Review – North Otago vs East Coast
Last updated on August 31st, 2010
Ruatoria: North Otago rewrote parts of the Union’s 83 year old history with its 116-3 demolition of East Coast at Whakarua Park on Saturday. It bypassed the previous highest team score of 73-7 over Wanganui in 2002, the record margin of 67 over West Coast in 2001 and Luke Herden’s bag of five tries erased the names of the previous highest try-scorers who all scored four tries.
The late Mort Fountain scored four tries against Ashburton County in 1947, Pila Fifita did it on two occasions against Poverty Bay in 2001 and against South Canterbury in 2002 while Scott Mayhew scored four tries against Buller in 2007.
But co coach, Barry Matthews was not overly satisfied at the end of the game. “I’m not a fan for records only winning ones. I thought that although we scored eight tries in the first half, we probably missed scoring that many as well through players being too greedy. The players got a good windup at halftime and I think they tightened up in the second half. I know its particularly hard when the score is mounting as it was.”
“The East Coast forwards were especially tough to play up here. They’re big strong boys, but its hard to gauge where we’re at because we don’t know how good the East Coast are either. It was a good performance from North Otago but we can do better.”
We’ll be working on the draw and pass this week. Too many of our players were guilty of getting through the gap and then not drawing and passing. Our clean out at the tackle area was not direct enough and we could have counter rucked a lot more at times and our defence was far too slow in coming up. We’ve got heaps to work on and I told our fitness trainer, Adam Keen that he’s got the team for first 45 minutes on Tuesday night.”
Big number eight Tevita Fifita was outstanding with the ball in hand while lock Dave Simpson not only won good lineout ball but was mobile around the paddock while at halfback Kilifi Fangupo was sharp behind the pack clearing the ball superbly. At fullback Billy Guyton relished the run of play counterattacking with some superb vision and when he took over the goal kicking after Ben Patston was subbed off he proved to be a more than able back up kicking five from five, two from the sideline in the final quarter. The bench was cleared with 22 minutes remaining and little changed on the paddock an indication of the depth available to coaches Matthews and Shane Carter.
Standout forwards for East Coast were hooker Puri Hauti who was still testing the defence with powerful pick and go in the late stages. Lock Kerehama Blackman would grace any Heartland side but in the backs it was a case of a bridge too far.
Patston opened the scoring with a 38 metre penalty in the first minute. Herden went in for his first try but left footer Patston who was not kicking confidently early on in the game especially from the right hand side of the ground missed three kickable goals. A penalty, lineout, maul gave Simpson North Otago’s second try in the ninth minute before East Coast first five eighth Nathan Langsford kicked a long range penalty. Midway through the half a quick tap penalty saw Herden in for his second which Patston converted to make it 20-3. The second quarter saw further tries. Right winger Greg Zampach broke from inside North Otago’s 22 and with Simpson in the van Fangupo touched down. A Guyton counterattack sent left winger Sione Pangata in. Herden then scored his third and fourth tries in the space of three minutes before Fangupo went in for his second with Patston adding the extras to give North Otago a healthy 53-3 lead at halftime.
North Otago added nine more tries in the second half. Pangata got his second in the 46th minute. Prop Ralph Darling galloped in after a long Patston kick had found space inside the opposition 22. Herden then got his fifth and in the final 25 minutes Kasanova Soane(2), Josh Collier, Hamish McKenzie(2), and Fifita scored with all of second half tries being converted, four by Patston and five by Guyton.
In other Pool B matches Wairarapa-Bush beat Buller in Westport, 23-16 after leading 14-13 at halftime and Poverty Bay beat Mid Canterbury,25-20 in Ashburton after leading 12-10 at halftime.
In pool A games Thames Valley beat West Coast,36-18 after leading 14-7 at halftime, King Country downed Horowhenua-Kapiti,17-12 after trailing 0-12 at halftime while Wanganui beat South Canterbury at home 13-6 after leading 10-3 at halftime.
