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A strong display in the second half saw the Māori All Blacks prove too good for Moana Pasifika in their only clash at Hamilton on Saturday night.
A year of rugby that began in January ended on the fifth night of the summer, with players working hard until the final whistle at FMG Stadium Waikato and the Maori notching a 28-21 victory.
The expected rain stopped until all 7,412 spectators were leaving their seats after a match in which two cultures combined to close out this rather unique 2020 season.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Liam Messam and the Māori All Blacks proved too good for Moana Pasifika in their clash at Hamilton on Saturday night.
In his first outing under the Moana Pasifika banner, the Pacific composite side was fine at first, but was outgunned in the 40th second, before Dwayne Polataivao scored late to give himself a little snort. That was until impressive Maori rookie Manaaki Selby-Rickit stole possession to ensure his team triumphed.
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The platform was laid by an epic pre-match cultural collision as both teams devoted a week of accumulated energy to their respective challenges.
Moana Pasifika launched it, with Captain Michael Alaalatoa and Nasi Manu prominent on his Tau Kaukauwa, which featured a unique integration of Samoan, Tonga and Fijian heritage; then the Maori were as strong as ever with Captain Ash Dixon and Sean Wainui leading the way with their Te Timatanga haka.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Nasi Manu excelled in Moana Pasifika’s cultural challenge, Tau Kaukauwa.
The first half, however, did not live up to the same excitement, with Moana Pasifika relying on Josh Ioane’s boot to give them a 9-7 lead at the break, belying the expectations of those who believed this would. happen. a festival-like gathering.
The kicking game on the Pacific side was erratic: it conceded a couple of cargo kills, but at other times found a nice space behind or succeeded in catching the air.
Running back Folau Fakatava was a beast on the ball at breakdown and across the paddock, continuing a standout season at Hawke’s Bay that should have him entering the minds of the All Blacks selectors.
While Moana Pasifika built in triples, the Maori seemed the most likely to score in five, having rightly ruled out two attempts in the first quarter.
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The Maori All Blacks raised the challenge with their Te Timatanga haka.
The first was from a double move by Liam Messam and the second was because Kaleb Trask’s boot grazed the touchline on its way to the line, after Shaun Stevenson produced a sensational run for the right touch, bursting through the claws of his cousin, Salesi. Rayasi.
However, Trask only had to wait until the 24th minute to take his revenge, when he caught the first attempt of the game, with impressive style, cutting 30 meters to Fakatava and Alaalatoa. He would go on to kick four of four off the tee on an impressive 13-point drive on his debut.
In a fairly even scrum battle, the Maori enjoyed tee time dominance, with Selby-Rickit impressive in terrorizing Leni Apisai’s throws.
The Maori were also menacing by turning wide, with Sean Wainui involved long before failing an HIA that saw Bay of Plenty center Mathew Skipwith-Garland play a rather unexpected hour on the band, with Jonah Lowe taking it. he was knocked off the bench with a minor Achilles. trouble.
Spinning with a two-point deficit, the Maori then rose to a 12-point lead within the first 10 minutes of the second verse.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Billy Proctor scored one of four tries for the Māori All Blacks at FMG Stadium Waikato.
From a short-range lineout it was almost inevitable that Captain Ash Dixon would score from a rolling maul, having made a habit all season with the Magpies. Then shortly after, it was a brilliant piece by Quinn Tupaea, with a beautiful grubber and pickup on the left touch and a beautiful discharge on the inside, that saw Billy Proctor extend the margin.
Although, just when it seemed like all the push was with the Maori, Moana Pasifika responded directly, with Fakatava putting Alamanda Motuga through Dixon’s clutches to bring him back to 21-14.
But any thoughts of a comeback were short lived, as Moana Pasifika ended up camping in a corner, thanks to the hard work of the Maori herd, including a scrum win against the feed.
After a few failed units on the line, they finally opted to spin the ball, and when they came back, short Mitchell Karpik cut in to dive in and effectively seal the score with 10 minutes to go.
Take a look
Maori all blacks 28 (Kaleb Trask, Ash Dixon, Billy Proctor, Mitchell Karpik tries; Trask 4 scam) Pacific Ocean 21 (Alamanda Motuga, Dwayne Polataivao tries; Josh John scam, 3 pens). HT: 7-9.
