Rugby YMP v Ngatapa -
Different year. Same teams.
The 2023 Civil Project Solutions Premier club rugby final will feature the same protagonists as 2022 after YMP and Waikohu booked their spots in the Lee Bros Shield decider with semifinal victories on Saturday.
GT Shearing Waikohu defeated Enterprise Cars OBM 38-26 at the Oval.
Defending champions East Coast Farm Vets YMP secured a place with a commanding 67-11 win at Barry Park.
There was no shortage of passion displayed in both games with the impending end of the road for two of the teams inspiring a high level of physicality and desperation to stay in the title race.
Waikohu, beaten finalists last year, made a dream start against OBM. An early penalty and kick for touch put them hot on attack and from an ensuing maul. stalwart hooker Geoff Pari went over with less than 90 seconds gone.
Fullback Ethine Reeves added the conversion for 7-0.
OBM struck back in the sixth minute. After a period of sustained attacks close to the line, prop Lance Dickson busted through and dotted down next to the posts for a simple conversion for first five Brian Whaitiri-White.
The scoreboard was deadlocked for 20 minutes but that ended when Waikohu attacked down the right side, and the ball went to openside flanker Kupu Lloyd who ran 35 metres and beat a couple of defenders before crashing over near the corner.
Reeves sent the ball between the sticks from wide out to put his side 14-7 ahead.
OBM replied in kind in the 32nd minute. From a scrum 15m out, halfack Jordan Christie sent the ball to player-coach Dillon Dolman-Tuhou at fullback, who spotted the Waikohu flank defence had come infield, so he put a pinpoint accurate grubber kick through for winger Jale Tiko to run on to and score .
Whaitiri-White’s conversion evened the score 14-all.
A line break by second five Jacob Leaf gave Waikohu great position a few minutes into the second half and as the OBM defensive tried to cover, centre and coach Tane McGuire threw a couple of dummies then sliced through from a few metres out to score under the posts.
Reeves kicked his third conversion for a 21-14 advantage.
OBM replied immediately from the kick-off. The ball was allowed to bounce, Waikohu lost control, the loose ball went back towards the Waikohu goal line and lock Jordan Kingi ran through, grabbed it and scored under the bar. Whaitiri-White slotted the conversion for 21-all.
Waikohu went back on the attack and after choosing to put down a scrum from a penalty awarded by referee Damien Macpherson about 30m out, a miss-out pass found Reeves in space and he ran in winger KC Wilson for a try in the right corner which once again put Waikohu in front (26-21).
After some confusion following an incident in the 57th minute, Whaitiri-White was yellow-carded for a no-arms tackle on Waikohu halfback Mario Counsell although Counsell was probably lucky not to be sinbinned as well for his reaction.
OBM’s 14 men held out for several minutes but finally relented when first five Jesse Fleming’s subtle skill saw him slip through the line and sidestep past the last line of defence for a try under the posts which Reeves duly converted for 33-21.
Waikohu were reduced to 14 when Wilson was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle in the 77th minute but sealed victory with a try to replacement Rama Kingi-Te Are in the 79th minute as OBM threw caution to the wind.
OBM captain and No.8 Rikki Terekia had the last say when he thundered off the back of a maul near the line to add another five-pointer to his 2023 tally.
Dolman-Tuhou was naturally disappointed with the loss, saying at the end of the day “it is what it is”.
“Good luck to Waikohu,” he said “We will sit down as coaches and plan for next year. There is lot to work on if we are to win the shield next year . . . on to the next one.”
YMP captain and hooker Shayde Skudder marked his 150th Premier game for the club by scoring a double in his side’s 11-tries-to-one blitzing of Ngatapa. YMP double-centurion and lock Willis Tamatea also scored a brace.
Blindside flanker Seth Lundon put YMP ahead with a try from the kick-off — converted by fullback Andrew Tauatevalu — but that did not deter underdogs Ngatapa who fervently contested everything.
Discipline was a factor for both teams and Ngatapa took advantage of that with a penalty kick to first five Ricardo Patricio.
YMP responded with a try to second five Mitch Purvis but four minutes later Ngatapa prop Ihaia Kerr surged over for after setting up camp inside the YMP 22.
Ricardo sent over the conversion and added another penalty kick but while Ngatapa did their best to disrupt YMP, the defending champions took control and never looked back.
There was passion aplenty as both sides lifted their intensity but YMP found another gear on attack while snuffing out anything Ngatapa could muster.
They led 31-11 at halftime and carried on in the same vein in the second half. The tries varied from long-range counter-attacks to chip and chase with backs and forwards complementing each other as YMP made it 10 from 10 this season.
Coach Kahu Tamatea said sticking to their plan and executing was key to their victory.
“We just had to weather the storm as we knew Ngatapa would bring it,” Tamatea said. “Kudos to our boys. We were able to get into our rhythm and go on from there.”
Tamatea also complimented their decision-making.
“Credit to the leadership guys in our team,” Tamatea said. “They were able to acknowledge what needed to be done and everyone in the field got it done.”
The focus has quickly turned to this Saturday’s grand final battle at Barry Park.
“It’s no easy task ahead of us with the experience that Waikohu has . . .we just need to work together and lock our game plan in.”
WAIKOHU 38 (Geoff Pari, Kupu Lloyd, Tane McGuire, KC Wilson, Jesse Flemming, Rama Kingi-Te Are tries; Ethine Reeves 4 con)
OBM 26 ( Lance Dickson, Jale Tiko, Jordan Kingi, Rikki Terekia tries; Brian Whaitiri-White 3 con).
YMP 67 (Shayde Skudder 2, Willis Tamatea 2, Seth Lundon, Mitch Purvis, Taine Aupouri, Andrew Tauatevalu, Te Peehi Fairlie, Whaimotu Craft-Chemis, Walter Hakopa tries; Tauatevalu 4, Kayleb Te Whare 2 cons).
NGATAPA 11 (Ihaia Kerr try; Ricardo Patricio 2 pens)
