Taihape tryscorer Kameli Kuruyabaki takes on Marist's outside backs Cameron Crowley and Simon Dibben at Spriggens Park on Saturday.
Taihape tryscorer Kameli Kuruyabaki takes on Marist's outside backs Cameron Crowley and Simon Dibben at Spriggens Park on Saturday.
A little bit of smarts and a whole lot of courage was enough for Byford's Readimix Taihape to climb over Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 20-14 at Spriggens Park on Saturday, claiming the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield for the season and knocking their points table neighbours out of the semifinals.
With cool weather conditions bringing the infamous northerly wind into play, making long distance clearing kicks impossible from the southern end, Taihape regrouped after conceeding a converted try in the first 90 seconds to make strong carries with the ball and finally get clear of their own half, while contesting every breakdown with determination.
Marist's game breakers in lock Taione Ratu, who gave an outstanding 80 minute effort, and centre Cameron Crowley were well marked although still dangerous throughout.
Taihape tackled like demons in both halves, aside from rare lapses which were exploited nearly to the fullest by Marist first-five Peni Nabainivalu, who the visitors had never seen before.
Taihape player-coach Dane Whale played his hand well, shifting himself to fullback and brother Luke into first-five, and although they initially struggled to contain Nabainivalu, that corridor was eventually closed.
Second-five Jaye Flaws had a giant first half with a series of powerful runs through traffic, dragging tacklers with him as Marist's first-up defence was made to look brittle, while tryscoring flanker and captain Tremaine Gilbert made some priceless turnovers, holding up attackers off the ground.
Into the second half and Taihape came charging as Whale harnessed the wind for some end-to-end clearances, one of which led to a crucial swing in fortunes as Marist fumbled the ball out and then prop Ritchie Iorns, another standout, dashed up to claim the quick lineout and score his team's third try.
Taihape's pack can all take a bow, notably lock Peter Hay-Horton, prop Wiremu Cottrell and hooker Dylan Gallien, although he would struggle in the first half with straight lineout throws, as did Marist's Jack Yarrall in the second half with the windy conditions tough for both to overcome.
Marist worked forward off a series of penalties inside the final five minutes, as referee Ben Lourie was watching for Taihape hands in the ruck, but the country team made every first up tackle or grabbed a hold long enough for a team mate to come finish it off.
The smiles were large and the singing was loud in Taihape's dressing room.
"I thought we should take the wind but Tre wanted to go into the wind first half. Good call," said Whale.
"The wind was always going to be a factor, that second half.
"Gets us another week, perfect timing.
"I don't think we've ever had [Shield at season's end]. Pretty sure we haven't."
It was a cruel finish for Marist coach Jerome McCrea and his side – to have impressively won three pressure games in a row against playoff contenders, only to fall at the final hurdle.
"That [Taihape] try before halftime hurt us a bit with the wind," he said.
"We didn't hold the ball well enough really at times."
McCrea could not fault the determination to Ratu, Crowley, Yarrall and others, but other than Marist's tries at the beginning and near end of halftime, Taihape didn't break.
"It wasn't through lack of effort, we just weren't good enough on the day."
Straight lineout throws in the wind were not easy, as Taihape lock Hoani Woodhead makes this take.
Early on, it seemed it would be the home side's afternoon as they turned over the kickoff and Nabinivalu stepped his man and ran to the posts, finding Yarrall in support.
Swinging right in a series of rucks, flanker Sam Madams fed second-five Josaia Bogileka to go close, and then Madams snatched up the recycled ball to dive across for 7-0 in less than two minutes.
Marist kept the pressure on, with even Madams showing what kind of a kicking advantage they had with a big boot into Taihape's back field, but the visitors hung in there, with Gilbert stopping several surges off the ruck to get the turnover.
Running into the breeze meant either short distance lineouts as the kicks held up, or just taking taps and running it, with Taihape getting put back to their own tryline, where their tackling was ferocious
It was only when Flaws began to drag his way through Marist jerseys that Taihape got some traction, now asking Marist the question.
But following a long clearance from Marist fullback Ashton Coates, Taihape couldn't get their lineout straight and despite the backs discussing their defence pattern at scrum time, they couldn't stop Nabainivalu running through them.
Nabinivalu found Crowley inside and although Taihape winger Te Rangitapu McLeod did well to dash over from his far wing and catch the veteran, Crowley shovelled his pass inside for Bogileka to go over for a great try.
At 14-0 with four minutes left Marist figured they had the upper hand, but underestimated Taihape's guile as they just went right back to work and secured the kickoff, before Whale grubber kicked into space and centre Kameli Kuruyabaki snatched it up to go over near the posts.
McLeod couldn't add the extras into the wind, and neither could he pick up three points from in front right on halftime as a surge from Iorns, Flaws and Hay-Horton had got Taihape straight back down again.
Nonetheless, Taihape were buoyed to be in it as they took use of the breeze, as one Whale free kick travelled 15m from his tryline onto Marist's 22m, as Marist now had to take taps and run out of their half.
Although they also dropped their share of ball, Taihape played the territory and Whale took over the goalkicking to close the gap to 14-8 in the 64th minute with a penalty in front after Marist were pinged for holding.
Only minutes later, the ball was spread for McLeod to have a chance at the Marist corner, as Crowley had to take the winger's inside pass out of play.
From the 5m lineout, Taihape drove to the chalk and after a couple of cracks by the forwards, Gilbert went blind and dived through to score, with Whale landing a brilliant sideline conversion despite the ball having to be held by a team mate.
Having lost the lead with 21 minutes left, Marist came charging as Ratu, Yarrall and Crowley looked to force their way through, but Taihape would force the turnover and get the long clearance.
In a cruel moment, Marist winger Luke Foster went back to retrieve one of those long kicks and had a shocker with the bounce, accidently kneeing it out, and with his tired team slow to come back, Iorns and his fellow forwards rushed to the scene and fired in a quick lineout with the cult favourite prop diving over to extend Taihape's lead with 14 minutes left.
Taihape nearly got the matchwinner as McLeod had another shot at the line, before reserve Cyrus Paringatai was stopped short and Iorns was held up as he drove over.
But from a 5m scrum feed with four minutes left, Taihape conceded penalty after penalty as Marist clawed their way back upfield in the search of a miracle.
Taihape's bench screamed at their team mates to forget attempting turnovers and just tackle, as Marist spread sideline to sideline with time up, but finally they extended too far as Foster could not take a high pass which dropped onto the sideline and ended the home side's playoff dreams.
