‘Brain explosions’ cost Waikato crucial victory
Waikato could learn a thing or two from Ben Volavola.
North Harbour’s replacement first five-eighth fluffed two penalties in the final eight minutes before landing his third, and by far most difficult, attempt in the 83rd minute to deny Waikato a crucial victory in their battle against relegation from the Mitre 10 Cup premiership.
Volavola backed himself to land the match-winning strike in Harbour’s 13-11 win in Hamilton on Sunday after Waikato shot themselves in the foot during a dramatic final quarter at FMG Stadium Waikato.
‘‘A couple of brain explosions’’ led to Sevu Reece and James Tucker being sinbinned in the five minutes following Matty Lansdown’s try which put the Mooloos 11-3 ahead after an hour.
Waikato got excited because they were suddenly in position to end their losing streak but Reece’s ridiculous yellow card - for a cheap shot on Harbour fullback Matt Duffie after Lansdown went over - epitomised their lack of composure in key phases this season.
Tucker was then sinbinned, after Harbour were awarded a penalty from the resulting restart after Lansdown scored, and Duffie’s converted try brought the visitors to within one point with 12 minutes left before Volavola held his nerve to sensationally snatch victory from Waikato’s grasp.
‘‘You can’t play against a quality Harbour team with 13 players and [the two yellow cards] weren’t harsh calls,’’ Waikato openside flanker Mitch Jacobson said.
‘‘They were a couple of brain explosions. [Losing] is tough to swallow. We’d done everything right and defended really well in that second half.’’
Waikato lost after the hooter sounded to slump to their sixth straight defeat - the province’s worst ever run of defeats since the national provincial competition began in 1976 - and the Mooloos will be relegated to the championship if Auckland beat Canterbury at Eden Park on Friday.
Auckland are sixth and two points ahead of Waikato in last place ahead of the final regular round.
‘‘We backed our system and our boys but we didn’t get our judgement calls right, and Volavola kicked [the match-winning penalty] from quite a way out,’’ Jacobson added.
In week eight’s 17-37 defeat to Canterbury in Christchurch, all the points Waikato conceded in that Ranfurly Shield challenge were during a 24-minute spell either side of half-time.
Wellington burst Waikato’s bubble the previous week when quickly scoring twice with 14 men after an hour before comfortably winning 34-10 in Hamilton.
Waikato were in control in week five against Manawatu, leading 10-3, before the Turbos turned things around in the last half hour to beat the Mooloos 23-10.
‘‘There are crucial moments in games and it seems these last couple of weeks we’ve lost because we lose those little passages of play,’’ Jacobson said.
‘‘We’ve had 10 minute lapses and conceded a few tries. It’s really frustrating and it’s hard to really pinpoint [why].’’
Relegation from the premiership - and a return to the second division of the provincial structure for the first time since 1986 - could already be confirmed when Waikato take the field against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga on Saturday.
Jacobson, nursing a foot injury that flared up against Harbour, said their changing room was quiet and the despondent Mooloos will pray that Canterbury can do them a favour.
Good teams can win playing badly. Waikato can’t do that.