Time was ripe for a course correction before the whistle. During a line-out, Baillie nonchalantly hung back while Ouston soared to secure the ball, purposefully delivering it into Baillie’s hands.
Seizing the opportunity, Baillie charged through the centre, scoring an unexpected try that caught Rototuna off guard.
Jaoquin Burke nailed the conversion from the sideline.
Six minutes later, Burke carried the ball over the line himself. Eager to close the points gap, Te Awamutu College concluded the first half at 17-24.
The second half demanded something extraordinary and like a replay of the first half, Te Awamutu struck first.
The lanky Tyrone Bullock dashed down the wing to secure points within the initial five minutes.
Centre Corbin Fleming’s skillful kick added two points to the board, leveling the game.
Rototuna, eager to regain the lead, mounted a try attempt, only to be thwarted by Te Awamutu’s cohesive teamwork, positioning Baillie adeptly to prevent the grounding.
Nine minutes later, they managed to breach the Te Awamutu defence, grabbing seven points and the lead once more.
Kiarn Collett Quinn took the spotlight next, sprinting down the centre of the field and triumphantly crossing the line for the College, raising a triumphant finger in the air.
This set up an ideal position for Fleming, who converted and the game was tied again.
Five minutes before the final whistle, Rototuna snatched the lead once more with another converted try, putting Te Awamutu in a precarious position.
With only one minute left, time was against Te Awamutu, but they were determined, eventually seeing Jack Kelly score near the corner.
The pressure was on Fleming, but he slotted the conversion, drawing the game level.
The final whistle blew with the score at 38-all.
MVP Points: Ryan Baillie - 3; Jack Kelly - 2; Michael Stuart - 1.
