14 at halftime on Trust House Memorial Park’s artificial turf.

The Bush and the Sky Blues scored four tries apiece in excellent conditions and to the delight of the fans.

Enterprise Cars NPEC Kaupoi head coach Kahu Tamatea’s crew led their hosts by as many as 10 points for 73 minutes of their opener.

“It was a good battle but we just didn’t manage to close the game out,” said Tamatea. “Wairarapa Bush just kept coming at us. We got an early lead. They stayed in the fight. We just need time to gel as a team.”

“This loss was a tough pill to swallow, “NPEC captain and halfback Sam Parkes said.

“We were so close to a win, having only joined up as a full team on Thursday. It makes it tough to build cohesion. We have a lot of positives, though, having gotten so close with that preparation.”

The Kaupoi scored the opening try of the match in the 15th minute from a scrum penalty 16m from the Bush goal line.

After four phases of play, Parkes cleared the ruck openside to first-five Terangi Fraser, who surged through the green and reds’ defence to dot down.

Fullback Renata Roberts-Te Nana converted for 7-0.

NPEC scored again three minutes later.

On his own 22, Fraser put up a bomb which opposite Ben Brooking caught 8m on the Bush’s side of halfway only for his pass to be intercepted by centre Apirana Pewhairangi, who sped away and scored under the crossbar.

Roberts-Te Nana’s conversion put the Coast 14-0 in front.

Wairarapa Bush struggled to settle and find pattern until the 23rd minute when winger Nikora Ewe, running on the angle, flew over to score near the posts for Brooking to convert for 14-7.

The Kaupoi got their third try in the 33rd minute. Hooker Joe Royal found lock Richie Green in a lineout 20m from the right corner. Parkes went left to Fraser and he fed centre Pamona Samupo, who hit the ball like a jackhammer and scored between the posts.

Roberts-Te Nana converted for a 21-7 lead.

In the 36th minute, Bush halfback Sam Walters-Sexton scored a try that an older generation might equate with 1980s comic movie hit The Gods Must be Crazy.

The Bush zig-zagged 90m down the ground from the kick-off only to turn over the ball.

Parkes looked to find the right touch but winger Aseri Waqu took that as a cue to counter-attack from halfway . . . again.

The Bush pressed right twice before Nikora Ewe came off his right wing, made inroads, delayed the final transfer and sent Walters-Sexton away to score by the right post.

An adoring home crowd proceeded to lose their marbles.

Brooking converted and it was 21-14 to the Coast, a lead they took into halftime.

In the 49th minute, the home team were penalised for offside and Roberts-Te Nana struck gold with his kick from 17m out for 24-14.

While Heartland 15 loosehead prop Hakarangi Tichborne put the Bush under great pressure at the scrum and ex-Maori All Black and No.8 Mitchell Crosswell’s leadership within a capable Coast forward pack was evident, the Bush continued to work hard and got back into the game.

That effort paid off when hooker Terongo Tekii finished off a passage of play that he started with a throw-in to a lineout 8m in Coast territory — centre Fiula Tameilau featuring prominently and winger Ewe hooking in a pass off the sideline to Tekii who scored 15m infield.

Brooking’s conversion made it 24-21 to the visitors and he levelled it 24-all with a

59th-minute penalty.

Bush reserve forward Marcus Ale was yellow-carded in the 65th minute and from the ensuing penalty, Fraser kicked to 5m from the left corner.

Royal found blindside flanker Hone Haerewa at No.3, Royal then joined the drive and he went over for the Sky Blues’ fourth try 16m infield.

Roberts-Te Nana converted for 31-24.

Three minutes later, Brooking kicked a second penalty for 31-27 and to give his side a sniff.

The Coast had led from go to whoa — whoa in this case being the 73rd minute after reserve prop Lewis Bush came on and shored up the scrum.

The Bush won a penalty centre-ground and 16m from halfway. Fullback Andre Taylor, on debut, tapped, stormed upfield, ducked and dived and was able to free replacement winger Nathan Hunt, who scored in the corner to break Coast hearts.

Wairarapa-Bush head coach Reece Robinson said the Coast played “a hell of a game”.

“We got off the defensive line and showed some fight after they’d put us under the pump.

“They were incredibly physical and sharp. They’d done their homework against us and they’ll grow from here.”

The Coast picked up two bonus points — one for scoring four or more tries, one for a loss within seven points.

The Bush and reds avenged two previous losses against the Coast and picked up their 16th win in 22 games between the unions since 1976.