Northland Club Rugby 2023
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Expected results today, with MN, Kamo and Sharks all consolidating thier positions at the top, HH falling to the Sharks, and while Wellsfords win today gets them in striking distance of the top 4, HH should be safe with Hikurangi next week.
I went along to watch OBM host Wellsford.
Both teams played some good rugby but with the heavy ground after yet more rain this week, there were plenty of handling errors.
Inside the final minute it was locked up at 27-27, but a Wellsford break saw them open up the defence and run in a try from half way to seal it.
Wellsford lead 22-7 at the break, with a good wind at thier back, which eased in the 2nd spell providing OBM little help.
For Wellsford, the 9-10 combo of Winiana and Te Haara look pretty sharp, and played drove thier team aound well, particularly in the 1st half.
Wing Dylan Lewis scored a couple of nice tries and looked lively on the wing, number 8 Brady Foster was excellent with ball in hand but made several crucial handling errors after bustign tackles or making a good run.
For OBM, MItchell Reader was again excellent in the mid-field, just a smart player who runs good lines and runs hard, he spotted a mis-match with Ross Wright in the mid-field and ran round him, fed it to Nathan Salmon who beat 3 or 4 players on his 50m run to the tryline.
Salmon was a huge threat with ball in hand, often beating at least the 1st defender, doesnt shy away from the defensive work either.
Jarod Byrnes was very good from 8 for OBM, works tirelessly on both sides, and has a great turn of pace.
Scrum battle was a mixed effort, with both sides taking thier time winning the battle.
A pretty good game despite both sides making a few too many handling errors.
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as you'd expect this late in the season, the stronger sides keep on winning and the results today followed the plan with Kamo rolling KK, MN beating the Sharks, and HH won by default to an injury ravaged Hikurangi to round out the top 4.
The MN v Sharks game will be repeated again next week in the semi, then Kamo hosting KK, whihc was the game i went to.
Kamo were able to call on Tamati Tua at 12 today, while KK had the services of Sam Nock, although he started at 15.
Recipe was simple for Kamo, win and finish top, and after 30 mins, Kamo were up 22-3...it would stay this way through the half time break, and by about 75 mins, it was 22 -20, but a high late shoulder by KK's workhorse lock, O'Neal Rongo saw him carded and moments later Kamo scored in the corner to seal the deal 27-20.
Was a great battle at 9 between Donald BOyd and Sam Parkes for KK, both strong physical 9s, probably a points win to Parkes, largely due to his work off the ball and finding himself in the right place on cover.
Tamati Tua didnt get alot of ball, but showed some nice soft skills with pop passes and also a couple of cracking long cut out passes, still has his tendancy on defence to go into the contact hard and bounces off.
Matt Elia was busy off the back on the scrum for Kamo, while Pisi Leilua directed things well from the back, while for the most part Hohaia played well as a running 10, think they needed someone to direct them better in the 2nd spell when they almost gave up their lead.
As above, Donald Boyd was again pretty good, and probably the most consistent of the 9s I have seen this season.
For KK, O'Neal Rongo has a huge workrate, reads the lineout plays well and managed to steal a few, while mid-fielder Tevita Naburo looks like someone I'd love to have playign for Northland. While he didnt get alot of chances, what he did, he did well, ran hard and straight, made some good strong tackles and also goes looking for work.
Sam Parkes went well at 9, has a great kickign game and is someone I think Northland have had thier eye on, interestingly, Sam Nock was very good at 15, a few positioning issues (stood too deep IMO) but showed a very good kicking game along with good pace and ability running it back, had one good run after taking the ball in his 22, beating the 1st defender and running downfield and passing it with about 30m to go to Parkes who ran in a try.
Next week Kamo v HH (reckon Kamo to take it)
MN v Sharks (MN to take it)
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@taniwharugby I would hope Parks and Boyd are on the Northland coaches radar if there are injuries in the 9 jerseys
I am really surprised Nabura is not in the mix when it comes to outside backs
Really appreciate your club reports -
@Steven-Harris
I thought I saw him named today in the Heartland East Coast team. -
@Pepe looks that way...as many know, I am no fan of Hohaia, although TBF he is playing the best I have seen him thus far for Kamo and I hear he might be called into northland for injury cover, I think Nabura would be a far better option as he plays mid field and wing.
What I have seen at Club, I like Mitchell Reader at 12 too (some googling would appear he made a blues schoolboy squad 9 years ago with Sam McNamara, so he would be about 25) as someone who plays smart and runs straight.
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King Country are short of mid fielders at the moment (to be fair we are short of most positions), so perhaps we should offer Hohaia a Heartland contract? We get a handy player at this level and you don't have to anguish over him. A win/win scenario if I ignore the fact he plays for Kamo...
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Semi Final time:
no teams yet for HH of the sharks
Kamo v Hora Hora
Kamo
Todd McDowell, Mason Hohaia, Iose Brown
Todd Scotland, Ben Monaghan
Puru Aboagye, Lyrik Joyce, Matt Elia
Donald Boyd, Nikau Graham
Blake Hohaia, Patrick Elia
Dylan Hook, Jayden Leaupepe, Pisi Leilua
Reserves
Zak Wickman, Vaughan Clyma, Kurt Benney, Jordan Antunovich, Kobe Walters, Waitangi Neho, Kalib MacDonaldLives coring
https://www.northlandrugby.co.nz/matchcentre/3864797Mid Northern v Sharks
Mid Northern
Chris Apoua, JT Pont-Bellamy, Remsy Lemisio
Luke Edwards, Allan Craig
Jordan Olsen, Zach Shanks, Robert Rush
RKelly Rush, Jade Stewart
Jordan Le Vavasour, Chad Boyed
Kiwi Duncan, Ratu Mara, Brady Rush
Reserves
Valance Yates, Ricki Heremaia, Jack Colbourne, Jacob Coleman, Daniel Potter, Kobie Scutt, Judah AndrewsLivescoring
https://www.northlandrugby.co.nz/matchcentre/3864798 -
Finally some sunshine out for some rugby today, and looking at the score in the other semi, the 2 best teams dominated and scored some tries.
Kamo beat HH 39-17 (up 17-10 at half time) while in the other game, MN accounted for the Sharks 44-8 (27-8 at half time)
I went along to the Kamo- HH game, and a good crowd were treated to a good game; HH opened the scoring first, with Kamo hitting back almost immediately and while things were tight at the break, Kamo were looking dangerous with ball in hand and both sides putting in some huge hits on defence.
But it was strikes in the 34th and 37th minute by Kamo that did the damage, one with a superb solo try from Blake Hohaia with a kick and chase to score by the posts, then a great run form deep by Pisi Leilua who put his wing in space only to get the ball back to allow him to go over in the corner.
It took another 15 mins or so for Kamo to strike again, but it was an excellent one from wing Dylan Hook before Blake Hohaia, in probably the best form I have ever seen him in, struck again for Kamo to all but put the game out of reach.
For Kamo, Blake Hohaia back at 12 had probably the best game I have seen from him at club rugby good decisions, good lines, running hard and strong defence, while Pisi Leilua was dangerous from the back, while up front Puru Aboyage, Iose Brown and Kobe Walters put had hard shoulders againt the hard running HH players that just kept coming.
For HH they put up a good fight for 50 mins with the scrum battle reasonably even for long parts, despite HH still with only 1/3 of thier preferred front row starting.
Tiaki Smith, once again showing he is a mongrel and a bit of a dick, lucky not to get a YC when a brawl erupted after Kauika-Peterson put in a high tackle, also lucky not to get a YC.
Tama Anderson was the pick of the backs for HH, showing some nice touches and scoring a cracker of an 80m try in the 1st half, while up front BKP was energetic as always, prop Tahi Subritzky was always willing to carry and make his tackles, but #7 Connor GUest was probably the pick of thier pack with his work.
Sets up a mouth watering final at Okara Park next week between Kamo and Mid Northern, who beat one another at home in the 2 matches they played.
Kamo probably punching up, and are playing as a team, while MN probably have the best players on paper, cant wait!!
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@taniwharugby spoke to a contact who was at the Mid Northern v Western Sharks game , Matt Matich did not play due to hamstring issue hope it’s not to serious .
The speed in which Mid Northern were able to recycle their ball was a massive difference between the 2 teams the number of players that are in the Northland HP S&C also stood out ,Sharks also lost 2 props within the first 40 so ended up going to golden oldy scrums ,
Some real lessons for many in the Sharks group , that Tuesday and Thursday trainings just don’t cut it anymore if you want to be competitive -
@Steven-Harris they also literally flew (by chopper from Dargaville to Hukerenui) in some of their Div 1 team to make sure they had a full bench.
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Kamo at full strength, dont think they have any injuries I can think of, nor quibble with the selection.
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Mid Northern also named what looks a full strength team, cant think of any starters out inured, although 2nd week running they have started one of thier props at hooker.
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Weather looks like it should be ok tomorrow, maybe the odd shower, but like many parts of the North Island, so much fucking rain recently, that said, Okara Park is always a pretty good surface, so am sure it'll be fine tomorrow.
These 2 sides met back in April at Mid Northern, with the home side running away with it, 41-12, although I understand there was a bit of off-field stuff at the time for Kamo and thier coach stepped away shortly after.
They met again at Kamo in June, with the home side taking the lollies 13-12, although MN had a chance at the death to take it, but missed an easy penalty.
So on the face of it, I think MN, defending champs should start as favorites, but I think if Kamo are in the fight at half time, she will go to the wire, but if MN have a lead, I fear they will run away with it the final as they did last year.
My prediction: MN by 6
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@taniwharugby looking forward to this game
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With perfect conditions in front of a big crowd, Mid Northern took away the trophy again, this was after thier reserves took out the reserve comp over the Sharks, and thier U18s beat Kaitaia to make the final next week against Kerikeri.
Things started well for Kamo, with some great ball movement and some small inroads in the opening minutes, but what would be the story of the day, the smothering MN defence forced an error.
MN capaitalised on the error and pounced early, earning a penalty in Kamo's 22, taking a lineout they rumbled over through Chris Apoua, and a successful conversion by Jade Stewart saw them up 7-0 inside 5 minutes.
2 further penalties from Jade Stewart saw them leading 13-0 before Kamo managed to strike back in the 20th minute after a lovely move upfield, giving wing Jayden Laupepe some room to run and show some silky skills to put a short grubber in that Nikau Graham regathered and scored, he was then unable to convert his own try.
The score remained 13-5 through to half time, but soon after the break Mid Northern forwards rumbled forward with Alan Craig the benefactor.
It would be another 20 minutes before a searching run by FB Brady Rush ended with a weighted kick through that was regathered by young wing Kiwi Duncan, who showed excellent pace to regather only to be bought down centimetres short before Jordan Olsen crashed over from the ruck, the try converted by Kobie Scutt to stretch thier lead to 26-5.
Kamo didnt give in and were eventually rewarded in the 75th minute through centre Pat Elia to give the score some respectability at 26-12, which would be the end score.
While the scoreline would indicate it was all MN, Kamo had more than enough ball to win the game, but they just struggled to find thier rhythm and the strong defence of the MN team kept knocking them back, with Kamo forcing passes or errors, often behind the gainline.
For MN, it would be hard to look past the loosies of Rob Rush and Zac Shanks, in particular the latter with a huge work rate on both sides of the ball, while Brady Rush looked dangerous running it back, along with Kiwi Duncan showing some nice touches and strength in contact.
As above, Kamo really struggled to get into the game, #8 Matt Elia tried hard, while locks Ben Monaghan and Todd Scotland were busy around the park.
Nikau Graham and Donald Boyd had some nice touches, but Dylan Hook the left wing was probably the pick of the Kamo backs, runs hard and makes good metres in the contact, but just wasnt give enough ball in space to do much more.
While the scrum battle was pretty even, MN took the lineout battle, but it was probably thier defence that forced Kamo into errors that really got them over the line for a well deserved win.
Mid Northern: 26 Chris Apoua, Alan Craig, Jordan Olsen tries, Jade Stewart 1 con, 2 pen, Kobie Scutt 1 con
Kamo: 12 Pat Elia, Nikau Graham tries, Nikau Graham 1 con
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U18 Final today (that I thought started at 2pm, not 12
)Kerikeri halted Mid Northerns club dominance by taking the match 39-32.
Looking at the score sheet, KK opened the scoring and were up 13-3 early, only for MN to get up 27-13 inside half hour.
Then KK hit straight back with 5 unanswered tries in a 20 min period of play that saw them out to thier final score, while MN scored in the final 10 but were unable to score again.
Kerikeri - 39
Tries: Rudolph Louw, Kai Aihara (3) James Alipate, Joshua-James Young
Te Aowera Para, 3 cons, 1 pen
Mid Northern - 32
Tries: Tyrese Tolley-Lopeti, Cody Doidge (2) Fiti Leau
Jacob Lowther, 3 cons, 2 pensteam sheets
