Rugby: Mid Northern has easy stroll into finals

FLYING: Otamatea's TJ Spring leaps over the defence during their 29-17 win. PHOTO/TANIA WHYTE

Mid Northern's premier reserve team shut out Hora Hora's reserves in a 32-12 tussle to stroll toward a final versus Otamatea this weekend.

A battle royal from the get-go, both sides slugged out a brutal game of brawn at Hukerenui but the home team made better use of their possession to run away with the match in the second half.

Mid Northern coach Des Going was overjoyed at the prospect of both Mid Northern teams playing in finals this weekend.

"The boys gave it [their] all so [we're] very proud of them. Very elated, we're so rapt to get there," he said.

The scoreline resembled a closer game at halftime, with Mid Northern up by three points, 15-12.

However, by lifting the tempo in the second half, Mid Northern were able to lift the match to another level and run in some superb tries to edge away from Hora Hora.

"We matched them up front and our first-five kicked [well] and kept them under pressure because we knew if they got in our 22 they'd score," Going said.

"That's what we were working on all week, stopping them from driving those mauls over to score because that was their strength."

If Hora Hora's hopes hadn't faded with 10 minutes left on the clock, they sure had dwindled after Mid Northern winger Lote Palaiti chased down the ball in a foot race to score the final try and convert it himself on the fulltime whistle.

In the weekend's other reserve grade semifinal, Otamatea took down Wellsford at Kaiwaka, 29-17, to book themselves in the final versus Mid Northern.

With conditions drying up after some heavy rain earlier in the morning, Otamatea took advantage of multiple penalty attempts and managed to convert them into points off the boot of captain Toby Phillips.

A low try-scoring affair, both forward packs were evenly matched, which resulted in penalties going both ways but Otamatea managed to hold on until the end.

"That's what got us out of there, it was two different halves. They got away on us so we had to come back after that," Otamatea coach Hone Peeni said.

"Every penalty we got we turned into points so it was good. It was a good game, a bloody good game."