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MAFIA TEES
Just $20 a shirt, a steal!
Not often you steal from the Mafia and live to tell the tale...
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Consolation for Tipuna after Bay heartbreak |
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Written by Jamie Troughton
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Monday, 11 January 2010 |
A devastated Bay of Plenty sevens team came within seconds of breaking a 35-year drought at the national championships in Queenstown yesterday, only to lose the final to Waikato.
The blow was partially softened when inspirational playmaker Ruki Tipuna was named in the New Zealand training squad preparing for the Wellington IRB tournament which assembles in Mount Maunganui next week.
Waikato captain Tim Mikkleson scored a long range individual try with time up in yesterday's final to snatch a 21-14 win, collecting their first national sevens title since 1998.
It continued a much longer drought for Bay of Plenty, however, without a title since Marlborough collected the first in 1975, though coach Peter Woods was seeking solace in a terrific season.
"I pulled them all together after the final and told them I was bloody proud - we won 16 games in a row over three tournaments and only lost the 17th after the final hooter,'' Woods said.
"The heat was definitely on us when we got down here after winning the Red Bull tournament and the Bay of Plenty title - they were saying no-one has ever won all three in one season and we were determined to be the first.''
Waikato, who fought back from an earlier 14-0 deficit, were pinned inside their own goal area when the final hooter sounded.
Just when it seemed as if the match would go to extra time, Waikato refused to let the ball die before Mikkleson stepped a marker 10m out from his own line then outsprinted Zar Lawrence in a desperate run to the tryline 90m away.
Bay of Plenty dominated the first spell and led 14-0 after tries to Adam McGarvey and Mathew Hodson.
Waikato stayed in the match thanks to a fine individual try from his own side of halfway by Frank Halai just short of halftime before Glen Robinson crossed after the break to level the scores.
North Harbour won the Plate final 38-19 over Hawke's Bay while the Bowl final produced a boilover result when Horowhenua-Kapiti shocked Auckland 21-15.
National coach Gordon Tietjens named a training squad of 16, which included newcomers Tipuna, Counties-Manukau's Fritz Lee, Taranaki's Beauden Barrett and Leka Tupuola from Wellington, with Hodson unlucky to miss out.
The national contracted squad will be named later this month.
NZ training squad:
Toby Arnold (BOP), Kurt Baker (Man), Beauden Barrett (Taranaki), Tomasi Cama (Man), DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau), Paul Grant (Otago), Tim Mikkelson (Wai), Zar Lawrence (BOP), Fritz Lee (Counties Manukau), Lote Raikabula (Man), Ben Souness (Taranaki), Sherwin Stowers (Counties Manukau), Ruki Tipuna (Bay of Plenty), Nafi Tiutavake (N Harbour), Save Tokula (Wai), Leka Tupuola (Well).
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Steamers 2010 |
| : ITM Cup |
| Position: 8 |
| 31 July: Waikato, L 10-13 |
| 6 Aug: Hawke's Bay, W 30-11 |
| 14 Aug: Auckland L 6-11 |
| 20 Aug: Taranaki, L 15-24 |
| 29 Aug: Harbour, W 39-29 |
| 3 Sep: Canterbury, Away |
| 9 Sep: Manawatu, Baypark |
| 19 Sep: Counties, Baypark |
| 24 Sep: Otago, Rotorua |
| 30 Sep: Wellington, Away |
| 10 Oct: Tasman, Away |
| 16 Oct: Southland, Baypark |
| 21 Oct: Northland, Away |
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