Swampfoxes aren’t done yet
Rugby history is stacked against Thames Valley — but don’t dismiss another upset
The records books needed a good study and the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship is now guaranteed a first-time Meads Cup winner this coming Saturday after Thames Valley’s seismic upset over Steelform Wanganui in the semifinals.
Entering their first ever playoff in the top tier, Thames Valley had never previously beaten Wanganui under the Heartland rugby format, introduced in 2006.
You had to go back to 2001 for the last time the Swampfoxes upended the Butcher’s Boys — a 30-8 win in Te Aroha.
Stretch back well over another decade to find the last time Thames Valley beat Wanganui on their home turf, all the way back in 1988.
It was a sad way for Wanganui team manager Chris Back to end his association with the squad, which has been for 105 first class games since 2008.
Despite their obvious disappointment, the Wanganui players sincerely wished the underdogs well for their trip to Timaru this weekend, hoping they can pull the upset again against Wanganui’s rivals and fellow perennial contenders South Canterbury.
“If they go on like this, they’ve got all the chance in the world of making history for their union,” said Wanganui captain Roman Tutauha.
Having been so close but so far from winning the Meads Cup in the past three seasons — losing a home final and two home semifinals to Wanganui and Buller respectively — South Canterbury will feel this is finally their year after a comfortable 58-21 win over King Country on Saturday.
The home side have only lost in the North Island this year, 21-10 to Wanganui at Cooks Gardens and 27-24 to Wairarapa Bush in Masterton, while South Canterbury also beat Thames Valley 33-24 in their last round-robin match in Timaru
Against King Country, South Canterbury executed their attack perfectly to blow out to a big 38-7 lead by halftime.
Both dangerous winger Kalavini Leatigaga and big prop Garret Casey, their sole tryscorer at Cooks Gardens, picked up doubles.
Halfback Willie Wright turned in an excellent kicking performance, nailing 10 from 11 attempts, which coupled with his try made for a 28-point haul.
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King Country fullback Declan Barnett pounced on a rare mistake by the home side to score his team’s first half try, while hard-working flanker Kaleb Foote and mainstay centre Alex Thrupp got consolation fivepointers.
In the Lochore Cup semifinals, both the home teams were able to pick up the victory, and both were therefore able to reverse defeats by their opposition in the round-robin.
Having lost 24-0 on their artificial turf to North Otago just seven days before, Wairarapa Bush completed a remarkable turnaround to beat the same team 30-21 in the sudden death game in Masterton. Wanganui rugby supporters and members will have the opportunity to meet All Black legend Keven Mealamu MNZM at Cooks Gardens tomorrow evening when he is the guest speaker for “The Rugby Way — My Rugby Stories” forum.
The 132-test All Black is one of only 20 players to win two World Cups, and his talk will be about his experiences at all levels of competition and the values that
Taking a narrow 10-7 into halftime after conceding the opening try, the home side struck first after the break with first five Glen Walters landing his second penalty, but they then traded tries with North Otago, who took a 21-20 lead into the last 10 minutes.
With inspirational captain Ralph Darling in his 100th game and fellow prop Matt Duff in his 50th, North Otago would have thought they were nearly home after converted tries by winger Matt Vocea and loose forwards Junior Fakatoufifita and Jake Greenslade.
However, the home side did what Wanganui couldn’t and racked up another 10 points from their third drove his success.
Mealamu also won a Super Rugby title with the Blues, playing 164 games for the franchise plus another 11 for the Chiefs. Audience members will be able to ask questions as well as take pictures at the event. converted try and another penalty from Walters, who finished with a 15-point haul.
Second five Mike Lealeva’a had a day he’ll long remember with two tries, while halfback Daryl Pickering also crossed.
The Bush will now head back across to Levin after Horowhenua Kapiti got payback on Mid Canterbury with a 34-24 win at the Domain in the battle of 5 v 8.
Horowhenua Kapiti had lost to the Cantabrians 30-24 in the opening round for a home game they moved to Foxton, and this time in Levin they found themselves trailing 17-0 early on.
Lucky to be in the Lochore playoffs at all after West Coast were stripped of six competition points for an illegal player, in contentious circumstances after Horowhenua Kapiti led an eightunion appeal to the NZ Rugby appeals council, Mid Canterbury were determined to give lock Eric Duff and try scoring flanker Setariki Koroitamana the win for their 50th games.
Winger Brian Matoramusha grabbed a double for the visitors, with first five Nathan McCloy converting all of them and adding a first-half penalty.
However, Horowhenua Kapiti came firing back with two tries to narrow the score to 17-14 by halftime, but the sides then traded tries for Mid
If they go on like this, they’ve got all the chance in the world of making history for their
union. Wanganui captain Roman Tutauha rates underdog finalists, Thames Valley
Canterbury to maintain control at 24-21 after 53 minutes.
Yet from that point, Horowhenua Kapiti turned the screws, as their excellent goal kicking first five James So’oialo, pivotal to the team’s recent successes, added three successful penalties, plus converted the home side’s fourth try to finish in the clear.
No 8 Tyson Maki, second five Leon Ellison, winger Kalim Kelemete, and inspirational captain and lock Ryan Shelford all dotted down.
Horowhenua Kapiti will now look to emulate their 37-21 home win over Wairarapa Bush in round five, which would finally give them a Heartland title in their union’s 125th anniversary season, having previously come runnerup in the Lochore Cup in 2008 to Poverty Bay and runnerup in the Meads Cup last year to Wanganui.