Te Awamutu upset championship leaders
14th July 2010 07:39AM
By EVAN PEGDEN - Waikato Times
The effect of Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports' shock 41-12 upset home victory over previously unbeaten Haswell Catley Trophy leaders Wagon Wheel Morrinsville Sports was to leave two championship semifinal berths wide open with one round of matches left to play this weekend.
Morrinsville clung to their competition lead by just one point from preliminary round winners CBD Hamilton Old Boys, who notched up a half-century of points for the second week in a row, beating injury-hit TDO Melville 52-19 away.
Both Morrinsville and Old Boys are now safely in the Waikato Breweries Shield semifinals.
Shenanigans Irish Pub Fraser-Tech are third but could still miss out, having ground out a 19-12 away victory over a much-improved APL Hautapu on Saturday.
Tech have to play old rivals Old Boys away this Saturday and need at least two points to be made safe by their own actions rather than relying on other results to fall their way.
OTC Otorohanga skipped off the bottom of the table with their first win of the season when they scored a narrow 24-23 home victory over Lodge City Rentals Hamilton Marist, who were pushed out of the top four by Te Awamutu but are still within striking distance of both Tech and Te Awamutu with a game against bottom-of-the-table Melville to come.
Te Awamutu have a game at home to Otorohanga, who cannot make the playoffs but will still see themselves with plenty to play for in a local derby.
Hautapu are sixth, two points behind Marist, but they too still have a chance to make the playoffs and host Morrinsville, who are looking for their first Haswell Catley Trophy clincher.
Te Awamutu Sports41
Morrinsville Sports12
Te Awamutu scored three unconverted tries to lead a close first half 15-12 at Albert Park but ran away with it in the second half with four more touchdowns as the visitors became their own worst enemies.
Poor defence and then a rash of handling errors as they tried to play catch-up rugby cost Morrinsville dearly.
Te Awamutu kept better hold of the ball in the second spell and with flankers Carl Finlay and Jono Armstrong, along with hooker Simon Kay, running strongly with the ball and the backs joining in for both Mark Murray and Jordan Davies to pick up a brace of tries, Morrinsville's defences were laid bare.
Hooker Tom Rowling and lock Aleki Hicks played well for the visitors, who still managed to win a reasonable share of ball but only Michael Hotene distinguished himself in the Morrinsville backline.
Hamilton Old Boys52
Melville19
Old Boys scored in the opening five minutes and led 26-0 by halftime to have this game well under control early on.
When big lock Marty Faville claimed his second running try soon after the restart it was 33-0, but the home side never gave up despite their lack of depth having been cruelly exposed by injuries.
Melville struck back with a couple of converted tries of their own to two of their best players on the field – lock Matt McKone and standout first five-eighth TK Moeke – before normal service resumed and Old Boys picked up three of the remaining four tries scored in a match that produced 11 in total.
Dangerous wing Henry Speight and strong running midfield back Ruben Williams joined Faville in claiming a pair of tries each, while open-side flanker Johan Bardoul made a number of strong surges with ball in hand and only a heavy penalty count against them and Melville's kicking game kept Old Boys from scoring more tries in the second spell.
Fraser-Tech19
Hautapu12
Hautapu regained some credibility in this game at Memorial Park, despite the loss, playing well and leading 12-11 at halftime.
But Tech applied the pressure through the set-pieces in the second half, controlled the ball and squeezed the life out of the home side to take control and win the game.
It was dour stuff involving a lot of rolling mauls, the crucial try – winger Navi Sikivou's second of the game – coming midway through the second half when Hautapu attacked near the halfway line, Keith Lowen delayed his pass that would have put flying winger Ruamai Erueti clear and the ball bobbled around before being grabbed by Sikivou to race 60 metres and score.
The home side were then starved of possession as the Tech forwards turned up the heat and Sam Christie added his third penalty goal to seal the victory.
Otorohanga24
Hamilton Marist23
Marist will be questioning a decision to kick for goal when four points behind with six minutes to go and hot on attack in this match at Island Reserve.
They appeared to have all the momentum as they forced penalties, kicked to the corners and drove strongly from the resulting lineouts but with the decision to kick for goal taken and Joe Reynolds obliging to narrow the gap to one point there was no further scoring in the game as both sides had their moments on attack in the remaining minutes.
The game see-sawed throughout, providing plenty of excitement for the big crowd. It was 10-10 at halftime, outstanding prop Lionel Wairau having scored an early try for Marist, who dominated possession, and Peki Manawaiti finally winning a lineout to score for Otorohanga towards the end of the half.
As usual the Otorohanga defence had been stout and the home side hit the front 17-10 with a try to Justin Aikman early in the second half that was converted by Joe Perawiti before Reynolds narrowed the gap with a penalty.
Marist exerted a lot of pressure with their tactics of putting the ball in the corners and driving from there, young flanker Josh Allen coming up with a try Reynolds converted to take the lead 20-17. But a penalty try when Otorohanga's Josh Ostern was knocked over by an early tackle with the line open gave the home side the crucial final lead.
RESULTS, STANDINGS Waikato Senior A: Premier Division (Haswell Catley Trophy): Te Awamutu Sports 41 (Mark Murray 2, Jordan Davies 2, Simon Kay, Cohen Masson, Jono Armstrong tries; Ryan Meacheam 3 cons) Morrinsville Sports 12 (Jone Lagibola, Brett Harrison tries; Andre Wilson con). HT 15-12. Otorohanga 24 (Peki Manawaiti, Justin Aikman tries; penalty try; Joe Perawiti 3 cons, pen) Hamilton Marist 23 (Lionel Wairau, Josh Allen tries; Joe Reynolds 2 cons, 3 pens). HT 10-10. Hamilton Old Boys 52 (Martyn Faville 2, Henry Speight 2, Ruben Williams 2, Kane Adams, Murray Iti tries; Adams 6 cons) Melville 19 (Matt McKone, TK Moeke, Brad Hogg tries; Moeke, Tyler Leith cons). HT 26-0. Fraser-Tech 19 (Navi Sikivou 2 tries; Sam Christie 3 pens) Hautapu 12 (Nathan Merriman, Bauro Karaioi tries; Tom Casey con). HT 11-12. Points W D L F A BP Pt Morrinsville 5 0 1 162 115 3 23 Hamilton OB 4 1 1 207 110 4 22 Fraser-Tech 4 0 2 171 109 3 19 Te Awamutu 3 0 3 149 120 5 17 Ham Marist 3 1 2 117 122 1 15 Hautapu 2 0 4 102 150 5 13 Otorohanga 1 1 4 102 154 0 6 Melville 0 1 5 96 226 2 4 (Bonus points awarded to teams losing by seven points or less and for scoring four tries or more): Promotion-Relegation Division (NZFP Trophy): Te Rapa 16 University 15, United Matamata Sports 17 Hinuera 10, Leamington 10 Southern United 10, Taupiri 39 Putaruru 0. First Division: Mooloo Shield semifinals: Pirongia 13 Kereone 5, Raglan 33 Frankton 12. Club Trophy final: Ohaupo bt Matangi-Hillcrest by default.
