Tasman Makos: News

Makos B team overcomes errors to keep Northland winless
12-Oct-2008

By Wayne Martin - The Nelson Mail

The Tasman Makos B rugby team kept its finger off the self-destruct button just long enough to secure a frantic 27-15 season-ending win over Northland B at Trafalgar Park on Saturday.

Tasman made hard work of its final national B championship rugby match of the season before ultimately securing the bonus-point victory it had clearly targeted.

Northland ended its season without a win, although Tasman's benevolence occasionally gave it cause to contemplate an unlikely victory.

Tasman produced all its scoring in the second half. Northland could only muster a meagre 8-0 halftime lead after first use of a strong southwesterly. Tasman almost kept its line intact throughout the first half until a missed tackle put Northland second five-eighth Warren Dunn through right on the break.

The strength of the wind suggested that eight points was never going to be enough of a lead, and when flanker Tevita Koloamatangi and winger Riki Tukaki crossed in quick succession early in the second half, Tasman looked set to take control.

It never happened, as poor passing, mishandling and ineffective first-up tackles combined to keep Northland in the game.

With Tasman ahead 12-8, a clean break by Northland first five-eighth Cass Walding, from a turnover inside Tasman's quarter, eventually had substitute winger Isa Nawaqa under the crossbar about 70m away -- and at 15-12 ahead, Northland was suddenly in sight of an upset win.

A 45m penalty by substitute first five-eighth James Foote brought the scores level, before Tasman finally got it right inside the final 10 minutes with two tries to substitute winger Tema Faifua.

For all its lapses, Tasman always appeared to have the capacity to finish well clear of a gritty but limited Northland challenge, although it wasn't until the situation became desperate late in the piece that Tasman finally displayed the resolve to clinch its third win of the season.

Front-rowers Hamish Cochrane, Manu Leiataua and Craig Moore were key performers in one area of Tasman's play that remained constant, with a strong scrum frequently putting Northland under pressure.

Despite some scratchy Tasman defence, two key tackles proved crucial late in the game. The first came when substitute fullback James Marshall killed a counterattack inside Northland's quarter shortly before Faifua's first try, and the second when Foote levelled Walding just as he threatened to cut loose again with only minutes remaining.

Marshall displayed keen attacking instincts, showing his pace in the lead-up to Tukaki's try and a deft chip kick prior to Faifua's last, with forwards Kahu Marfell and Karl Leary also prominent in Tukaki's try.

Tasman Makos B 27 (Tema Faifua 2, Tevita Koloamatangi, Riki Tukaki tries, James Foote pen, Shaun Begg con, Kahu Marfell con) Northland B 15 (Warren Dunn, Isa Nawaqa tries, Luke Muggeridge pen, Brooke Gilmour con) Ht 0-8