Wairarapa-Bush emulate ABs and suffer same fate

Wairarapa-Bush took a leaf out of the All Blacks' World Cup book in their Heartland rugby championship Meads Cup semi-final match with North Otago at Oamaru on Saturday and unfortunately suffered the same fate.
Just as the AB's did in their quarter-final encounter with France Wairarapa-Bush had enough territory and possession to secure a victory but a lack of inventiveness in their attacking play saw them on the end of a 30-13 defeat.
Several times during the course of the match Wairarapa-Bush had North Otago pinned inside their own 25 and invariably they used the "pick and go" option through their forwards as their main form of attack.
And just as invariably the North Otago close quarter defence was equal to the task. It was Cardiff all over again with no plan B in evidence.
What made the sameness of the tactical approach even more difficult to understand was that in fullback Simanu Simanu Wairarapa-Bush had the clearly the most penetrative back on the field.
He made valuable metreage for his side basically every time he touched the ball and it seemed strange that his services were seldom called upon during those many forays close to the North Otago line.
Like the AB's too though the Wairarapa-Bush cause was not helped by some shabby refereeing decisions, one of which led directly to a converted try to North Otago at a crucial stage of the second half.
North Otago were ahead 23-13 at the time, an advantage which looked anything but comfortable with Wairarapa-Bush making most of the play.
On this occasion, however, the home team managed to work their way into the opposition 22 and from an attacking move involving both backs and forwards Wairarapa-Bush defenders were clearly obstructed as they looked to halt the momentum.
But rather than blow for the penalty Wellington referee Garratt Williamson allowed play to continue and North Otago wing Stephen Sasagi crossed for the try which Glenn Dickson converted.
At 30-13 ahead North Otago were suddenly out the danger zone and on their way to the grand final.
That the final scoreline was flattering to North Otago could not be argued. Statistics showed that Wairarapa-Bush had 58 per cent of the territory and 59 per cent of the possession but whereas North Otago were generally able to turn their prime scoring chances into points on the board all Wairarapa-Bush had to show for their endeavours was one converted try and one penalty.
The ascendancy held by the Wairarapa-Bush forwards at scrum time was such that they even managed one tighthead, something which seldom occurs at any level of rugby these days.
Front rowers Shane Te Mana, Joe Harwood and Brett Rudman spearheaded the effort there and hooker Harwood also had a key role in his team's impressive lineout effort. His accurate throwing enabled locks Tomasi Kedrabuka and Dan Griffin to rule the roost in that department with the spring heeled Kedrabuka often being literally head and shoulders above his rivals. He and Harwood were commanding figures in broken play too, both making good metreage whenever they had ball in hand.
That Wairarapa-Bush "won" the rucks and mauls by an overwhelming 98-55 was due in some part to the diligence in the loose of skipper Mike Spence and flankers Nathan Rolls and Jared Hawkins but more, of course, on their reliance on the "pick and go" as an attacking option. In fact, they adopted that tactic on a remarkable 36 occasions, a stark contrast to North Otago's nine.
Rolls was another who shone in broken play as well with a couple of his surging runs coming close to producing tries.
Simanu was not only the pick of the Wairarapa-Bush backs but clearly the best back on the paddock. He was quick to size up any counter attacking opportunity and was seldom halted by the first tackle. In that sort of mood he is a potential match winner and it was a pity his services weren't better utilised when the North Otago goalline beckoned.
Halfback Hamish McKenzie also had a big game for Wairarapa-Bush, running and kicking skilfully and also doing his fair share of work on defence.
At first-five John Dodd was typically solid and there were a couple of useful breaks in midfield from Jon Guillard. The three-quarter line of Heemi Tupaea, Lance Stevenson and Tapaga Isaac had few attacking opportunities but were generally sound on the tackle.
North Otago were always willing to move the ball around and in wing Sasagi, halfback Kilifi Fangipo and loose forwards Joe Mamea and Regan Laughton they had four outstanding individuals.
Laughton twice foiled reckless Wairarapa-Bush attempts to take short drop outs, one of his efforts in that respect leading directly to a North Otago try and the other producing a penalty.
Sasagi (2) and Mamea were the try scorers for North Otago and Dickson kicked three penalties and three conversions.
Replacement prop Brendan Walker scored the only Wairarapa-Bush try and Dodd, who only had an average day by his own normally high standards with the boot, kicked two penalties and a conversion.
The defeat meant, of course, that Wairarapa-Bush will not be defending the Meads Cup title they won last year when the grand final is played next weekend. That game will now see North Otago at home to Wanganui, who beat Mid-Canterbury 18-12 in a drab encounter in the other semi-final.