The Pirates’ clubrooms was place of rather relieved supporters tonight after the club’s premier rugby side survived a late Border charge by one point and some luck to take the 2015 Wanganui championship. David Ogilvie from http://www.wanganuionline.com reports on a match which was mostly unremarkable – but had a remarkable last quarter:
Pirates dominated Border so totally for some 55minutes of today’s Cooks Gardens final that no-on even contemplated the possibility of the side losing the title race.
But those final three or four minutes there was one side attacking, and one side defending desperately – and Pirates was the one defending a one-point lead at 20-19 after leading 20-0 after 57 minutes.
It has been a habit of Pirates to have a major dead patch in its matches – it picked a bad time for it to be the final quarter! But somehow or other Pirates held on, deep in their own territory, while Border’s young goalkicker Bobo Ulukuta could not grab the lead with a 37m penalty attempt with just two minutes to go.
It was an odd game – if Border had got up one may have been asking oneself just ho it could have happened, such was Pirates’ domination through orthodox, sensible rugby.Border had no answer to the forward drive and organisation of Pirates and the orchestra leadership o veterans Denning Tyrell (first-five) and Ricky Boniface (halfback).
Pirates kept the ball for long periods, with the front rowers dominating the scrum to an embarrassing extent and the loosies belting their way over the advantage line and keeping the ball under control through plain sensible rugby.
Tyrell was superb and scored 16 of Pirates’ points through a dummying try and four goals. Lasa Uukuta scored the other try, off a dominant second half scrum.
Border was flighty, chancey and prone to many errors, and was never really able to keep pressure on Pirates until, ironically, playing with 14 men for the second time when centre Poasa Wqanibau was yellow-carded for a no-arms tackle.
That finally got Border going. Captain and fullback Fraser Middleton, who had ben playing high octane rugby from the start, finally found himself some mates and Border started to play rugby – and it wasn’t before time for a large and vocal supporting band.
Second-fie Renato Tikoilosomone shimmied his way past two close to the line for the first try, and when Waqanibau returned to the field he blasted his way past Lasa Ulukuta for the second.
That made it 20-12 and Border still had to score twice in 16 minutes.
With eight minutes left came the third try, with Pirates starting to stagger, their scrum much less effective, and after Border advanced down the left, sprinter Tom Symes jetted down the right wing to score.
Bobo Ulukuta converted and there were just over seven minutes left. Border camped in Pirates territory, but the leading team defended stoutly under the guiding hand of Tyrell. There were raids messed up by lack of Border patience, and Bobo Ulukuta’s chance to kick the penalty. But the youngster, who otherwise had a fine field game, couldn’t manage it.
So Pirates survived, a very thirsty effort for their followers, no doubt.
Kudos to Tyrell and Boniface as the drivers, to props Willie Kabakaba and Tololi Moala and hooker Brett Turner for their scrum power, and to flanker Faalafi Vave in particular for his ball running.
Middleton was outstanding persistently for Border, but his team-mates only went in spurts.
In the end they had too much ground to make up and probably the deserving team won.
Earlier Hunterville’s long reign as senior chmpion came to a crashing end as Ruapehu was much superior in winning 28-7.
Hunterville had won the past six titles but never really arrived to play. Fuelled by the power of props Tawhio Gupwell and Mac James Edmonds, and guided nicely by halfback Kahl Elers-Green and centre Ropata Henare, Ruapehu was always in very full control and played very nice football.
Fullback Jordan Stayt, halfback Nick Tipling and No 6 George Gardner were the best of a very disappointing Hunterville.
Results from the day:
Premier consolation final:
Utiku OB 20 (Mark Logan, Malakai Volau, Dylan Ratana tries; Ratana pen, Ricky Alabaster con) bt Marist 17 (Ian Hawkes 2, Kayden Shedlock tries; Scott Dowman con).
Senior final:
Ruapehu 28 (Tawhio Gupwell, Joseph McLeod,. Dion Hooper, Kevin McDonnell tries; Hooper con; Kahl Elers-Green 2pen) bt Hunterville 7 (Jordan Stayt try; Hamish Harding con).
Premier final:
Pirates 20 (Lasa Ulukuta try; Denning Tyrell try, 2pen, 2con) bt Border 19 (Tom Symes, Poasa Waqanibau, Renato Tikoilosomone tries; Bobo Ulukuta 2con). Halftime: Pirates 3-0.
