Manukura and Hamilton BHS win Top 4 titles

Manukura with the defence of the Hine Pounamu Trophy. Photo: Andy McArthur.

• By Adam Julian

Manukura (girls) and Hamilton Boys’ High School (bwon Sunday’s National First XV Top 4 Championship finals in Palmerston North.

Accounts of both matches follow.

Manukura: 39 (Danica Talitonu 2; Maia Davis, Te Maia Sweetman, Elley-May Taylor, Kingston Taiapa, Pewhairangi Ashby tries; Davis 2 con) Howick College: 24 (Joy Fiu, Sina Mariner, Jaedah Hansen, Asha Taimoepeau-Williams tries; Taylah Seng 2 con) HT: 17-19

The Manukura dynasty rolls on. The Palmerston North-based powerhouse have successfully defended the Hine Pounamu National First XV championship with a resounding 39-24 victory over first-time finalists, Howick College.

Howick enjoyed a slender 19-17 advantage at the interval, but Manukura managed the whirlpool wind at Arena Manawatū better as they blunted the spirited east Aucklanders.

Ominously, for Manukura’s rivals, their seventh and final try was scored by Year 9 Pewhairangi Ashby. It was created by Year 10 Elley-May Taylor who might have been the most influential figure in the match. There were only three Year 13’s in Manukura’s matchday squad.

The start was something out of a blockbuster film. Six exhilarating tries, three apiece, were scored in a breathless 20 minutes.

It was Howick who struck the first blow with bustling, direct carries. Openside Marica Tukana was both powerful and nimble in assisting tighthead prop Joy Fiu in her smash-down

Howick didn’t secure the restart and was punished. Manukura constructed swift phases and tight head prop Danica Talitonu crashed over after a Maia Davis pass opened a smidgen of space.

Talitonu and Davis are Manukura’s most senior players. Davis has already played for the Manawatū Cyclones and her ability to distribute, run, kick, and control the tempo was pivotal. Talitonu emptied her tank hurting with sustained brawn.

Manukura’s second try was gifted to them after Howick halfback Rochelle Christie dropped the ball cold five meters short of the paint and Davis swopped. Howick had thwarted a blistering raid that saw a majestic skip pass by workhorse lock Kingston Taiapa and some serious wheels from bantam winger Taylah Seng.

Christie emphatically atoned for her blemish with a Ruahei Demant-style offload to first five-eighth Sina Mariner who surged 40 metres.

Suddenly Howick had irrepressible momentum. There didn’t appear to be a distinction between backs and forwards and fullback Jaedah Hansen finished an incursion that involved multiple handlers.

While Manukura lacked the size of Howick, their foraging flankers were technically proficient and unrelenting.

Taylor snaffled a turnover and lobbed wide to Te Maia Sweetman who scootered 25 meters to make it 19-17.

The frantic pace couldn’t possibly endure and the last dozen minutes of the first half was strewn with errors.

Manukura sized the initiative after halftime with their hustle at the breakdown, shrewd tactical kicking, and tighter-knit attack. Taylor propelled Manukura ahead when she twisted, wriggled, and flopped over manically in the grasp of three. Taiapa followed suit with similar grit as the lead mushroomed to 29-19.

Howick was dogged but deprived of possession. Their discipline wavered and when a deft touch by Taylor found Talitonu, one one-on-one with a hopelessly stranded defender it became 34-19.

Unusually Manukura left the ball unprotected at a ruck. Malena Lavea gleefully poached and Asha Taimoepeau-Williams sprinted 40 metres. The clash between Taimoepeau-Williams and hulking Manakura centre Patricia Heihei, already signed by the Panthers NRL franchise, was a spectacle!

Howick was a hope at 34-24 but once caged inside their 22 even Sisyphus would struggle to exit in the wind.

Manukura stayed stoic and structured and it was entirely appropriate the youth of Pewhairangi and Taylor applied the exclamation mark on exuberant excellence.

The referee was Natarsha Ganley.

3 v 4: Hamilton Girls’ High School: 38 (Amber Mundel, Mahlia Crackett-Crosby, Mihi Kerr, Ata Edwards 2, Ashley Marra tries; Keira Russell 4 con) Christchurch Girls’ High School: 10 (Yoshida Riko, Perez Lene tries) HT: 5-10

 +++++

Hamilton BHS: 27 (Ollie Guerin, Alex Arnold, Dallas Rata-Makene tries; Jackson Botherway 3 con, 2 pen) Nelson College: 17 (Mikey Morrison, Jimmy West, Samuela Takapu tries; Harrison Inch con) HT: 20-10

Hamilton Boys’ High School has won the National Top Four for an unprecedented sixth time with a courageous, clinical, and composed 27-17 triumph over Nelson College.

Hamilton Boys’ High School with the Top 4 trophy and the Moascar Cup. Photo: Andy McArthur.

A month ago such a result seemed improbable when Hamilton was canned 37-0 in the Super 8 final by Tauranga Boys’ College.

However, Hamilton regrouped swiftly to win five consecutive matches and deliver veteran coach Greg Kirkham the perfect farewell. With this success, Hamilton passes Kelston Boys’ High School and Wesley College for the most Top Four wins.

After 21 years at the helm, Kirkham joins fellow legend Nigel Hotham in retirement. Hamilton’s record since 2003 is an astonishing 358 wins in 420 matches. They have scored 13,843 points.

Managing the ferocious and swirling wind would go a long way toward deciding the contest. Hamilton was better, starting hurriedly and limiting damage in a challenging second half.

Centre Ollie Guerin delivered the first blow after seven minutes. Nelson’s lineout malfunctioned at halfway. Hamilton swept into Nelson territory and Guerin, juggling, caused hesitation in the defense flashing into a hole and darting 25 meters.

Nelson plays expansively with gifted first five-eighth Harrison Inch the conductor while prop Samuela Takapu and blindside flanker Samaki Samaki are the steamrollers. The trio combined to put second five-eighth Jimmy West over.

Nelson was giddy in the 19^th minute. From a defensive scrum, 15 meters from their line, Inch threw a dummy that would fool Sherlock Holmes and burst into a yawing hole. Mikey Morrison trailed, receiving 60 meters out and handing off two desperate grapplers in a thrilling sprint to glory.

Nelson didn’t secure the restart. Hamilton built phases and blindside flanker Alex Arnold thrust over with Guerin assertive again. Assured fullback Jackson Botherway converted from near the sideline to make it 14-10 to Hamilton.

Hamilton’s first five-eighth Dallas Rata-Makene is a crafty operator and a chip to centre field was grabbed by Hiraka Waitai-Haenga who set Guerin free. Nelson infringed in retreat and Botherway slotted a penalty.

Nelson was rattled and with Arnold on the prowl, a second Botherway penalty made it 20-10 at halftime.

There was no reason for the southerners to panic but an alarming clumsiness took hold. The usually reliable lineout crumbled, handling was unpolished and Nelson conceded turnovers multiple times for upright carries.

Still, Nelson created a bundle of chances. Morrison was tackled into touch near the corner flag by Maxwell Kara and later tipped over by Botherway in full flight.

Fellow winger Will Horncastle speared at the line like a javelin but was sandwiched between hooker Tom Martin and halfback Mitch Swan. Hamilton lock Leon Mellsop enveloped Takapu over the paint and Inch was repressed by a bundle too.

The biggest miss was from Saumaki Samauki in the 55^th minute. From a five-meter, scrum, he detached like a missile and steamed towards the posts. Guerin around the chest and Swan clutching at boots did enough to force another spillage.

The same pair combined seven minutes earlier to make it 27-10 to Hamilton. From a scrum ten inside Nelson’s territory, Swan surprised Nelson by snipping short side. Guerin loomed in support and craved through again dishing to Rata-Makene for an easy finish.

Takapu finally broke through in the 62^nd minute but another Nelson fumble was terminal. Hamilton wound down the clock with cautious, uncompromising pick-and-goes.

Jono Phillips coached his last game for Nelson College. With four Myles Toyota Championships, three South Island titles, five annual quadrangular wins, and 78 victories in 96 matches he ranks as one of the finest coaches Nelson has ever had.

3 v 4: Feilding High School: 35 (Rupeni Raviyawa 3, Flinn Henricksen, Tyrese Tane, Peni Havea tries; Nixon Foreman conversion, penalty) KBHS 32 (Solo Baleinaikasakasa 2, Jeremiah Lemana, Xavier Leota, Ulutoa Ai’i tries; Tyson Parsons 2 conversions, Jarrel Tuaimalo-Vaega penalty) HT: 24 – 10 to KBHS.