Eketahuna grab gutsy victory

Eketahuna defied logic with their gripping last-minute 15-10 win over Johnsonville in their Wellington premier division women's rugby semi-final match at Eketahuna on Saturday.
This gutsiest of victories was achieved despite them attaining only about 30 per cent of possession, spending large periods of the game on tight defence and being on the receiving end of a hefty penalty count.
And, what's more, they
had to overcome the heart-rending situation of having tackled
their butts off to retain the
slender lead they had held from early in the game only
for Johnsonville to finally draw level at 10-10 by scoring an unconverted try just six minutes from fulltime.
The odds then appeared to favour the visitors simply because of the wealth of quality ball coming their way from the forward exchanges but it was Eketahuna who had the all-important last say with their last-minute try, and what a well-executed try it was.
From a scrum about 22m out ace tactician, first five Rebecca Hull feinted to run to the left before floating a long pass to second-five Maia Tua-Davidson on the right. She made good ground before drawing two defenders and putting centre Shakira Baker into a half-gap.
And that was all the Wairarapa College student needed to outstrip the cover defence and cross for what was her second try of the game.
Hull missed the sideline conversion and referee Chris Jefferies signalled the end of a pulsating match.
There is no question the stoutness of their defence was the catalyst to this historic Eketahuna win, historic because Eketahuna are in their debut season in the Wellington competition and are the first men's or women's team from the Wairarapa-Bush to make the final of a club competition in that part of the country.
Johnsonville absolutely outclassed Eketahuna in the lineouts and also took at least three tightheads in the scrums and seemed to be forever on the front foot because of it.
They were very adept at using the bulkier members of the
pack to make the initial thrust and then moving the ball along what was a slick-looking set of backs but time after time they were kept at bay by solid Eketahuna tackling.
Skipper Perri Tatana was an inspirational leader in this regard from the side of the scrum with No.8 Emma Aldworth, midfielders Davidson and Baker, wing Michele Clarke and fullback Jessie Bennett all lending superb support.
But in reality no one in the Eketahuna side shirked their defensive duties with the overall number of tackles made surely being of record proportions.
With such a small amount of quality possession to launch their own attacks it was vital to the Eketahuna cause they used what ball came their way intelligently, and it was in this area where the play making skills of Rebecca Hull at first-five played a crucial role in their success.
Her coolness under pressure was outstanding and seldom did she fail to make the right judgement call.
Hull's accurate goal kicking was also a major plus, providing five vital points with one conversion and one penalty.
Tribute should be paid too to the bravery of halfback Laura Gavin who invariably had at couple of Johnsonville forwards breathing down her when the ball came her way yet she seldom failed to find Hull with her passes.
And there were no more dangerous runners on the paddock than Davidson and Baker, both of whom bristled with aggression whenever they had the chance to stretch their legs.
Saturday's match was watched by a large crowd and many of them were quick to congratulate the excited Eketahuna players once the final whistle was sounded.
The scenes of jubilation then were a marvellous tribute to what was a truly remarkable effort.