Under their captain and hooker Rikki Terekia, they had gone into the away clash at Te Karaka with a sharp focus.
“It was a goal for us to improve our discipline. We achieved that. We knew too that Waikohu would be aggressive, and that we’d have to fight for 80 minutes,” said Terekia, one of the quickest, most dangerous men off a tap-kick, especially close to an opponent’s goal-line.
“That said, what swung it if not won it for us, was a bit of creativity from our players — always backing each other up.”
Waikohu skipper and openside flanker Kupu Lloyd and OBM blindside flanker Jordan Kingi’s battle up and down the lineout was a feature of the match.
Lloyd’s strength in the air was key to the hosts leading the lineout count 14-8, though OBM led the scrum-count 7-4 and possession from kick-off and restart 5-3. The home team were awarded 15 penalties to OBM’s four by referee Ben Holt, whose calmness under pressure in front of a spirited crowd of 300 left an impression.
“It was a physical battle between them and us as always, but we just let OBM get away on us too early,” said Lloyd.
“It was great that we were able to reel them back in the second half. We have a few things to work on, and now we have to sharpen the tools.”
Waikohu’s Adrian Wyrill, the ex-Poverty Bay Heartland captain, and Taranaki and Manawatu back-row forward, played well at first-five. His ability to put teammates into space with accurate passing and stop runners dead in their tracks with ball-and-all tackles was noted.
Lloyd won the coin-toss. He chose direction. Waikohu struck first in the sixth minute, from an attacking 5m scrum set 10m to the left of OBM’s goal posts. They went right, their MVP second-five Jacob Leaf then cut back against the tide to score 3m to the right of goal.
Centre Ethine Reeves converted Leaf’s try for 7-0.
In the 12th minute, Waikohu took a tighthead at the scrum as the game played out at a furious pace.
OBM drew level with a try under the cross-bar to their MVP right-wing Bosca Tikicidre. His try was converted by fullback Reeftahn Brown-Terekia for 14-7.
After 25 minutes, Waikohu dropped the ball 10m out from halfway, Terekia ran from the right side of the ground back towards the posts, halfback Atunaisa Rokotuiwei took a pass from Terekia on a brilliant scissors play and Rokotuiwei then found Tikicidre coming off his right foot to score 10m to the right of the posts.
Brown-Terekia converted for 21-7.
Loosehead prop Lance Dickson brought the first-half scoring to an end with a try in the 32nd minute. From an attacking lineout 11m from the left corner at Waikohu’s end of the park, he took the tap ball in and hurtled past the forwards at the tail to score 15m infield.
OBM led 26-7 at the break.
Waikohu needed then to fight back and they did. OBM did not score again.
Waikohu scored their second try of the day eight minutes in, having been awarded a penalty in the left corner on attack.
They attacked the line furiously three times before left wing Latrell Walker rewarded their driving efforts with a try, not converted, for Waikohu 12 OBM 26.
In the 72nd minute, from their great lineout platform, Waikohu scored through Wyrill. He threw a dummy and got the ball down 10m in from the right corner. OBM led 26-17 at that stage.
In the 74th minute, Grant was given a yellow card after the bustling Reeves slipped and took a knock to the head as he fell in a tackle.
In the 76th minute, Waikohu scored in the left corner, a try well deserved, to captain Kupu Lloyd. The deft, skilful passing in the lead-up to that try was remarkable.
Waikohu had given a solid OBM side too big a lead to haul in, and scored all but one of their tries out wide.
Conversions were tough for a goal-kicker to land from the sideline.
