Semi Final bound.

Five from five.  Five wins in the last five weeks, with each being a virtual sudden death match.  That is what it has taken for Whangamata to earn themselves a semi finals spot this Saturday.

This latest win, over table leaders Tairua was built on defence as much as anything else, with the Whangamata boys keeping their line intact for 75 minutes of the game, before conceding a late try to bring the score to 13-18, where it sat until the full time whistle.

Whangamata did well to contain the dangerous Tairua backline, which has been tearing up defences through the season.  The first spell after an early flurry of scoring seemed to consists of wave after wave of Tairua attack being repelled by Whangamata.  Tairua opened their account with an early penalty, but Whangamata struck back from the kick off.  Lock JJ Joslin to the fore, first competing for, and winning the kick off, and then a few phases later finishing off the movement with an unstoppable surge for the try, duly converted.  Tairua replied soon after with another penalty, and then Whangamata, in one of their rare forays into the Tairua half landed another three pointer again through the boot of Chris Eldar to take the halftime score to 10-6.

With the wind at their backs in the second half Whangamata dominated territory and possession, but unlike Tairua managed to convert that pressure into points.  Turning down a chance for a shot at goal early in the second spell the Whangamata forward pack took good clean lineout ball and in an unstoppable red and white surge drove hooker Ryan Tohaia over for the five points.  Two other shots at goal were missed over the next few minutes before another shot from point blank range was landed to take the score out to 18-6.

But the last ten minutes were a frantic affair with Tairua breaking out time and time again, only to be turned back before they finally managed a converted try to bring the scores in closer.  Whangamata held on over the last five minutes though, and with some great cover defence, held onto the final whistle, and booked their place in the playoffs.

Massive games across the park from all involved, the pack was well led by captain and number eight Mike Cunningham, and he was ably supported by his hard running bookends Kurt Jacobs and Bradley Laurenson.  The double digit boys were well marshalled by Adam Brien in the unfamiliar position of first five this week, and on the wing the smallest man on the field, Eli Byles was in try saving form with some great covering tackles.  Hard to single out players in a team effort where all 17 players who took the field played at the top, or near to, of their games.

This Saturday, semi final, 2:00pm kick-off at Waitakaruru against last seasons champions Hauraki North.  Organise yourself to support the boys now, check out either Softy's or the Palm' Tavern for transport car pooling, lets get a good crowd of red and white to the ground.  Long range forecast for Saturday is sunshine, so head over the hill and support then local team and enjoy grass roots rugby at its best.

Whangmata 18 (Joslin, Tohaia tries; Eldar conversion, 2 penalties).  Tairua 13 (try, conversion, 2 penalties).  HT 10-6.

the match in photos