TLC King Country Rams 34 (Patrick Hedley, Liam Rowlands, Logan Patterson, Zach Wickham-Darlington tries; Hedley 2 pen, 4 con) Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi 31 (Will Bolingford, Tevita Nabura, Manahi Brooking, Billy Priestly, Joe Royal tries; Te Rangi Fraser 3 con) at Owen Delany Park, Taupo. HT: King Country 24 NPEC 7.
It was an incredible Saturday in Heartland rugby.
The penultimate weekend in the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship produced two one-point differences, a three-point match and only one blow-out.
In the Meads Cup top-four semifinals, Thames Valley outgunned 2023 finalists Whanganui 38-15 at Cook’s Gardens and will host the final this Saturday in Te Aroha.
Their opponents will be the fourth-seeded Mid-Canterbury Hammers, whose second five Tom Reekie kicked four penalty goals in a 17-16 stunning upset over three-times straight champions South Canterbury in Timaru.
Defending Lochore Cup champions West Coast survived a mighty charge from the home team to upset Horowhenua-Kapiti 52-51 in their fifth-to-eighth semi at Levin, while King Country beat Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi 34-31 in Taupo. The Rams will host West Coast at Te Kuiti in the final.
A penalty kick proved the difference as East Coast stormed back in the second half after King Country looked to have the game in the bag at 24-7 ahead at halftime at Owen Delaney Park.
“The boys fought back in the second half and I can’t fault them on an effort basis,” Coast head coach Kahu Tamatea said.
“We knew that it would come down to the wire. The truth is that a couple of missed opportunities came back to bite us.”
Coast captain and halfback Sam Parkes felt the Coast played well and was happy with the performance. They were simply beaten by the better team on the day, he said.
“That was a tough game and the Coast played very well,” Rams head coach Aarin Dunster said.
Saturday’s semi was played on a firm surface ideal for fast, open rugby in front of a crowd of more than 1000. King Country skipper and hooker Liam Rowlands won the toss and chose to play with a southwesterly breeze at their backs.
“The wind stayed strong and consistent throughout the game and we knew at the break that the Coast would come out and utilise it,” Rowlands said. “Poor discipline from us allowed them to kick the ball 60-65m to touch within 10m of our goal line, and they came away with points on multiple occasions.
“Sam’s boys are a good side. That game could have gone either way in the last 10 minutes.”
Rams fullback Patrick Hedley opened the scoring with a 40m penalty kick in the ninth minute.
The Coast took the lead in the 21st minute. From a lineout 17m into the Rams’ half, hooker Joe Royal found lock Kaydin Budd, and after a 10-phase sequence that swept right and left, openside flanker Will Bolingford got the ball down under the crossbar.
First five Te Rangi Fraser converted for 7-3.
Hedley was the game’s dominant figure – ending the day with a haul of 19 points, including their first try when he received the ball near the sideline, sliced back in and coasted to the line. His conversion made it 10-7.
Halfback Kristian Gent-Standen handled the ball twice in King Country’s second try – Rowlands grounding the ball near the posts after they kept possession over five phases.
Hedley’s conversion gave his side a 17-7 lead.
Two minutes before halftime the Coast were perhaps unlucky to concede a third try. The Rams pushed openside, the ball went loose and hooker Leveson Gower hooked the ball back to centre Logan Patterson, who pinnned his ears back and scored for 22-7.
There was the suggestion of a knock-on but Waikato referee Ben Woolerton indicated the ball had come off the head of King Country player and gone forward in the lead-up to the try.
Hedley converted to put his side 24-7 ahead at the break.
Five minutes after the resumption, Parkes’ reading of play proved crucial to the Coast’s second try. At a line-out 6m from the right corner, the Coast drove towards the line but King Country held firm until Parkes ran from the back of the maul and sent an inside pass to right winger Tevita Nabura running straight and he reached over to score.
The conversion attempt was unsuccessful. King Country led 24-12.
In the 52nd minute, the Kaupoi scored again. Budd won a lineout 6m from the right corner and after a couple of charges at the line, loosehead prop Manahi Brooking got across the paint.
Fraser’s conversion reduced the deficit to 24-19.
In the 58th minute, a crossfield bomb by Parkes took a fortuitous bounce for the Rams, with Hedley and winger Zach Wickham-Darlington combining at speed for Wickham-Darlington to finish the 80m move.
Hedley converted for 31-19.
The Coast, though, weren’t done. In the 77th minute, replacement prop Billy Priestley showed balletic grace to plunge over for the try for 31-24.
Near full-time, Hedley kicked what turned out to be the match-winning penalty – the ball almost coming to a standstill as it hovered over the crossbar before dropping over for 34-24.
The Coast had the last say in the 85th minute when Royal muscled his way across the line after 11 heroic phases.
Fraser converted as his team fell just three points short in the 37th match between the sides and by far King Country’s toughest win over that rivalry.