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An 89th minute attempt to replace Cortez Ratima has propelled Waikato to a thrilling 16-15 victory over Canterbury in Christchurch.
In a match that lasted as long as last week’s Bledisloe Cup thriller, the match winner came after Waikato settled within 22 of the hosts for the final 10 minutes of the match, earning repeated scrum penalties.
Pivot Rivez Reihana, who missed two relatively easy penalty goals early in the match, knocked down the crucial conversion to seal the thriller.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Waikato center Quinn Tupaea is tackled by forward Tom Christie of Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday.
The surprise victory put them above Tasman and placed them second in the Premier rankings after six rounds, one point behind Auckland (24 points).
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Fifth-ranked Canterbury, who outscored the visitors two attempts to one, has now lost three games by a single point this season.
Filled with young players, they will lament the fact that their scrum, usually an area of dominance, was tickled down the stretch and failed to close out the match.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Canterbury center Fergus Burke faces the Waikato line in Christchurch on Sunday.
They had a chance to do it with one minute remaining in regulation time, after the great Liam Messam of Waikato had what he thought was the winner of the match canceled due to a knock-on.
However, after Canterbury cleared the ball from their goal line, the visitors made their way to the 22nd on a breakdown penalty and the rest is history.
Messam, 36, turned the clock back in the game, making a big change after replacing the injured Mitch Jacobson after 20 minutes.
The match had all the makings for a typically high-scoring provincial match, however those who participated in Sunday afternoon’s match at a sun-drenched Orangetheory stadium were invited for a more defensive fight.
Canterbury loose forwards Tom Christie, Reed Prinsep and Whetukamokamo Douglas, and Waikato’s Adam Thomson, Messam and Luke Jacobson made big changes.
Former New Zealand U-20 captain Christie was particularly impressive in the breakup, landing a series of crucial steals.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Canterbury captain Reed Prinsep had a lot to talk about with referee Cam Stone on Sunday.
Attempts by the Reds and Blacks were also scored by forwards, as veteran Luke Romano and rookie mainstay Tamaiti Williams touched down on either side of the break.
Williams, a 20-year-old 1.93m monster, continues to impress in place of the injured Oli Jager, and it was his try in the 50th minute that gave his team a nine-point lead.
But more importantly, Reihana scored a penalty goal with 15 minutes remaining and put her side at an attacking distance.
He missed two first-half penalties from useful positions, including a shot in the third minute that shot poorly to the left of the posts.
It meant that the visitors only had six points to show for 40 minutes of rugby dominated by the outstanding defense of both teams.
Even when Waikato lost fullback Beaudein Waaka to the bin for 10 minutes, after a high shot off Canterbury wing Josh McKay, the visitors were not exposed.
Sure, the veteran Canterbury Romano padlock jumped out of a driving maul almost immediately after Cam Stone showed Waaka a yellow, but that was the group’s responsibility.
A Reihana penalty put Waikato up 6-5 after 20 minutes, before Canterbury’s first five-eighths Fergus Burke scored one of his own at the half-hour mark to complete the opening score.
Waikato 16 (Try Cortez Ratima; Rivez Reihana 3 feather, with) Canterbury 15 (Luke Romano, Child Williams tries; Fergus Burke pen, scam). HT: 6-8
MVP Points: Liam Messam 3, Tom Christie 2, Josh McKay 1
