“But their fitness let them down. They have the skillset and will to take it to any team.
“From our point of view, they disrupted us in the first half and forced some basic errors by getting in among us.
“By the second round they will start getting fitter. They’re going to be a team to watch.”
In what was a common comment from Poverty Bay premier coaches, Allan said there were areas that needed work.
“The boys were pretty disappointed with the first half. The structure wasn’t so good and the game plan went a little bit awry. We have plenty to work on.”
Ngatapa opened the scoring with a try to No.8 Angus Chapman in the seventh minute of a half that was ferociously contested as both teams threw everything they had at each other.
The only other points of the first 40 was a penalty kick frrom first five Ricardo Patricio to give Ngatapa an 8-0 halftime advantage.
The second half was as bruising as the first but Ngatapa increased their lead when halfback Archie Harding caught the defence off-guard in the 22 and slipped through the back of the ruck to score under the sticks.
Pirates, behind 15-0, were not about to lay down. In fact, they upped their intensity and drove Ngatapa downfield where they earned a lineout.
Hooker Moui Paongo quickly threw the ball to blindside Netani Seruwaqa who returned it to Paongo and he barrelled down the sideline to score (15-5).
Ngatapa were quick to respond. They gained momentum and Chapman was on hand to bust through to score his second try, which Patricio converted (22-5).
But again Pirates came back.
A skip pass to centre Suliano Rausavanua, put him into a gap and went over for a morale-boosting try for fullback Mosese Bulicakau to convert (22-12).
Your turn Ngatapa.
From deep inside the Pirates 22, they created a maul from a lineout and from a pick and go, replacement hooker Tane Ruru went blindside and scored in the corner (27-12)
You guessed it. Pirates returned fire.
Bulicakau kicked, chased and regathered brilliantly to score a try (27-17).
That, though, was their lot.
In the closing 10 minutes, gaps began to appear in the Pirates defence and Ngatapa punished them with tries to winger Manaia Ngata, centre Nashwen Mouton and Harding.
NGATAPA 44 (Archie Harding 2, Angus Chapman 2, Tane Ruru, Manaia Ngata, Nashwen Mouton tries; Ricardo Patricio 3 con, pen).
PIRATES 17 (Moui Paongo, Nashwen Mouton, Mosese Bulicakau tries; Bulicakau 1 con,).
