Aaron Smith made a series of spectacular saves but could do nothing about Claudelands’ opener.
An unbeaten Waitete U13 faced their toughest challenge of the season on Saturday to defeat Ōtorohanga 41-26 in Te Kuiti.
The junior blues have high hopes of defending the Jim Gibb Shield after winning last year’s King Country U13 competition, but Saturday’s top-of-the-table duel will have a few in Te Kuiti peering north over the fence as Ōtorohanga made a good fist of it.
After initially competing well, Ōtorohanga lost touch with Waitete as their big ball-carriers centre Demyriuz Pu Tamainu Taitoko-Dewes, number eight Cyrus Turner and prop Isaiah Vili ran amok to give the home team a 36-7 lead at halftime.
But just when it looked like Ōtorohanga had packed it in, they came storming back after the break with tries to number eight Israel Wynyard and hooker Reuben Eynon to keep the score line reasonably close.
Both teams played similar expansive styles and had a willingness to do the tough stuff up the middle, but the difference was Waitete had a couple more key game-breakers to call on.
Other stand-out performers were Flynn Kearins-Te Whare and Bentley Jones for Waitete, and Steven Jackson and Millie Wanden for Ōtorohanga.
This Saturday is the last round of the eight-team U13 regular season, with two North King Country teams hosting games – Ōtorohanga (2) v Tongariro (5) and Piopio (4) v Taupo Sports Vikings (3) – while Waitete will have a week off after their opposition Taupo Marist defaulted.
In senior women’s rugby, Waitete have booked themselves a home quarter-final against Hinuera on Saturday, after finishing second behind Taupiri-Te Kauwhata in the Waikato Championship regular season.
Meanwhile, things are getting a little bit prickly in King Country premier men’s club rugby, as the scrap to make the playoffs goes up a gear with three weeks of the regular season left.
Taumarunui Districts will have the opportunity to solidify their top two credentials against Taupo Sports this Saturday, after knocking over bottom-placed Waitomo 67-0 at a sodden Waitomo Domain last week.
After weeks of beautiful autumn weather, the heavens opened last week to leave the water-logged domain in a muddy mess as Districts dispatched Waitomo in bog-like conditions.
Districts welcomed former Te Kuiti High School and Chiefs Under 20 first five-eighth Hone Mathieson into the driver’s seat after a couple of years plying his trade in Taranaki club rugby for New Plymouth Old Boys and Coastal, and his influence was instantly felt.
Waitomo, as they have almost religiously done for the last two seasons, kept fronting up under pressure, with captain Phil Lord, loose forward Brooklyn Pye and lock Kenneth Perawiti the best for the green-and-blacks.
The JR shield goes back on the line between Waitete and Piopio this Saturday, in a game that will carry some pressure for Waitete following their 53-3 loss to Taupo Sports last week.
The derby against Piopio is even more important for the blue bellies if they are to hold on to fourth spot, with games against competition leaders Taupo Marist (home) and fifth-placed Taumarunui Eels (away) to finish the regular season in the coming weeks.
King Country premier men’s club rugby standings: Taupo Marist 47, Taumarunui Districts 39, Taupo Sports 34, Waitete 31, Taumarunui Eels 29, Piopio 17, Waitomo 5.
Aaron Smith made a series of spectacular saves but could do nothing about Claudelands’ opener.
One to savour
“Did he save it again?” that became a commonly heard phrase both on and off the park when Ōtorohanga goalkeeper Aaron Smith produced a wonder show in Hamilton on Saturday. The hosts, league leaders Claudlands Wallies, won the Waikato first division soccer clash 3-2. And but for a series of extraordinary saves from Smith the margin would have been greater. Only home striker Micheal Cosgrave could find a way passed him – he bagged all three goals for the hosts Nathan Scott and substitute Noah Brownlie responded with excellent strikes in each half. Three Claudlands and one Cambridge team are running away with league leaving Ōtorohanga, Huntly, Northern United, Melville Unicol and Te Awamutu to battle it out for fifth. ōtorohanga hosts Cambridge on Saturday.
