Shore show guts and grit to beat Takapuna

North Shore premiers showed other championship contenders they are the side to beat in 2023 with a 25-17 win over an almost full-strength Takapuna at Onewa Domain last Saturday.

Takapuna had Moana Pacific players Fini and Lotu Inisi quickly back into the side after the finish of their Super Rugby season. Lotu came off the bench, as did New Zealand sevens player Moses Leo and 2022 New Zealand Secondary Schools lock Trystan Cook. Top centre Jordan Hyland was in the starting line-up.

But the home side was undone by a star performance from Shore first five-eighth Oscar Koller, who scored a try, set up another after a scintillating break, kicked two conversions and two penalties, and dominated every time he touched the ball.

Takapuna opened the scoring with a runaway try by Taufui Lolohea.

Koller then helped turn the game with a raking kick for touch from a penalty, with Josh Third scoring off the ensuing maul and Koller converting.

A couple of minutes later, Koller broke the line, chipped and recovered for a smart try, which he also converted, before knocking over a penalty. Suddenly, Shore was up 17-5, mostly thanks to their classy first-five.

Takapuna scored another try, and Koller kicked another penalty for a 20-10 scoreline at half-time.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were an arm wrestle between the two packs, with plenty of tough defensive hits around the edges of rucks.

Fini Inisi showed his experience by drawing defenders to make space for teammates, setting up a try, which was converted to bring the score back to 20-17. It was anyone’s game, for a few minutes at least.

An explosive break by Koller, in which he beat at least five players, took play deep into Takapuna’s 22. He fired a pinpoint pass to flanker Donald Coleman, who scored wide out, putting Shore ahead 25-17, with 20 minutes to play.

Shore was forced to defend for virtually the rest of game, which it did valiantly, despite numerous charges by the Inisi brothers and a remodelled scrum that saw Coleman filling in at hooker for the last 10 minutes.

On occasions over the last decade, Shore might have let such a game slip away from them. But the whole side showed huge grit, especially in the face of the Takapuna supporters and management cheering the home side on.

Solid work from the tight forwards was a major contributor, particularly by props Alex Woonton and replacement Trent Luka, who both made several metre-sucking charges to set up a platform for the ever-reliable Koller to clear.

Takapuna will no doubt take a few weeks to integrate its stars. But Shore showed what a well-drilled and extremely fit team can achieve. Especially with its own star: Koller.

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