OBU Sevens to New Plymouth
Team
Will Mowbray, Dave Hunt, Jesse Johnson, Titapu Pairama, Jeremy Little, Sam Hall, Jason Holdt, Mitch Andrewes, Simon George, Thomas Fleming. Manager – Callum Armstrong, Coaches – Andy Clark (non travelling), Paddy Gough.
A great weekend was had at the inaugural visit to the Taranaki Dewar Shield 7’s Tournament on 20th February. With some late withdrawals due to injury and flat hunting it was a predominantly young team that shot up the Naki Friday night to bed down in the salubrious Tukapa Rugby Club, home away from home for the Family Holdt and that other ex-OBU 7s team stalwart Scott Waldrom. Night one was a bit spartan but it proved great accommodation once Mitch found the mattresses for night two!
Match day was clear skies and a hard track out at Rotohu Domain, where it was good to catch up with other ex-OBU players Luke Devilliers and Ale Feaunati – both holidaying for Old Boys – and Kori James a man with way too much time on his hands since turning professional.
Convincing wins over Ratana and Inglewood (sorry Trapper) had the boys in positive spirits. Sam Hall was showing good pace and distribution at stand-off and Simon Sanchez George was a revelation under the kick-offs in the forwards Young guns Titapu Pairama and Jesse Johnson were good enough to get the local newspaper reporter excited.
The wheels came off next game against eventual champions Coastal, who went through unbeaten thanks to a squad that included three Taranaki players (Gunzo’s brother doing us few favours) and Beau Barrett out of the NZ 7s squad. Having said that, we did pull off a couple of nifty tries including a scorcher from long range that saw Will Paekea Mowbray go around Brett Goodin.
Final game against a strong Howowhenua /Tonga laden Spotswood was a much more even affair with them. Both teams scored 4 tries and they snuck a win through kicks. This was probably the best game of the day with Mitch Midgy Andrewes showing he’s the quickest front rower in Wellington rugby with a couple blistering tries. Highlight though had to be Sanchez showing you can teach a young dog new tricks. After being run down in the corner by Whizz Lahmert (Horowhenua’s star of the Queenstown 7s), the Dirty Sanchez managed to beat him in the same position in the second half using a clever dummy chip and a deft in and away.
A bbq and quick courty at Hacienda Holdt, then a night out which shouldn’t be spoken of apart from to say there’s a hotel keeper somewhere still looking for a J Little.
Highlights:
Players of the day – Sam Hall and Sanchez George
Top try scorers – Jason Holdt and Midgy Andrewes
Quotable quotes
“Cyc, you look like a man who loves lollies” – Jesse Johnson saying goodbye to a promising senior career
“They’re stacking forwards on me, get me the ball and I back myself”- Paekea Mowbray minutes before getting run down with the overlap
“Of course I’m ready” - Goldie Little before subbing into the game in full playing kit…..plus sunglasses.