In near-perfect conditions and to the delight of rugby fans unlucky in their quest for Warriors tickets, Waiheke Island Rugby Club played host to the Northern Region Representative Rugby U85kg finals on Saturday at Onetangi Sports Park.
North Harbour faced Waikato for third and fourth place in the curtain raiser.
Waikato crossed the chalk first with a try by number 10 Adam Ratcliffe 19 minutes into the first stanza. North Harbour answered back with a penalty, slotted by Gus Mowat a couple of minutes later while the southerners got their own penalty soon after. Harbour pinned on three more penalty points right on the break, making it 10 – 6 in favour of the Moo Loos.
In the second half, Waikato’s defence continued to be impenetrable, denying their opponents a try while their forwards fed Adam Ratcliffe the ball for another five points to which he added the extra two with less than 10 minutes to the final whistle. Final score was 17 – 6 for the Moo Loos. Harbour may have been left questioning their decision to kick to the corner instead of taking several penalty opportunities. • Sarah Gloyer
