We will be really tough to beat this season, Melville
30th March 2010 07:49PM
By EVAN PEGDEN - Waikato Times
While they are not scoring truckloads of tries, Paul Nathan Fencing Melville have two wins from two to join Fraser-Tech and Hamilton Old Boys as the only unbeaten sides after two weeks of the season.
And their 19-17 upset of Hamilton Marist away from home on Saturday showed they can take on and beat strong sides despite scoring one try to two. Growing belief and experience as a team together is a big part of that in their second season in the premier ranks.
It was not so heartening to see Shenanigans Irish Pub Fraser-Tech post a century of points in Matamata, thrashing Reid and Harrison United Matamata Sports 113-5, although for Tech it means two bonus-point wins on the trot and sole occupation of the top of the table.
Hamilton Old Boys made much better use of the wind than their opponents and kicked away in the second half to beat University 29-3 away and be just one point behind their old rivals Tech.
There are a cluster of teams behind the unbeaten top three clogging the middle of the table.
Most significant result among them was OTC Otorohanga's decisive 27-13 home victory over a young APL Hautapu side, signalling they have rebuilt a well-balanced and home region-grounded side this season – their second under coach James White.
Defending champions Wagon Wheel Bakery Morrinsville Sports and Seafood Bazaar Te Rapa both went back home and came up with their first wins of the season, Morrinsville too good for Taupiri 38-18 and Te Rapa winning a cracking match 28-25 right at the death with a pressure penalty goal by a teenager.
Te Rapa28
Te Awamutu Sports25
A stiff cross wind at St Andrews Park did its best to wreck this match but failed as both teams produced some marvellous attacking and defensive rugby with school leaver Nathan George's winning 40-metre goal deep into injury time the only thing separating the two sides in the end.
There could not have been more pressure on George with plenty of debate about whether the kick was within his range in the wind, plenty of barracking from the other side of the touchlines and then the ball falling off the tee at his initial attempt.
But the former Hamilton Boys' High first-five was up to the job to the elation of his team-mates after a heartbreaking last-moment loss a week earlier.
Te Awamutu went into the match with a reshuffled backline due to an injury to regular pivot Waylon Tangohau, although he did come on to the field midway through the second half with his team with their noses in front.
The visitors had the early lead thanks to a try to flanker Cohen Masson from a patient buildup but it was 11-10 to Te Rapa at the break after the first of two tries to big prop Sione Mateaki from an effective lineout drive off the sure take of Mack Lynn.
When teenage centre Chauncy Edwardson created cleverly with his slick hands in midfield at the start of the second spell wing Johnny Collier finished off and George's conversion had the home side out to 18-10.
Again Te Awamutu attacked with plenty of pick-and-go and when second-five Josh Harris slid a grubber through to the line centre Jordan Craig was through in a flash to score and the reliable boot of fullback Ryan Meacheam narrowed the gap to one.
By the 15th minute the visitors had the lead back at 22-18 with replacement wing Inoke Tuibua scoring a skilful try off a great attacking burst and chip ahead from Meacheam.
Te Awamutu continued the pressure but couldn't finish off and Mateaki had his second try in the 33rd minute from a powerful forward surge after Te Rapa upset their opponents scrum to edge ahead again 25-22 with the conversion.
With time running out the home side had first Edwardson and then Mateaki sin-binned and after turning down one penalty chance to go for the draw Meacheam chipped over from 10m in front to make it 25-25, but play went on another four minutes into injury time and George grabbed the winner.
Melville19
Hamilton Marist17
Melville led all the way against Hamilton Marist at Marist Park, lasting the last quarter well under a great deal of pressure from the home side before sealing a narrow but deserved victory, writes John Holt.
Marist dominated the early set plays and won a lot of good clean possession in the first half of the match, but failed to get points on the board; too often the ball went to ground because of inaccurate passing in the windy conditions against a sound Melville defence.
The Melville forwards came into their own in the second half, and with big prop Villiami Tuungufasi, lock Teia Tuuta and blindside Haimona Waititi charging into everything, the visiting side gained control and played the better rugby. Behind them, five-eighths Logan Fisher and TK Moeke showed their experience and directed play well.
Moeke opened the scoring for Melville with a fine individual try, bursting though weak Marist front-line defence, then beating the cover defence cold with a huge sidestep to score under the posts. Fisher added the easy conversion, and then two penalty goals later in the half, and Melville led 13-10 at the break.
Hooker Nick Seymour was Marist's standout with his consistently accurate throw-ins to the lineouts on a very gusty day, and robust all-round play and scored his side's first-half try, with halfback Josh Sutherland adding the extras with his boot in the first spell.
Melville had the better of play for most of the second spell with Fisher adding two further penalty goals to have his side ahead 19-10 going into the last 10 minutes of the game.
Big Marist wing Frank Halai then finally used his pace to beat his marker on the outside, and scored under the posts but Melville managed to keep Marist at bay for the rest of the game.
Fraser-Tech113
Utd Matamata Sports5
As the score suggests it was all one-way traffic at Bedford Park, Tech grabbing 17 tries against an outclassed UMS side.
Winger Maru Henry cashed in with five tries, while fullback Nathan Lamb collected three and added three and also kicked 14 conversions for a massive personal haul of 43 points.
Skipper Tyron Child and No8 Jesse Action each grabbed a try double.
Matamata were at least competitive in the first spell, Jamie McIntyre getting their sole try, and it was 36-5 at the break, but it was all Tech in the second spell.
Hamilton Old Boys 29
University3
Old Boys played into a strong wind in the first half at Stan Heather Park and led 10-3 at the changeover.
But the red and blacks picked up the pace in the second spell, got it through the backs and outflanked the students, scoring all their tries through those backs.
The back three of Paul Gibson, Matt Kenny and Dane Murphy collected a try each, while halfback Malcolm Barnes scored a cracker off a ruck 23m out from the line, beating his opposition with pace and scoring behind the posts. Wing Joshua Sutcliffe provided Varsity's only points with a 55m penalty goal with the wind in the first half.
Otorohanga27
Hautapu13
Otorohanga always had control of this open, flowing game at Island Reserve, despite trailing 6-5 at halftime.
Hautapu had an even share of possession but the more experienced Otorohanga side did the basics much better and therefore retained ball better than the young visitors, who included only two or three of last year's first-choice team.
The home side added to Solo Korovata's first-half try after the break with scores to Nathan Logonimoce, Jesse Martin and super-sub Terry White for a bonus-point victory, winger Ruamai Erueti getting Hautapu's only try right at the end.
While the forwards were evenly matched and the Hautapu scrum slightly superior through props Taiapa Tomlinson and young replacement Dan Ross, it was in the backs where Otorohanga were superior led by fullback Rupeni Seduadua and five-eighths Martin and Hone Wanden. Best home forwards were flanker Hayden Buckman and hooker Sean Wanden.
Morrinsville Sports38
Taupiri18
Morrinsville wasted no time getting their game back on track at Campbell Park, scoring three tries to one in each half.
Those two Taupiri tries came at the end of each half as the home side didn't quite finish it off but it was a good effort from the Morrinsville pack led by loosies Alex Bradley and Brett Harrison, as well as solid Fijian locks Aleki Hicks and Pio Vakavosaki.
Andre Wilson and Michael Hotene both made some good runs in the five-eighths, while Benji Olesen was a steady influence at fullback.
Taupiri improved from the previous week, particularly up front where prop Mark Cameron, flanker James Laybourne and replacement No8 Nick Richards impressed.
