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Pōneke coach Ross Bond talks with his team after their narrow loss to Christchurch’s HSOB at Eden Park this afternoon. Photo: Dave Lintott Photography.
- By Steven White, Brad Hudson & Scott MacLean
Some close contests in club and representative rugby this afternoon as Pōneke narrowly missed winning the national U85kg title and Horowhenua-Kapiti edged Wairarapa-Bush in a Heartland Championship heart-stopper. Accounts of both those games below.
Elsewhere, there were two boys U18s matches played today. At Rugby League Park, Wellington Māori U18 beat Wellington Samoa U18 30-22. At Turangi, the Wellington Centurions U18s met their New Zealand Harlequins opposites for a win and a loss. More on these games below.
Sir Byran Williams said in the changing rooms after the game, “You have to lose one to win one.” Speed, aggression and determination. A titanic display of U85kg rugby at Eden Park for the National U85kg Final as the High School Light Bears avenged their losss in the 2024 final to beat Pōneke Wanderers 24-19.
For the HSOB Captain, Jared Percival, the last three minutes, he was hoping not for repeat of the final minutes in the 2024 final. “Absolutely mate … to hold strong and to defend like we did, just a bunch of animals out there!”
Pōneke were hot on the line and five metres out of the Western side of Eden Park only to be penalised to deny the Street Kids a late win.
Pōneke came out of the gates firing in the final with centre Nick Robertson making a 70-metre break through the Light Bears defence. The Light Bears turned the ball over, only to knock it on. Poneke continued attacking the Light Bears inside their 22. Taking the scrum, Poneke came close to scoring the first try of the match through Troy Howe, only to be denied by the scrambling Light Bears defence. Poneke came back for a penalty in front of the posts, slotted by Max Rodgers.
The aggression continued for the Street Kids, forcing the Light Bears to commit to a lot of defending. However, the light bears were like a pack of hounds around the breakdown with N0. 8 Billy Sloan earning his first of three holding on turnovers. The Light bears started to get their attack going only to give away an obstruction penalty which Poneke failed to kick into touch with Percival performing his best Black Swan impression to keep the ball from going into touch. The Light Bears saw an opening from the Percival act that saw Prop Callum Nimmo charge through the defence and pass it out to outside centre Ryan McNulty to score the first try of the final in the Southern west hand corner.
A key strength today for the Light Bears was their high kicking game with Percival challenging Pōneke all day. The Light Bears had an opportunity to extend their lead further, missing a penalty and throwing a pass that allowed a 75-metre run from Dominic Sipa that saw Max Rodgers sail under the posts to score Pōneke’s first try. Rodgers converted his try.
The first half was full of running and a tackle fest. Robertson and Sipa for Pōneke were making life hard for the Light Bears. This pressure nearly saw Pōneke second try which was disallowed by a knock on to Troy Howe. The Light Bears missed the opportunity to clear their 22 giving away a penalty advantage in front of the posts. Rodgers went to cross kick it to no avail. Back to the penalty in front of the posts, Pōneke turned down the opportunity for three, only to knock it on giving the Light Bears the opportunity to clear. Another penalty for Pōneke saw Rodger’s point to the posts this time making it 13-8.
The Light Bears looked to set up a lineout drive only to commit another handing error that nearly saw Pōneke score again only for winger Ben Scott to kick it into touch to bring an end to the first half.
The second half started in the way of the Light bears with Taine Cordell-Hull kicking a penalty in the first minute. The Light Bears increased their physicality putting Jimmy-Lee Hongara under pressure at the restart, forcing a lineout. The back three for the Light Bears dominated the second half with Josh Purdon providing the inspiration for his team in the tight areas of the breakdown.
Dominic Sipa was tested regularly by Percival’s high Garry Owens, noticing a breeze behind his right shoulder, with Sipa knocking on one five outside their own tryline that resulted in an attacking scrum for the Light Bears. “If I could get one up there and I knew Poneke liked to run it so I applied the pressure” Percival said. A missed opportunity missed out wide by the Light Bears, Taine Cordull-Hull broke the Poneke defence to score and convert his own try after some intense forward play close to the line.
Re-starts were a concern for both teams; however, the Light Bears found solutions to their faults and began to find ascendency.
Pōneke were not giving in and kept trying to exploit the Light Bears out wide. A resulting penalty from Rodgers kept Poneke in the hunt.
In the final 10 minutes it was the experience of inaugural National U/85kg Captain Percival that was able to guide his team home with two penalties in the 71st and 74th minutes. For Poneke, they had their opportunities to win it late on several occasions in the last five minutes. For Poneke, Rodgers kicked well at the back and Pasia Asiata was solid on defence, crushing a few Light Bears in the process.
The Light Bears Second National title, Percival was asked, how did this rate compare to the 2023 final against Takapuna? “Two different paths…the nature of this one felt more like a final. So, the effort to get it done just absolutely incredible. Any national title is a national title so both are as good as each other.”
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The Centurions U18s Boys and Girls teams were both playing games in Taupo today against New Zealand Harlequins opposition, for a win and a loss.
The U18 Boys side beat their Harlequins counterparts 34-21, after leading 22-14 at halftime. Try scorers were Taniela Tuangalu, Faimalie Tagoai, Heath Tuifao, Z’Kdeus Schwalger and Shea Boshier. Archie Sims kicked a penalty and two conversions, while William Davis-Lenz kicked a conversion.
The U18 Girls were defeated 31-17, after trailing 19-12 at halftime. Their tries were scored by Casey Sio, Mia Ualesi and Lena Fa’amausili-McKenzie.
Below pictured the teams after their respective matches.
In an NPC game in New Plymouth, the Wellington Lions lost 39-20 to Taranaki.
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The Heartland Championship seedings will go down to next Saturday’s final round after some thrillers in today’s penultimate set up matches.
Club Rugby was on hand at the Levin Domain as a late penalty vastly improved home side Horowhenua-Kapiti’s chances of making the Meads Cup while also putting a large dent in the prospects of visitors Wairarapa Bush.
A halfback named TJ proved a key player for the home side in this one. Not the All Black, but TJ Barnsley from Paraparaumu. He kicked four second half penalties including the match-winner with two minutes to play to cap a gritty, determined performance for Horowhenua-Kapiti as they defended both the Bill Osborne Taonga and the PCG Wrightson Cup.
Wairarapa-Bush had taken the lead in the 74th minute with a converted try under the posts to replacement prop Gareth Ward-Allen following a long period of pressure hot on attack. Horowhenua-Kapiti had originally kept them out by winning one of many breakdown turnovers that they made throughout the match, but the visitors ran the clearing kick back and eventually scored.
There was then a long injury break as the home team’s lock Alex Fidow was assisted from the field. On the resumption, they soon regained possession and earned another penalty which Barnsley calmly kicked for the win.
Previously, Horowhenua-Kapiti had led 10-7 at halftime, on the back of a well-contested but often error ridden first half. Referee Thomas will have a sore arm tonight, after the number of penalties and turnovers he blew his whistle for.
Horowhenua-Kapiti opened the scoring with an early Barnsley penalty, followed by a try in the 21st minute to his opposite, Sam Walton-Sexton.
Horowhenua-Kapiti also lost two players to injury by midway through the first half, forcing reshuffles, with fullback Sean Pape and No. 8 Mika Alaifatu both departing.
It was Pape’s replacement on the right wing, Jodi Rauca, who scored next from 70 metres out. Blindside flanker Albert Hemopo made a clean turnover and evergreen first-five Kahn Fotuali kicked ahead for the flying Rauca who regathered and ran in to score.
The next five minutes before halftime and almost 15 after it remained tight, before Barnsley kicked his second penalty to make it 13-7.
Wairarapa-Bush then hit back with their second try. After previously making a hash of a penalty and lineout in the far corner, they earned another one for a lineout in the grandstand corner. This saw left wing Soli Malatai come off his wing and score to put them up 14-13.
Barnsley then kicked two consecutive penalties to advance the score to 19-14 in favour of Horowhenua-Kapiti with 11 minutes to play. Wairarapa-Bush supporters thought their team had won with their next converted try, but Barnsley had the final say with his fifth penalty overall.
Elsewhere, Mid-Canterbury assured themselves of top spot with a 47-43 win in a pointsfest in Gisborne over Poverty Bay while North Otago put themselves firmly in the frame to host the other with a 32-29 win in the Battle of the Waitaki against northern neighbours South Canterbury, though the Old Golds have to go to Ashburton next week.
Perennial contenders Whanganui have quietly moved into second following their win 29-24 over King Country; they’re tied on points with North Otago but with a tiebreaker from their head-to-head win earlier in the season. Defending champions Thames Valley are fifth after outclassing West Coast 43-7 in Paeroa, and in the game at the bottom of the table Buller ensured East Coast will take home the wooden spoon after they won 21-19 in Westport.
Table: Mid-Canterbury (35), Whanganui (26), North Otago (26), South Canterbury (24), Thames Valley (24), Wairarapa Bush (23), Poverty Bay (23), Horo-Kap (21).
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Elsewhere, it is perhaps good night for this season for the Wellington Lions after they succumbed to Taranaki 39-20 in their NPC and Henning Trophy match this afternoon in New Plymouth.
Taranaki led 11-6 at halftime and pulled away from there to win.
