Tasman Makos: News

Makos Break Hoodoo
12-Sep-2009

Wayne Martin Nelson Mail
It was well worth the wait.

It's been just over two years since the Tasman Makos last won an Air NZ Cup rugby match at Blenheim's Lansdowne Park. But they broke their drought in impressive fashion last night with a resounding 23-9 win over a lacklustre Waikato team that barely threatened Tasman's hold on the match.

Tasman's supporters had to cast their minds back to August 2007 to recall the last time they tasted success in Blenheim with victory over Hawke's Bay. And they arguably should have won by more last night after scoring the game's only two tries and restricting Waikato to just three first-half penalties, all from the boot of second five-eighth Callum Bruce. Tasman led just 10-9 at the break.

Tasman captain Andrew Goodman was involved in both tries, setting up his centre Afeleki Pelenise for the first in just the fourth minute after halfback Kahn Fotuali'i had broken cleanly down a packed blindside.

Goodman then helped put a seal on his team's win by scoring himself inside the opening minute of the second half. Receiving the ball at first receiver 60m out, Goodman scooted behind the ruck and left the blindside defence for dead, swerving past the Waikato cover for a sensational score.

It was a timely try by Goodman on another significant count it was his first in the Air NZ Cup. And despite the spectacular execution, he admitted it was strictly ad lib.

"I didn't know where I was going, for a start," he said. "I felt like I was going to get a bit lost, but a bit of space opened up. It was worth the wait."

Goodman played a starring role in the win, finishing with 15 points after operating at second five-eighth during the first half and at first five-eighth in the second. He was also quick to praise the efforts of his forwards, who were again outstanding in overcoming the attentions of a bigger and more experienced Waikato pack including All Blacks Liam Messam and Kevin O'Neill.

Goodman said that Tasman were thankfully able to put some first-half handling errors behind them and build steadily in the solid efforts of their pack.

"Those forwards in the second half were outstanding again, just controlling the pace of the game and doing the hard yards with Kahn directing them around. Once we cut those handling errors out, we managed to score a few more points."

Tasman's scrum was again dominant, allowing another solid platform, while the lineout overcame a skittery start, after conceding three early turnovers, to eventually produce a much more reliable supply of ball.

No8 Mark Bright again had the crowd on their feet with his typically robust ball-carrying efforts and hooker Quentin MacDonald again relished his new starting role with another impressive performance. Prop Tristan Moran continued to hit the ball up, while loose forwards Jonathan Poff and Glen Gregory and locks Alex Ainley and Joe Wheeler all played integral parts in Tasman's suffocating defensive effort.

Fotuali'i, one of the busiest halfbacks in this year's competition, was again influential, including a neat left-foot dropped goal, with Australian referee Andrew Lees playing advantage 10 minutes into the second half.

Tasman coach Bevan Cadwallader was delighted with the win and again impressed by the attitude of his players.

"When you play those big boys, a win's always fantastic," he said. "We haven't won in Blenheim for a while and I know the boys were really motivated to tip someone up.

"[Tasman] started well and I knew their head spaces were in the right way but then our patterns went a wee bit askew. But the great thing about these guys is, you talk to them at halftime and give them instructions and they follow it to the letter, really.

"It was just a good team effort and with everyone, the desire was there and it was nice to keep us on track, really."

Waikato didn't offer much, although first five-eighth Trent Renata helped his team to a slight first-half territorial advantage on the back of an accurate and metre-eating kicking game. Otherwise, Tasman's defence was constantly up to the mark as they consistently shut down pacey backline threats like winger Henry Speight, centre Save Tokula and fullback Sosene Anesi.

"We knew who their threats were and they didn't vary much from what we expected so once we got our heads round it, the boys defended really well. They've got some good-quality players so it's always nice to tip a franchise team up."

Cadwallader accepted that their style of play occasionally led to mistakes.

"Our inclination is always to attack so it's not like we were doing dour, boring things. We were trying to do positive things, so it's just a bit of attention to detail. We'll grow from this week."

Their task gets much tougher next Thursday, though, when they travel to Mt Maunganui to take on the previously pace-setting Bay of Plenty side stung by last night's 12-19 loss to Southland.

Tasman 23 (Afeleki Pelenise, Andrew Goodman tries, Goodman 2 pen, 2 con, Kahn Fotuali'i dropped goal)

Waikato 9 (Callum Bruce 3 pens) Ht 10-9.