Hat-trick for fired-up champions

Champion teams tend to leave their best for last and Eketahuna did exactly that when they walloped Gladstone 50-10 in the grand final of the Wairarapa-Bush senior first division rugby championship at Memorial Park, Masterton on Saturday.
It was Eketahuna's third successive premiership and their eight-try victory-four of them to Fijian winger Jorgi Tamani- could hardly have been more comprehensive.
What always seemed likely to be a closely-fought contest was basically over by halftime, at which stage Eketahuna led 19- 3 and had been so dominant both in terms of possession and territory that a sizeable win looked a foregone conclusion.
It was their tight forwards who laid the foundations for Eketahuna's ascendancy in that opening 40 minutes.
Front rowers Brendan Walker Rob Foreman and Angus McMillan anchored a rock-solid scrum, locks Tim Iro and Josh Mackey were regular winners of quality lineout ball and all five ripped into the rucks and mauls with a vigour which often had Gladstone on the back pedal.
And with their "tighties" operating with such efficiency the Eketahuna loosies Steve Olds, David Smith and Solly Alsop had the luxury of roaming wide enough to ensure that any ball which came Gladstone's way usually arrived with at least two of them close on its tail
Consequently little was seen of the attacking skills of the Gladstone backs who were forced into a mainly defensive role, a role which became increasingly difficult as Eketahuna halfback Hamish McKenzie and his two cronies in the three-quarters Simanu Simanu and Tamani found space in which to manoeuvre and were quick to make the most of it.
Tamani, especially, looked in devastating touch, and provided the first half highlight with a gliding run which saw him ghost his way past three or four would-be tacklers and across the line for a superbly-taken try.
Gladstone's supporters-and there were many of them- would have been heartened by the enthusiasm shown by their side in the opening 15 minutes of the second half.
In that period they did to Eketahuna what Eketahuna had done to them throughout most of the first spell, competing strongly through the likes of Aaron Morrisey, Hamish McGregor and Tim Fleming in the set pieces and just as strongly in broken play.
There, captain Steve Wilkinson, Daimon Neal and Sam Henderson were invariably at the head of their charges with Neal, especially, quick to the breakdowns and adept at turning over possession there.
There was a brief period too when the Gladstone rearguard started to find the odd gap or two in the Eketahuna defences . marshalled as they were by hard-working halfback James Bruce and strong running midfielders Mike Shaw and Duncan Rutherford.
Unfortunately for Gladstone though their resurgence only flattered to deceive.Stung by their opposition's new lease of life, Eketahuna lifted their own performance levels a notch or two and by the last 15 minutes of the second spell they were back in control, attaining quality ball from all avenues and opening up the Gladstone defence time and again.
And speaking volumes for the depth of talent in the Eketahuna squad was that even when they emptied out their reserve bench there was no slackening of effort with two of that number, David Murdoc and Luke Mahoney, getting into the scoring action..
Had there been a player of the match though Eketahuna wing Tamani would undoubtedly be at the head of the list.
Something looked on every time he received the ball and he often mesmirised Gladstone defenders with his rapid acceleration and ability to change direction while moving at top pace.
Other contenders for such an award would have Eketahuna's somewhat under-rated middle rowers Iro and Mackey who sustained an impressive strike rate at lineout time, as well as spoiling some of Gladstone's throws, and who showed excellent mobility and assertiveness in other facets of the forward game too.
Much has been made of the lack of locking resources in Wairarapa-Bush currently but these two youngsters certainly give hope for the future, and the not-too-distant future at that!
The inspirational leadership of Olds, despite slowed to some degree by a badly cut knee which stopped him from playing in Eketahuna's somewhat fortuitous semi-final win over Greytown-Tuhirangi, was another key ingredient in the Bush-based team's success, as was the ability of old hands like flanker Smith halfback McKenzie and centre Simanu to do the right thing at the right time.
Hats off too to coach Graeme Cheetham who looks set to retire from that role after five years in which Eketahuna have made four finals, and won the last three of them.
His planning and calm demeanour has obviously played an integral part in the success of a side which has lost just two matches in the last two years, and which finished the preliminary rounds of the 2005 competition an amazing 17pts clear of their nearest rivals.If that's not a team worthy of the champions tag what is.
Gladstone, for their part, will obviously be disappointed at the outcome of Saturday's match. Apart from that flurry at the start of the second half they were generally in defensive mode but while the score mounted against them they did keep trying to play an entertaining brand of rugby, and they must be commended for that
At halfback Bruce has always been a good old-fashioned warrior and he was nothing more, nothing less again and if the highly regarded loose trio of Neal, Wilkinson and Henderson didn't have quite the effect anticipated nobody could quibble at their workrate.
Mention should be made too of the contribution of referee Andrew Stringer in what was his debut in senior first division grand finals rugby. There was the odd occasion when p
layers from both sides seemed to have difficulty reading his calls but for the most part his officiating was of a standard in keeping with the occasion.
Jorgi Tamani (4), Dave Murdoch, Luke Mahony Jon Guillard and Hamish McKenzie were the try scorers for Eketahuna and Simanu Simanu landed five conversions.
Gladstone were rightly awarded a penalty try late in the game when one of their players was the victim of an early tackle with the tryline open. It was converted and John Dodd also kicked a penalty.