Mount Maunganui halfback Lisa Egberts fends off a tackler. Photo / Shannon Gray
Mount Maunganui halfback Lisa Egberts fends off a tackler. Photo / Shannon Gray
The fact that Whakarewarewa coach Ron James says his side have only reached about 60 per cent of their potential is a frightening prospect for opposition teams.
Yesterday,Whakarewarewa backed up a 20-all draw against last year's finalists Rangiuru in round one with a 44-0 hammering of Baywide Premier newcomers Mount Maunganui.
"I don't think the score reflected how well the Mount played, they had some good players out there. We're starting to put some good phases together but there's still stuff to work on.
"We stuck to our structure pretty well and once again our set piece was dominant - that's something we've worked on because it's what we lacked last year really," James says.
Whakarewarewa flew out of the blocks yesterday,with two tries in the first five minutes.
Both tries were scored by rampaging winger Natalie Blomfield who tormented the Mount defence all afternoon. The first was on the back of a shift left in the opposition 22m - she bounced out of a solid tackle to score in the corner. The second came minutes later on the back of a fast break by fullback Autumn-Rain Stephens. Whakarewarewa led 10-0.
After 20 minutes the home side were in again, this time through No 8 Aneta Mihinui who bulldozed her way over the try line next to the posts. The try was converted and Whakarewarewa led 17-0.
Whakarewarewa added a fourth try, to centre Tania-Rose Thompson who showed great awareness to dart down the blindside on the right wing and score in the corner, making it 22-0 at halftime.
Mount Maunganui visibly grew in confidence throughout the game and had much more of the possession and territory in the second half. Unfortunately, all they lacked was the finishing touch to get across the tryline but that will come with experience.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Stephens was rewarded for a busy game with a try of her own on the back of a well worked set play from a scrum inside the Mount Maunganui 22m.
Mount Maunganui halfback Lisa Egberts fends off a tackler. Photo / Shannon Gray
Whakarewarewa added another two tries and led 39-0 with minutes left on the clock but they saved their best for last.
Blomfield showed pure speed to make a break out of her own 22m but was dragged down in an heroic effort by Mount Maunganui's Sandra Blong and Danielle Mellow. She was able to offload to Stephens and with open pasture in front of her she raced away to score her second.
James says the draw with Rangiuru in round one backed up by the win at the weekend would give his side confidence moving forward.
"The big thing now is the confidence and the belief in each other, they're all there for each other. They're doing a lot more talking and they're understanding each other."
He says the big work-on now is fitness levels.
"There's no doubting the intent and physicality that we bring, we have the pace on the outsides too and those are complementing each other.
"It's good to see new teams like the Mount entering the competition and for them it's just about getting the experience and belief. I think they'll worry some teams this year."
Mount Maunganui coach Mitch Logan says two games into their first season, his players are learning more with every game.
"Obviously Whaka are a lot more structured, they've been together for a long time and that showed in the first 20 minutes. But, we played well as well and we worked hard, they had a great structure and in the short period of time we've been together they're going really well.
"It hurt a bit last week, not having a game because of Easter, that broke the momentum a bit. Our defence and energy today were great.
"The work-on for us is just getting the ball going wide and sticking, it went to ground a couple of times that last pass. It's just about finishing the opportunities we're creating."
