Revved-up Sports put rivals on notice
Hosts fend off impressive Hautapu side’s efforts
Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports rode a fast start and stout defence to stun perennial finalists Hautapu 22-17 at Albert Park. Pivot Taha Kemara was again in the points, a try, penalty goal and two conversions netting him 12 for the game, while flanker Niah ChurchJones and Winger Cody Nordstrom picked up the other tries.
Kemara got the scoring going in the second minute with a penalty goal and after some early ebb and flow, a counter-attack sparked by fullback Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong put winger Stacey Daniel down the left flank, who found Church-Jones backing up infield to stretch the lead to 8-0 after 11 minutes.
Five minutes later Kemara scooped up a loose ball and chipped ahead from 40m out with Nordstrom in a foot race to the corner, winning the race and scoring in the corner. Kemara converted from out wide to leave the visitors stunned and staring at a 15-0 deficit.
Hautapu, though, are a classy side and fought their way back into the contest, using their forward pack to build pressure, but could not break the hosts’ defensive line until a late penalty try off a rolling maul in the 36th minute got them on the board.
Sports had the edge at the break, but knew Hautapu were still within striking distance and needed to keep up their intensity in the early stages of the second, and after some early feeling out, Kemara combined with halfback Dean Ralph, who drifted off the ruck and popped an inside ball to a charging Kemara who raced away from 40m out to score beside the posts, converting his own try for a 22-7 lead.
Trailing by 15 points, the visitors became more and more desperate, but still couldn’t break the host’s defensive line.
As the half wore on they began to control possession and territory and finally broke through in the 65th minute to claw some points back, the score 22-12 with 15 minutes to go.
Hautapu would throw wave after wave of attack at Te Awamutu, but the hosts’ ruck and scramble defence was outstanding, holding them off until the 83rd minute, where Hautapu would have the eventual final say with a try in injury time.
For Sports, it was a far more complete performance than last week’s, fronting up to an impressive Hautapu side and matching them in physicality.
Man of the match Church-Jones was a force around the ruck and defended strongly in an impressive overall outing in only his second game at this level.
Fellow loosie Tevita Taukei’aho also shone with a huge work rate around the field in his debut for the club.
Kemara was again outstanding, guiding his side around the field in a classy all-round performance.
Next week has Sports on the road again, travelling to Hamilton to take on Hamilton Old Boys.
MVP Points: 3: Niah Church-Jones, 2: Taha Kemara, 1: Tevita Taukei’aho.
Premier 2
Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports Premier 2 overcame a slow start to run away heavy victors in their fixture with Hautapu B, winning a backand-forward game 44-29 at Albert Park.
Trailing 8-19 in the closing moments of the first half, midfielder Andrew Christie finished a long-range try, converted by pivot Dillon Martin, to pull the score back to 15-19 at the break.
Winger Shauncy Waho’s try and Martin’s conversion and penalty goal would take the lead 23-19 early in the second half before two quick Hautapu tries took the lead back at 23-29.
But there was a last-quarter blitz from the hosts, with two tries to halfback Zealin Prime and another to winger Cade Harris turning the sixpoint deficit into a 44-29 lead, which they would hold to close the game.
Under 21
The Honda Shop Te Awamutu Sports Under 21 were right in the fight with a strong Hautapu side down 14-15 but couldn’t keep pace in the second half as the visitors slowly pulled away to take a 14-39 victory.
Hautapu scored early to take a 5-0 lead, but TA Sports answered through a score to midfielder Callum Hall, converted by fellow midfielder George Poolman to take the lead 7-5.
Hautapu would pick up two scores to take a 15-7 lead, only for Sports to have the last say of the half, pivot Takoha Lunjevich scoring, converted again by Poolman.
The second half, however, was all Hautapu as they chipped away at the Te Awamutu line, eventually finding cracks to the tune of five second-half tries to push out the margin, which didn’t reflect the effort and heart shown by the hosts.