Rams storm to the top
Andrew (Chainsaw) McCullough
Paparata Farms King Country Rams 55 – South Canterbury 22
By Andrew (Chainsaw) McCullough
The Paparata Farms King Country Rams produced one of their most impressive second-half performances in recent years to sweep aside South Canterbury 55–22 at Rugby Park, Te Kuiti, on Saturday.
The emphatic victory not only saw the Rams retain the Bill Osborne Taonga but also propelled them to the top of the Heartland Championship table at the halfway point of the round.
Facing a big and powerful South Canterbury side on a perfect day for rugby, the Rams found themselves in a tight battle in the opening 40 minutes. South Canterbury took a narrow 22–20 lead into halftime, leaving the match finely poised.
South Canterbury crossed three times through winger Lisiate Folau, No. 8 Siu Kakala and prop Vaka Taelega, with first five Taine Cordell-Hull converting all three.
The Rams hit back with an outstanding individual effort from debutant fullback Jacob McKinnon, while halfback Kristian Gent-Standen added another after some clever play out wide. First five Hone Mathieson converted both tries and added two penalties to keep King Country within striking distance.
Whatever coach Aarin Dunster said to his charges at halftime certainly had the desired effect.
The Rams came out firing in the second half, completely taking control of the match. A dominant scrum laid the foundation, while the King Country forwards lifted the tempo and repeatedly exposed a tiring South Canterbury defence.
The Rams scored 35 unanswered points after the break, running their sizeable opponents off their feet.
Prop Joe Walsh, also making his debut, crashed over for the first of the second-half tries before centre Logan Patterson finished off an excellent movement following a strong break by hooker Liam Rowland.
McKinnon then produced another moment of brilliance, breaking clear from inside his own half and racing approximately 70 metres to score his second try.
Gent-Standen followed with his second of the afternoon before replacement winger Baven Brown completed the rout with a try out wide.
Mathieson was flawless with the boot in the second half, converting all five tries to finish with 20 points contribution to the Rams' 55-point haul.
It was a comprehensive team performance, making it difficult to single out individual players. The two debutants, Walsh and McKinnon, both made an immediate impact, while Gent-Standen won an intriguing battle with fellow New Zealand Heartland representative Willie Wright at halfback.
By fulltime, the Rams had produced a performance that had the Te Kuiti crowd and clubrooms talking, with many describing it as one of the most dominant King Country displays they had witnessed for several years.
The result also underlines just how tight the Heartland Championship is, with only two points separating the top six teams.
The Rams now face a tricky away assignment against Wairarapa Bush in Masterton this Saturday, before returning home for matches in Taupō against East Coast and Taumarunui against Buller, with the Bill Osborne Taonga again at stake.
With King Country sitting proudly at the top of the table, the Rams will be hoping Saturday's second-half demolition is a sign of things to come as the championship race intensifies.