4 days ago
Waka's huge confidence boost
Wakatipu's Anton Huisman on the way to the try-line to level the score with Alexandra in the 85th minute. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
The Wakatipu Premiers rugby coach thinks his team's huge come-from-behind away win against Alexandra last weekend could be season-defining.
Having lost to Maniototo and Upper Clutha, "the writing was on the wall", Jordan Manihera admits, when his team was 29-12 down after 51 minutes.
However, they then scored three tries, the last to Anton Huisman, to draw level before co-captain Rube Peina's conversion sealed a 31-29 victory in the 85th minute.
Cue the kind of celebration you'd expect if Waka had won the whole comp.
Manihera: "When you have those players putting in the big moments to seal the deal from all the hard work the team has put it, it's just a massive relief, which obviously shows the raw emotion the boys had at the end of the game."
He was delighted his players, 24-12 behind at halftime, "listened and adapted".
"The resilience they showed was the biggest tick for us for the day."
Wakatipu's Rube Peina is mobbed by overjoyed teammates after converting the try to win the game against Alexandra, 31-29.
Highlights for him included a crucial scrum penalty won by first-year prop Spencer Wilkins, Bradley Cross' stint as an impact player, when he's normally a run-on player, and Peina's pressure-cooker conversion after he'd muffed an end-of-game penalty in Waka's surprise semifinal loss to Alex last season.
Manihera says after their home loss to Upper Clutha, "one of our big learnings was, how do we actually adapt to having pressure as a privilege rather than making us go into our shells?"
He adds: "To be the only team Alexandra have lost to this year, twice now, does send a message to the other teams that we can rise to any team we play."
Meanwhile, he's delighted neighbour Arrowtown, who've only won once this season, came so close to top-of-the-table Upper Clutha last weekend, coming back from 17-0 at halftime to only lose 17-12.
"To be that close to the top team, who are a good team, fair credit to them."
The competition breaks this weekend for Topp Cup fixtures between Central Otago and South Otago in Alexandra this Saturday.
The Central Otago development squad includes Arrowtown's Adam Jackson and Wakatipu's Will Burdon and Thomas Hulsman.
Central's premiers squad includes Arrowtown's Ryan Egerton and Wakatipu's Tom Ria, Peina, Huisman, Conner Hamlin, Jamie Natapu and Phil Kingsbury.
