For the Warriors, this stopped a run of three defeats and gives some much needed impetus ahead of the last three games of the season. Five eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita came up with some key plays on both sides of the ball, while the forwards worked themselves to a standstill and halfback Tanah Boyd acquitted himself well after the difficult events of last week.
After a stirring pre-match ceremony, the first half was a strange affair. The Dragon dominated much of it – with two well taken tries – but also lost their trio for HIA assessments. The Warriors struggled for momentum and didn’t have a touch inside the opposition 20 metre zone until the 26th minute.
The opening Dragons score summed up the recent issues. After working hard to defend their line – including a tough try saving tackle from Harris-Tavita on the left edge, they gave up a simple try on the other edge, with Mat Feagai getting through Pompey. Feagai had gone close earlier – with a long range break but was cleverly held up by Taine Tuaupiki, before he fumbled the ball.
Calamity followed for the visitors in the 15th minute, as they lost both Hamish Stewart and Jack de Belin after a brutal head clash.The Warriors tried to get things going – but couldn’t get any territory before Feagai crossed for his second, again getting through Pompey. It was unfortunate, coming from a dubious penalty, which looked more like a dominant tackle and gave the Dragons the initiative. The Warriors had been hamstrung by mistakes, penalties and set restarts.
A big tackle by Harris-Tavita – which lifted the crowd and his team – helped to turn things around. They finally got down the right end, with Jackson Ford going close before the Warriors were eventually rewarded with an impressive team try. Leka Halasima shrugged off several defenders – like a sumo master wrestling kids – before finding Roger Tuivasa-Sheck who did well to stay in, then feed Harris-Tavita. Demetric Vaumauga was then held up by the posts, as the home side finished the half strongly.
But in the second half the Warriors continued to be their own worst enemies, whether it was Leka Halasima losing the ball on the first tackle after an attacking penalty, Jackson Ford messing up in the ruck after the Warriors finally got some clear air, Fisher-Harris dropping it cold 10 metres from the Dragons line, or Ford – who was obviously fatigued – repeating the dose.
They added up to a whole lot of pressure, which they did well to defuse, before they could build some momentum of their own, which culminated with Pompey’s first try, after smart work from Tuaupiki, following a Boyd break earlier in the set. That set up the grandstand finish. Dragons skipper Clint Gutherson was at his abrasive best for most of the match and got away with a couple of late looking hits on Boyd, as the stakes increased.
But the Warriors managed to build again, before a clever blindside option caught the Dragons napping, with Tuaupiki setting up Pompey to bust through. Then followed seven minutes of nail shredding tension, before the Warriors team song could finally be heard again at Go Media Stadium.
Warriors 14 (Chanel Harris-Tavita, Adam Pompey 2 tries; Tanah Boyd goal)
Dragons 10 (Mat Feagai 2 tries; Kyle Flanagan goal)
Halftime 4-10
