A last-gasp try on full-time sent the home crowd into raptures on Saturday (July 8), securing the Upper Clutha premier rugby team (the Rams) a spot in the Central Otago Premier Rugby Competition grand final.

With time up on the clock the sides were locked at 13-13 but the Rams held their nerve sending wave after wave of phase play at the Wakatipu line before young lock Jack Colbourne burrowed over to secure the victory.

Rams head coach Garry-John Hape described the win as “absolutely satisfying”.

“Twelve months ago we didn’t quite have the mental toughness to close that game out, but this year we were able to,” he said referring to his side's 2022 semi-final loss to Wakatipu.

“Wakatipu pushed us to the point of, if we deserve to be champions then we’ve got to stick at it for the full 80 and we were able to do that and get a satisfying try at the end.”

The Rams looked to have secured the win when big prop Ben Mckeich made a storming run into the Wakatipu 22, resulting in space for flying wing Adam Breen to sprint over in the 75th minute and extend the Rams lead to 13-6.

However, the Rams failed to secure the play restart, gifting Wakatipu an immediate strike back,  scoring a well-converted try to lock up the match.

The Rams dominated the first half of the match playing flawless rugby resulting in long periods on attack. They were rewarded with a penalty in the 5th minute followed by a brilliant diving try to left-wing Reuben Barnett to lead 8-0 after 18 minutes.

Despite conceding a penalty the Rams continued to attack and turned down three kickable penalties late in the half. They failed to score from any of the set-piece plays and led at the half-time break 8-3.

Rams’ fullback Henry Schikker’s kick return in the first half was superb and Wakatipu changed tactics in the second half, keeping the ball in hand and playing to their forward strength. 

The match was a bruising arm wrestle to the final minute.

Rams hooker and vice-captain Tamati Gurau-Reynolds was in the thick of everything, carrying strongly, and prominent in the defensive line. He was well supported by props Ben Mckeich and Blair Kennedy, who led a powerful Rams scrum.

In the backs, Schikker's kick return was a highlight while wing Adam Breen brought the crowd to its feet on occasions with his electrifying pace.

The win will see the Rams play Alexandra in Wānaka this Saturday (July 15) in the competition’s grand final. A much improved Alexandra accounted for Cromwell 25-21 in the other semi-final match.

The Rams won both encounters with Alexandra this season securing a 12-5 victory in Alexandra and a comfortable 40-7 win at home. However this is finals footy, and as they say, anything can happen.

The grand final will kick off at the Upper Clutha Rugby Club at 2.30pm.

Points:

Tries: Reuben Barnett, Adam Breen, Jack Colbourne

Conversions: Oliver Stirling

Penalties: Brady Kingan

PHOTO: Steve McArthur