Wellington and Hawke’s Bay draw academy match

Daniel Tafili scores the first try of the match for Wellington against Hawke’s Bay. 

• By Steven White

Wellington 19 (Daniel Tafili, Salesa Seumanufagai, Harry Irving tries; Stanley Solomon 2 con) – Hawke’s Bay 19 (Oscar Ritchie, Bogi Kikau, CJ Mienie tries; Will Cole 2 con). HT: Hawke’s Bay 19-12.

The Wellington and Hawke’s Bay Academy sides drew 19-19 at Massey University today in the second round of the 2024 season opening Hurricanes Academy tri-series.

The nucleus of the Wellington team and several players in the Hawke’s Bay team picked up from where they left off at Rugby League Park last September when the Wellington U19s beat the Hawke’s Bay U19s 27-26 in an extra time thriller.

There would be no such heroics this time for Wellington – but not for want of trying. The Wellington side had the better of the second half and spent most of a frenetic final 10 minutes hot on attack and searching for the match-winner.

In this period, Wellington created at least three clear try-scoring chances but failed to cross the chalk in the face of desperate defence. Inside the final five minutes, Hawke’s Bay lock Reuben Allen was sinbinned for a high shot on Wellington first-five Stanley Solomon (not malicious) just outside their 22. Wellington perhaps missed a chance right there and then to win with a penalty but chose to go for the lineout and came up short.

The result means that the series for the trophy named after late Hurricanes founding member Sam Doyle will be decided next Saturday at the same venue when Wellington takes on Manawatu. The Junior Magpies beat Manawatu 48-36 last weekend, so Wellington will have to beat Manawatu with a bonus point and with superior points difference (more than 12 points) than Hawke’s Bay.

The drawn result today was a fair reflection of the match between two evenly matched teams. Play ebbed and flowed for much of the game, as did the battle between the two packs with this fixture and series doubling as a trial match for the upcoming Hurricanes U20s team selection.

Earlier, Wellington made a lightning start with a try in the corner to left wing Daniel Tafili in just the fifth minute of play. In their first foray inside the attacking zone, they freed up the Ories winger to score in the tackle of his opposite CJ Mienie.

Hawke’s Bay struck back just as swiftly, blindside flanker Ollie Ritchie, one of several U19 aged players in the Magpies side, scoring for his side.

Hawke’s Bay’s second try came from a lineout win against the throw, setting up play in midfield and then moving it wide to left wing Bogi Kikau who raced in to score in the same corner as their first try. First five Will Cole added the extras and they were up 12-5.

Wellington rallied and backed their scrum to attack for several phases inside the 22. After a couple of earlier thrusts at the line, the defence broke and Ories loosehead prop Salesa Seumanufagai sailed through to score under the posts. First five Stanley Solomon added the extras to make it 12-12 after 25 minutes.

Wellington soared back up field, culminating in tighthead prop Ruben Ape-Tuputala being held up over the chalk in good defence.

Hawke’s Bay escaped up field and caught a break when Wellington left wing and earlier try-scorer Tafili was sin-binned in centre field for an discrepancy in the ruck.

Hawke’s Bay fully capialised on this, when they went wide quickly first five from their lineout near halfway, and right wing Mienie came into the backline chain on the left wing and the soared through to score their third try. Cole’s try put them up 19-12 at halftime.

There would be just one further try in the second half, this coming to Wellington’s Harry Irving, who started the match at blindside flanker and finished it at lock.

Irving’s 5^7th minute try was the result of more pressure inside the Hawke’s Bay 22. Previously, the tight forwards went close to scoring on the left side of the posts, but Hawke’s Bay won a turnover and scrambled out of danger.

They knocked on though, and Wellington packed down a scrum about 30 metres out. Captain and No. 8 Jeremiah Avei-Collins utilised the big blindside and ghosted up towards the line, with replacement hooker Leon Tuiloma in support. He was cut down short but Irving carried on momentum and scored under a pile of bodies just to the right of the posts. Solomon’s conversion made it 19-19.

Hawke’s Bay had also gone desperately close early in the second half – but on two occasions in the space of five minutes, Wellington successfully defended their rolling maul at the clubrooms end of the ground.

The final 20 minutes were frantic, but messy. Both pivots, Solomon for Wellington and Cole for Hawke’s Bay, struggled with the accuracy of their kicking all game in the moderate cross-wind. Both teams emptied their benches and hoped for fresh legs to do the job but as it transpired neither could seize the initiative.