Northland Club Rugby 2024
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A nice warm afternoon for some rugby!
So I headed along to watch Old Boys-Marist host MOerewa-United Kawakawa.
I mentioned last week that it was Troy Cullen and Trevor Attwoods 300th and 100th, that was actually today.
MUKK started strong, dominating all facets of the game, picking up penalty scores, before another attack broke down, the ball gathered by Nathan Salmon who quickly moved it to fullback Judah Andrews who galloped 60m to score an opportunist try.
MUKK hit back almost straight away to assert their hold on the game with 1st 5 Ryan Nankivell picking up a try to go with his 3 pens and conversion as MUKK took a 21-12 lead into the break.
Soon after the break, Hoani Reid who was all over his opposite scored a well worked try to stretch thier lead 26-12.
OBM kept in the game and despite numerous silly errors in the red zone started to take control as Trevor Attwood picked up a try to celebrate his ton and get OBM back in the game.
Inside the last 10, OBM picked up another try to draw level, and then Judah Andrews nailed a penalty 2 mins from time to take the cookies, in what was an upset in terms of table positions.
MUKK has a well drilled pack, lead from the front by veteran Justin Davies who wound back the clock as he carried strongly, lock Bodene Davis and 6 Reece Depoff were both excellent, huge motors and just keep going. Nankivell controlled this well at 10, while centre Hoani Reid had soem nice touches after a poor start.
For OBM, thier pack worked hard, with capatain mitchell reader playing at 7 into everything, ensuring MUKK had to work to get quick ball, Caird was also to the fore with his work on both sides. Halfback Austin Ryburn worked hard and did well despite the attention he was getting from the big MUKK pack.
Tevita Latu, in his first outing for OBM (new Northland signing I believe) looked pretty sharp when he finally got some ball at 11, and even better when they pushed him into 12. OBM fullback Judah Andrews was excellent running the ball back and put in some good last line tackles too.
All in all, and excellent game of rugby, MUKK play a fast agressive style of rugby, and have been involved in many of the best games I have watched in the past couple of seasons, they seem to bring the best out of thier opposition, but kudos to them for how they try to play the game!
Other results went as expected, although many tight results, table topping Mid Northern and Kamo both trailed for parts of thier games, while KK had fought back from a big deficit against HH only for Dan Hawkins to nail a pen to steal it.
MN & Kamo look set at the top, while that loss bought MUKK back a bit as OBM bought themselves into striking distance of the Sharks.
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A cold and dull afternoon for rugby, although no one told Old Boys Marist who hit the field running in thier clash with Kamo.
Inside 15 minutes OBM pretty much sealed the game against the hosts, Kamo as they pushed out to 24-0.
Some superb running, pin point kicks, passes, handling, OBM were sublime, Kamo simply had no answer, and then they finally looked to be getting back, OBM intercepted the pass and galloped 50m to score.
Kamo started to get some ball late in the half, and playing catch up rugby, that unfortunately meant they had to push passes and take risks that resulted in errors, but the half ended seeing them trailing 7-31.
Kamo started the 2nd half strongly, but again having to push passes and making some poor decisions meant they werent able to make the required in-roads into the defence, especially with them struggling to win a lineout.
Even the last 10 as Kamo pushed for a losing BP, they made some very poor errors that saw them fall short of getting anything from the game as they went down 19-31.
For OBM the opening 20 with Tevita Latu running and kicking superbly from 12, while wing Nathan Salmon showed his strength and pace as he opened up the Kamo defence, while Judah Andrews was again strong at the back. In the pack Sam Caird, Mitchell Reader and Trevor Attwood were excellent on both sides.
Werent too many standouts for Kamo with numerous players making errors, Mason Hohaia was excellent around the park, but his throwing at lineout time just wasnt good enough, props Iose Brown and Todd McDowell were good with ball in hand and made thier tackles.
In the backs, most had mixed bags, and a couple had games they will want to forget, but Blake Hohaia almost singlehandedly got Kamo back into the match with some incisive running and good direction, although late in the game, it looked like in complete frustration he took OBM FB Judah Andrews off the ball, starting a bit of a scuffle that saw about 10 or more players involved...if cameras were there, I think a couple of cards would have been shown, 1 to each side, but the game ended 15 v 15.
Looking at the table, that result is an upset, but when you cast your eye over the 2 teams, OBM look much stronger.
Other results as expected:
Ngati-Hine United Kawakawa 34 - Kerikeri 12
Waipu 3 - Wellsford 61
Hora Hora 21 - Western Sharks 35
Mid Northern 48 - Hikurangi 19The final playoff for 4th will likely hinge on 1 game next week, where the Sharks host MUKK which is 4 v 3, Sharks win, they make the top 4, while OBM face struggling Kerikeri.
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Final games of the round robin were played in warm winter conditions, with only 1 match having any bearing on the top 4.
That was where 4th placed Sharks hosted 3rd placed Moerewa United Kawakawa...simple equation for the Sharks, win and finish 4th, earn the chance to face Mid Northern.
The Sharks won comfortably in the end, 36-18 and extinguishing the hopes Olb Boys Marist fans had of sneaking into the top 4.
With only 1 match being played in town today, I went along to get my first look at struggling Waipu as they visited Kamo.
Kamo, no doubt keen to get back to their winning ways after last weekend loss, were up 19-0 within 15 minutes, and it clearly evident why Waipu were sitting at the foot of the table.
Kamo would take the match 65-0, which is rather sad when I think back in 2020 waipu won thier first ever title, and were losing finalists the following year, but have fallen a long way.
They have some quality players, unfortunately, not nearly enough of them.
Number 7 Saimoni Uluinakauvadra was very strong in the 1st half, carrying, cleaning and defending, but was all but non-existant in the 2nd half, while hooker Cody Aull was very good, I think he is in his 1st season out of school, very strong in contact, both with and without the ball while also threw very well to an undersized lineout.
Was hard to get much from Kamo, as too many players in opposition missed plenty of easy tackles, but normal half, Donald Boyd ran the ship at 10 today, and did a fine job too, flanker Lyric Joyce was full of running and a menace at the breakdown, Fullback Jayden Laupepe and again, Blake Hohaia were prominent igniting attacks from deep in thier own territory.
Other results:
Mid Northen 48 Wellsford 5
Hikurangi 32 Hora Hora 33
Kerikeri 12 Old Boys Marist 53Top 4 as the table shows, unless there is a convoluted way of splitting 3rd & 4th, as they won 1 each against each other, MUKK with the superior points diff.
Will all be academic though, I can't see anyone stopping Mid Northern picking up another title.
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Semi final day in a chilly and damp Whangarei where Kamo were hosting Morewa UNited Kawakawa and the other semi, Mid Northern hosted the Sharks.
I went to the Kamo game, and the home side flew out of the blocks and were up 22-0 inside 30 mins with some clinical rugby and they took every opportunity presented, while MUKK left thier kicking boots up North, kicking no less than 4 penalties either touch in goal of missed touch completely in that same period.
Blake Hohaia playing at 10 was assured, nailing his kicks for territory while also his and his packs probing runs ensured Kamo were always moving forward.
By the time the big MUKK pack got into the game, it was all but over, and as they looked to be puttign some heat on, winger Jacob Lowther, fresh off a 5 or 6 week injury lay off plucked a ball out about 10m, sprinted 80 before he was caught, but the damage was done with Kamo scoring several phases later and sealing the game.
This was a massive game for the less favoured Kamo pack, muscling up to the big MUKK pack, but for a penalty try off one scrum, this game was won up front early on by Kamo.
The 9-10 axis of Donald Boyd and Blake Hohaia were central to alot of Kamos play, while Fullback Jayden Laupepe was dangerous with ball in hand, while in the pack all the forwards put thier hand up to carry, clean and tackle whenever the MUKK players ran at them.
MUKK fall short again of the big dance, but they are a team with alot of ticker, built around the likes of Buster Tahere, Justin Davies & Warren Dunn, with some younger players like Illai Arona, Hoani Reid, Ryan Nankivell shining, hope they can keep at the top of the tree playing a physical expansive game!
With the final score of 32-17, Kamo are off to the big dance next week to face the Western Sharks, who handed Mid Northern thier 1st loss of the season today, taking the win 38-33 in what looked like a cracking match looking at the scoring timeline!
The Sharks caused a huge upset beating a Mid Northern side stacked with NPC players, who I have said all season would be tough to stop winning the championship.
Looking at the scoring timeline, the game was tight, with the Sharks striking early, but MN hit back and lead throughout until about 68 mins when the Sharks hit the front, but then took the lead back in the 76th, only for the Sharks to score again minutes from the end to earn a spot in the final.
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Club final played in fine but chilly conditions at Okara Park between Kamo & the Western Sharks.
Kamo managed to hang on to take the lollies 26-20, but not without a final minute scare with time pretty much up, Kamo continued to press into the Sharks 22 and coughed the ball up, Sharks winger Lucas Payne took it 60m downfield, but eventually Kamo got the ball and put it into touch.
The Sharks were first to draw blood after a poor option to pass by FB Jayden Laupepe went to ground and Sharks Hooker Jordan Hutchings galloped 30m to score.
Kamo bounced back, after turning down 2 easy shots at goal, eventually crashed over in the corner to even the score.
2 further penalties from Laupepe saw Kamo stretch thier lead, and then right on the stroke of halftime a missed kick to touch by the Sharks saw Kamo regather on the halfway, some nice passing and Mason Hohaia went in the corner to take a 16-5 lead.
An early intercept from Kamo's 7, Zae Mangu saw them stretch thier lead further, although the try was scored under the posts, the conversion was missed.
The Sharks hit back almost immediately from a cleverly worked lineout between lively halfback Jack Bradley and Hutchings, that ended with HUtchings showing good pace to go over for his 2nd.
With Kamo's lead narrowed to 21-10, the Sharks hit again through some great footwork and pace from winger Aseri Vatuinaruku to leave his opposite clutching air.
With the score at 21-15, with less than 20 to go and the Sharks bigger pack in the ascendancy, Kamo 9 Donald Boyd struck after some nice quick hands to push out to 26-15.
Inside the last 5 minutes, flanker Michael Frood struck again for the Sharks to move within a score at 20-26.
That would be the final score but the drama wasn't over, as above a poor option to run the ball with time seemingly up almost opened the door for the Sharks, although it appeared to me that that Sharks also knocked the ball in the movement, the ball was regathered and passed to Lucas Payne, and this kid is quick, but form where I was sitting, he didnt back himself as I thought he had the space to go the length of the field.
Instead he chipped ahead with Blake Hohaia closing, Kamo regathered the ball, and this time put the ball into touch.
As I said, was a scrappy game, both teams with 4 tries, zero conversions from either side, 2 of Kamo's were right in front, the Sharks will also rue thier poor kicking from hand, at least 2 missed touch on penalties, while other poor kicking gave possession and field position back to Kamo.
For Kamo, halfback Donald Boyd was one of thier best, good strength and pass getting himself out of trouble ona few times he took the wrong option, in the forwards, the smaller Kamo loosies worked hard. A few of thier backs were very much rocks and diamonds, including Blake Hohaia, Alec Tipene and Jayden Laupepe.
For the Sharks, hooker Jordan Hutchings was to the fore, as was Matt Matich, although moreso in the 2nd half, while halfback Brady showed good pace but was unable to connect with his team to capitalise on the breaks. Aseri Vatuinaruku rarely saw the ball, which is a shame, as he is an electric runner and the 2 or 3 occasions he did get it, he was the spark for something.
