Unfinished business

NGATI Porou East Coast rugby board took a huge gamble appointing Ngarimu Simpkins as coach and Rua Tipoki his assistant for the 2011 Heartland Championship.
The gamble paid off, with the Coast earning a place in the Meads Cup final and crowds returning to Ruatoria’s Whakarua Park.
A winless Sky Blues finished bottom of the table last year, including a Heartland record 116-3 loss to North Otago.
Under the guidance of Simpkins and Tipoki they upset huge odds to qualify for the Meads Cup for the first time then reach the final.
Simpkins and Tipoki had plenty of “big-time” experience as players but had never coached at this level.
A first-up 34-13 loss to Poverty Bay at Rugby Park in the annual Queen’s Birthday Weekend clash gave a hint of what was to come.
“That loss confirmed that the team were heading in the right direction,” Simpkins said.
“We hadn’t been long together as a squad but there was a chemistry at training and in our pre-match preparation . . . the type of chemistry you get with good teams. Me and Rua knew we were on the right track.
“It also told us we needed strengthening in some key playing positions.”
Ranked 100-1 outsiders to win the Meads Cup at the start of the season, the Coast caused a major upset when they opened with a 15-13 win over traditional heavyweights Mid Canterbury.
That was followed by a 20-15 win away to West Coast then a reality check 52-17 loss to defending champions North Otago.
“Even though we lost I had a feeling that if we met them again later in the season we could beat them,” said Simpkins.
Another loss, 34-8 to table-topping Buller in Westport, meant the next game, at home to Wairarapa Bush, was a must-win.
An SOS was sent to former Poverty Bay first five Clayton Kiwara, who had been starring in the North Harbour premier club competition.
Kiwara responded with a man-of-the-match performance in a 31-13 win which put the Coast on course for a four-match winning streak and earned them another crack at North Otago in the semifinals.
“I don’t think too many people gave us a hope in hell of winning but we knew we could,” said Simpkins.
A 23-17 victory put the underdogs into the final away to Wanganui.
Simpkins and Tipoki copped flak for being yellow-carded in the 30-10 loss to Wanganui. Simpkins was also castigated for squirting water and tossing a plastic chair towards a cameraman.
“That’s something I am not proud of. I’m the first to admit I’m rough around the edges and my passion for the game can get the better of me, but it’s definitely something I will be working on,” he said.
“Without downplaying what happened it’s important that a couple of incidents in the final don’t overshadow what the team — with support from the management and the union — achieved.
“We were lucky if we had 100 people for our first game against Mid Canterbury but every time we played at home after that we had more supporters.
“I was told the crowd (1500) for the Poverty Bay match at Tolaga Bay was the biggest we’ve had around here for a few years. For the final we had more support than Wanganui.”
Simpkins also proved astute when signing loan players. The first man he turned to when appointed coach was Tipoki, followed by Bay of Plenty fullback Sikeli Vorenasu — a strong contender for the Coast’s player of the year — then Kiwara.
“Rua has been inspirational,” said Simpkins, who also stood out at hooker and made the Heartland XV squad.
“I played against Sikeli in the Bay of Plenty competition before coming over here and knew how good he was. I was delighted when he agreed to join us. It was a pity he broke his arm but he is keen to come back next year.
“We also had senior players leading at various stages throughout the season and young players stepping up whenever they came into the side.
“I’m not going to single them out. They know who they are but they also know that the challenge is to step up again next season. The second year is often harder than the first for a new young player. The opposition have had a good look at them.”
Simpkins was grateful to the union for giving him the chance to coach a Heartland side.
“Now I want to further my coaching experience. I’m already in talks with the board about continuing next year. The job has only started. I will not be satisfied until we have won the Meads Cup.
“Rua is undecided about carrying on and I don’t want to put any pressure on him.
Hopefully after a good break over summer he might get the itch to put the boots back on. He has too much to offer to be retiring at this stage of his life.”