Pikiao Warriors player Tane Te Rangi in action in the thrilling under-17 rugby league grand final that the Pacific Sharks sealed with a 26-22 victory in the final minutes. Photo / Ben Fraser
Pikiao Warriors player Tane Te Rangi in action in the thrilling under-17 rugby league grand final that the Pacific Sharks sealed with a 26-22 victory in the final minutes. Photo / Ben Fraser
Cometh the hour cometh the man.
He might only be a teenager, but Pacific prop Daniela Tarai lived up to that saying on Sunday afternoon.
With the scores locked at 22-all, and the clock ticking down, Tarai got the ball in his hands and charged towards the tryline during thegrand final of the Bay of Plenty Coastline under-17 rugby league competition. He carried about five Pikiao (Rotorua) players over the tryline with him as he scored the match-winning try.
Pacific (Tokoroa) held on to win the match 26-22 at Puketawhero Park, making for some colourful scenes after the match.
Pacific under-17 coach Jade Hawkins said it was a great achievement for his boys, who qualified fourth into the semifinals but managed to perform when it mattered.
"I'm over the moon. It has been a long three years now, [we had] two grand final losses in the last two years but that makes it even sweeter now," he said.
Pikiao raced away to a 16-0 lead during the final but Pacific worked their way back into the game and boasted a 22-16 lead at halftime. Pikiao tied the match at 22-all in the second half thanks to a try to lock Matangireia Yates-Francis.
The match looked to be heading towards extra-time but Pacific managed to pin Pikiao back in their own half. When a chip kick did not come off for Pikiao, Pacific used their field position well and scored the winner a few plays later.
The under-17s is the oldest junior age group in local rugby league and quite a few of the boys will look to step up to the men's grade next year.
Two players in the grand final on Sunday have scholarships to NRL clubs next year, including Pikiao's Hayze Perham (Penrith) and Pacific's Dylan Clark (Canberra).
-Under-17 final: Pikiao 22 (Hayze Perham 2, Tane Te Rangi, Matangireia Yates-Francis tries; Urutohatoha Hohepa 3 con) Pacific 26 (Ezekiel Cooper-Tetevano, Neal Tai, Jaeden Brown, Dylan
