Auckland inflict more pain on Waikato in Farah Palmer Cup semifinal

At FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton: Auckland Storm 29 (Maama Vaipulu 2, Angelica Vahai, Ruahei Demant tries; Ruahei Demant 3 con, pen) Waikato 22 (Carla Hohepa, Victoria Makea, Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland tries; Kiriana Nolan con, Ariana Bayler con, pen). HT: 22-15

Ruahei Demant quickly made good on a gobsmacking penalty goal miss to score the winning try as her Auckland Storm inflicted yet more pain on Waikato in their Farah Palmer Cup premiership semifinal win in Hamilton on Saturday.

With the score locked at 22-22 at FMG Stadium Waikato, the Black Ferns co-captain and reigning World Rugby Player of the Year had a gift 68th minute penalty, just 15 metres out, right in front of the sticks, to give her side a crucial lead going into the final stages.

Yet, somehow, the all-conquering first-five shanked her shot, to the amazement of everyone, in a miss which came from near the exact same spot on that field as the Chiefs Manawa’s miss in the Super Rugby Aupiki final in March.

It didn’t take long for Demant to spare her blushes though, the silky playmaker just five minutes later going from zero to hero in her side’s 29-22 triumph, after bursting onto a nice inside ball from Patricia Maliepo, dummying and swerving her way under the sticks.

Waikato still had time to force their way back, but in a hugely-reshuffled backline thanks to injuries, they weren’t able to give themselves any real shot, as their northern neighbours once again proved their undoing.

The two teams had met a fortnight back, with Auckland handing Waikato their first defeat of the season in a 25-15 result at Colin Maiden Park, while the Aucks had also won last year’s semi in Hamilton (26-21).

They repeated the dose here with a strong effort up front and some at times dazzling attacks to book themselves a spot in next weekend’s final, where they will face the winner of tomorrow’s second semifinal between defending champions and top seeds Canterbury, and newly-promoted fourth-ranked Hawke’s Bay.

The visitors were also never deterred after falling behind 12-0 after just 10 minutes. With a handy breeze at their backs, Waikato made a brilliant start, with second-five Carla Hohepa surging 30 metres down the right touch to open the scoring after just 95 seconds, then, on the back of a penalty from a huge scrum, Victoria Makea barged over, too.

If things seemed a little too good to be true for the red, yellow and blacks, though, they indeed were, with the home side swiftly brought back to earth.

That was firstly thanks to two barge-over tries in the space of seven minutes to Auckland lock Maama Vaipulu, before a 24th minute injury that forced Hohepa off the park and a 29th minute yellow card to prop Tanya Kalounivale, on the back of repeated team infringements, threw them into further strife.

The visitors didn’t take long to capitalise on their one-woman advantage, with a stunning try down the left flank from 17-year-old winger Angelica Vahai, and when Waikato made a bad error in front of their posts on the stroke of the halftime siren, Auckland were gifted a penalty which Demant slotted to give her team a 22-15 advantage at the break.

The hosts levelled things back up after flanker Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland’s 52nd minute maul try, and with all the ball and position, they looked set to barge over the chalk again, only for Sophie Fisher to come up with a huge ruck turnover on her own line.

And that proved to be Waikato’s last foray down that end of the park, with Auckland spending much of the second stanza down the other end, and, eventually, cashing in.