Late try as Tamatea upset Clive | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

Parents of students in Wayne Edwards class at Irongate School in Flaxmere shouldn't be alarmed if the teacher dominated the morning talk session today.

Edwards had a pretty good story to tell. He scored the match-winning try as Tamatea upset Clive 24-22 in Hawke's Bay's division three rugby final at Clive on Saturday.

With a minute remaining Edwards, 40, came off his left wing and scored the try within millimetres of the touch line on the right wing after some slick passing from first five-eighth Anaru Bartlett and centre Matou Tomoana.

"This is my first season with Tamatea who didn't have a team in this grade last year and what a way to celebrate it," said Edwards.

The former Clive and MAC player is a son of the late Dingle Edwards who played fullback for the Hawke's Bay Magpies as a 17-year-old and also played for MAC and Tamatea.

"Dad was a big inspiration to me," said Edwards.

As the score indicates the match was a thriller and one of those classic "two half" games. Clive dominated the first spell and established a 17-7 halftime lead and Tamatea ruled the second spell.

Clive, who for the second consecutive season were unbeaten until the final, played some attractive running rugby in the first spell and deserved their tries to former Magpies winger Ray Karauria, playing at fullback, and former Junior Kiwi rugby league rep Rayner Te Wake playing at first five-eighth. In the second spell Clive were guilty of kicking too much possession away.

Tamatea didn't run the ball enough in the first spell but when they did in the second the likes of Bartlett, Tomoana and second five-eighth Raumoa Timu sent alarm bells ringing through the Clive defensive systems.

Many Clive supporters thought their side had the final won when replacement winger Shane Rubay scored his try to give the hosts a 22-19 lead with five minutes remaining.

Tamatea captain and prop Charles Haronga had a huge workrate in the winning pack afterwards praised his troops for producing an "A1 final-type 80 minute effort."

Busy Clive captain and No8 Sam Christie complimented Tamatea's running rugby approach. Both teams indicated all of their players will be back again next year and with former New Zealand Maori representative Steve Gordon, who missed the final, returning again for Clive SportToday will be surprised if these same two teams aren't in the 2011 final.

A feature of the match was the classy performance from referee Jarrod Graham.