Sunshine and clear skies greeted the beginning of match day 5, perfect setting for a crucial match for the Men’s division between NZ Maori and Australia Country. Both teams were trying to keep their hopes alive for an OPC gold medal playoff.
Australia Country took an early lead, with a 4-1 lead at half-time.
In the second-half it seemed the New Zealand Maori were going to make a surprise upset, decreasing the points difference, 4-3. But a few lapses in defence by the New Zealanders saw the Aussies taking the match 7-4.
Jaitinda Singh, head coach of Australia Country with his assistant Steven Campbell had laid down a strategy coming into this crucial match against the New Zealand Maori Men.
Steven Campbell had stated yesterday “We’ve been looking through them (NZ Maori Men) throughout the week and we’ve tried to identify their strengths and their weaknesses and try to put in a strategy similar to the way we saw Fiji but we’ll try to counteract them that way.”
This strategy seemed to work with the Aussies being able to score 4 goals- a goal to Shaun Dawson and a hat-trick to Jyi Connolly.
However the NZ Maori showed that they shouldn’t be counted out yet as they were able to score a goal just before the break, a field goal by Tenga Rangitauira.
“We still had belief in ourselves, we can still do this,” was the message David Koosaf, the Maori’s coach gave at half time.
In the second half the New Zealand boys started to make what seemed like a miraculous comeback, pulling back 2 goals, one to Owen Mitai-Wells and the other by Jury Herewini, to decrease the deficit to one goal.
However a few moments of poor defence let the Australia Country to score 3 consecutive goals; Timothy Luscombe, Dean Robertson, and another to Jyi Connolly. Though the NZ Maori’s never gave up, it was a little too late with Chesney Parore goal in the 63rd minute serving as consolation.
“It was very disappointing. We were competing and playing well but we were letting in soft goals at the other end,” said Koosaf. He went on to state that 4-3 it looked like they were within reach to taking the match but their defence let them down again. Evidently it wasn’t the result they were aiming for at the beginning of the tournament.
Australia Country are now eyeing a grudge match with Fiji Men in the OPC gold medal final.
Last Modified on 26/12/2012 10:27