Taihape restore balance with home win over Border rivals

– RugbyFinal-4 – Tiari Mumby slipped through for the match winning try.

By Jared Smith

A full rainbow shone brightly above the mud at Memorial Park, as home side Byford’s Readimix Taihape ended the phenomenal streak of their rivals Waverley Harvesting Border, 28-17 on Saturday.

Surrendering the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield after 10 straight defences, while having won 17 consecutive games since their last defeat in the second week of the 2020 season, Border looked out of sorts in unfavourable conditions during the first quarter, as Taihape’s outstanding fullback Tyler Rogers-Holden laid on two tries.

Centre Dane Whale, at his chirpy best, was about to have an immaculate day with the boot, while the forwards led by fired-up props Hadlee Hay-Horton and Hoani Woodhead, along with hard working No8 Ben Whale and lock Peter-Travis Hay-Horton, left their mark to power away to a big 21-3 head start.

Working without Assistant Referees, official Ben Lourie had a handful keeping the two steaming packs separated, as the intensity ramped up between these opponents who have played each other more than anyone else in the past few seasons.

Despite the argy-bargey and the mud wrestling, the game stayed 15 vs 15, and Border began to execute their game-plan on either side of halftime, winning a couple of tighthead scrums, while promising No 8 Semi Vodosese swept through tacklers for a great individual try and lock Jack Hodges dove across off the back of the maul from a perfectly executed lineout drive.

Flanker Angus Middleton fought with Taihape every step, literally, while the brains trust of Lindsay Horrocks and Craig Clare looked to keep parity in the territory kicking duel with the Whales – Dane and Luke – who have mastery of that style on home turf.

But from 21-17, Taihape lifted another gear, as they pulled the match into a close quarters war, while Border without an injured Hamish Mellow (calf strain) and Toby Lennox dressed to play but being kept under wraps, did not have quite the normal depth in their bench.

The tightheads stopped, and Taihape held up multiple ball carriers to force turnovers, while in the air at the lineout they started to steal opposition throws – reminiscent of the famous extra time win in the 2019 grand final.

Border’s fast outside backs could not get their usual traction in the mud, and with six minutes remaining, they could not stop the slippery eel himself in Tiari Mumby, as the small but elusive reserve winger left Vereniki Tikoisolomone grasping at air as he squirted through out wide for the match-winner.

After 15 tries in seven previous games, it was the first time Tikoisolomone has not dotted down this campaign, getting precious few opportunities thanks to the deep mud and even deeper Taihape resolve.

“It’s just good to get a win, sure, against anyone, but against the top dogs, we’ll take that,” said Taihape coach Tom Wells of their first victory over the South Taranaki club since 2019.

“I thought it was a great game, in the conditions. The mud’s always going to help us against their outside backs, they’re lightning quick.

“We’ll welcome the mud and hope it keeps coming, but we got to learn to win on the dry track, like they have to do on the wet track.

“Got the shield, which is bloody good, it’s not really as important to us [as the championship], but, yeah, let’s hold onto the bugger.”

With his team still leading the points table by a fairly comfortable points differential, Border coach Cole Baldwin was philosophical about finally lowering their colours.

“It’s a good reality check for us – we’re not as good as we think we are.

“Taihape played well and held onto the ball.

“Everything’s fixable, I’m not stressing about it too much, it’s come at a good time for us, to be fair.

“But I don’t want to take anything away from Taihape, they deserved that and good on them.”

Both sides took a little bit to get used to the muddy pill, as it was dropped and then kicked from the ground multiple times like a school kids soccer game.

But Taihape grasped their first real opportunity after a succession of ranging kicks and scrums for both sides – with Ben Whale and a returning flanker Tremaine Gilbert making carries towards Border’s line.

Heading wide, second-five Cyrus Paringatai collected the pass with one hand and fed Rogers-Holden, who pivoted back inside two cover tacklers and offloaded inside to Paringatai, who dived over back-first to score.

Working onto attack from another penalty, Taihape’s forwards attacked from the lineout, with Ben Whale being hit firmly but twisting to keep the momentum going to the tryline, and the recycle came to Peter Travis Hay-Horton to shoulder through and score.

It was a short celebration as both forward packs had to be pulled apart in the in-goal area, just one of a handful of times they all squared up.

Border winger Tom Symes just saved another try as his opposite Ryan Karatau hacked ahead a loose ball, leading to a sprint race back to the line, before Border began to get traction and chip kick had them on attack, leading to a high tackle penalty for fullback Nick Harding to slot.

But just two minutes later, Rogers-Holden was running back a Border clearing kick and his sublime stepping had defenders slipping without touching him, as he dashed into the 15m zone and pulled in the last of the cover to set up hooker Dylan Gallien having a free run in.

At 21-3 down after 22 minutes, Border were in trouble, but showed the resolve of champions by hounding Taihape in their 22m, as the scrapping continued, before forcing a tighthead scrum.

They worked up through the forwards, and Vodosese spied his channel and dashed through two dive tackles to score under the posts.

Coming out the stronger following the halftime break, Border began to find some holes, with centre Alekesio Vakarorogo just unable to link with Symes on a breakaway, while Clare began to take on the defensive line more himself.

Horrocks likewise looked to catch Taihape down the blindside, and the pressure led to a penalty lineout opportunity and the execution was solid for Hodges to go off the back and dive through for 21-17.

But Taihape had waited too long for their moment, being willing to get down and dirty as play stagnated due to turnovers, mistakes, scraps, and injury breaks.

Peter-Travis Hay-Horton produced a great round-the-corner offload off his tackler’s back to put Gallien through a hole out wide, and Dane Whale spread the ball to the opposite corner, where just like the 2020 grand final, Mumby got low and changed body direction to beat his man and dragged the last desperate cover tackler over the chalk.

Whale raised the flags from the sideline, and Taihape played spoilers to kill the clock for the last five minutes to earn a win they will savour.

Taihape 28 (C Paringatai, P Hay-Horton, D Gallien, T Mumby tries; D Whale 4 con) bt Border 17 (S Vodosese, J Hodges tries; N Harding pen, 2 con). HT: 21-10.