Ex-All Black beats ‘0.4% odds’ and rolls back the years with clutch match-winning try after signing $1 contract
Ex-All Blacks fly-half Lima Sopoaga after scoring for Waikato in the NPC.
Lima Sopoaga made his return to the NPC on Friday and scored a match-winning try for Waikato in their season opener against Auckland.
When the former All Blacks playmaker entered proceedings early in the second half, Waikato were trailing the Aucklanders 27-12, but his introduction ultimately proved to be a game-changing one as he inspired a marvellous come-from-behind victory.
His side went even further behind when Payton Spencer, the son of All Blacks great Carlos, danced past the Waikato defence to extend the lead to 32-12.
Lima Sopoaga’s game-changing introduction
With 20 minutes left to play, trailing by 20 points, Opta’s Predictor gave Waikato a 0.4% chance of winning the match, but the tide began to turn when Oli Matthis scored at the back of a rolling maul for the northern islanders.
The lead was further cut when Sopoaga and fellow former All Black Aaron Cruden freed up space for Matthis down the touchline, which resulted in a try as Tepaea Cook-Savage ran a fantastic short line.
A penalty from the boot of Auckland’s Rico Simpson made it an 11-point game inside the final 10 minutes, but the Mooloos were quick to strike back. A brilliant no-look pass by Baillyn Sullivan sent Rui Farrant over the line in the line wide after a stunning attack.
Cruden’s missed conversion left Waikato needing a converted try to win it, and Sopoaga delivered in classic fashion with a try reminiscent of his time at the Highlanders.
A show and go saw him break through the Auckland defence before he linked up with Cook-Savage and stayed in support to receive the ball back and race over the line to score the match-winning try, with Cruden knocking over the conversion to seal the victory with seconds to spare.
Auckland had one last crack at the victory, and Simpson attempted to clinch it, but his drop goal was charged down with a knock-on soon after, bringing the match to an end.
It was a memorable return to the NPC for Sopoaga who has returned to New Zealand after a stint in Japan with Shimizu Blue Sharks.
Earlier this week, he revealed that he had a signed a $1 contract with the provincial team.
“I actually just caught Floss (Ross Filipo) in a pub one day after playing a bit of golf with my father-in-law, and he just asked me what I was up to. I said, ‘Ah, I’m not too sure. I’ll just go where the wind blows,’” he told D’Arcy Waldergrave on Newstalk ZB.
“He said, ‘Well, why don’t you come down to Waikato and give us a hand? We run pretty light, don’t have a deep squad and have got a few injuries.’
“He rang me a couple of days later, told me to come down to Waikato Stadium, and I signed a one-dollar contract and here we are.”
He added: “No, (it’s not about money), it is exactly a one-dollar contract, and then you just get paid by the week. So, if you get called in, you get paid some money, and if you don’t, I just do the school run, hang out with my wife and go coach a little bit of kids’ football. That’s about it.”