Tasman Tanning Club Wrap {22nd August 2020}
Border end the unbeaten run of Taihape road warriors
By Jared Smith
The longest away game winning streak in Tasman Tanning Premier ended in the one place it has never survived on Saturday, as Waverley Harvesting Border made it two season wins over Byford’s Readimix Taihape.
The ultimately comfortable 36-19 result at fortress Dallison Park – Border’s eighth consecutive home victory snapping Taihape’s run of 10 straight road wins – has also set up the likely points table picture for the coming weeks.
Baring surprises, leader Border will probably hang onto the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield for another season, while Taihape face the prospect of an away playoff with Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau, as the semifinal-locked teams play the Bottom 3 sides in their remaining two regular season matches.
As their longest travelling game until Settler’s Honey Ngamatapouri was introduced into Premier, Taihape have never won in Waverley, and just couldn’t eat into Border’s 10-point advantage from halftime, trailing 17-7 and then 29-19 before the home side had the final say with their sixth try.
With weapons across the park, including 11 players named in the extended 2020 Steelform Wanganui training squad, Border had a different set of try-scorers to last weekend’s other clutch win over Kaierau.
Lightning winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone (Pictured above) is back to full strength and scored a double, while brother Ranata also dotted down.
The other tries came from flanker Semi Vodosese, newly elevated to the Wanganui squad, along with backs Anaru Haerewa and Nick Harding, with Craig Clare taking over the kicking responsibilities from Harding this week.
For the visitors, dynamic hooker Dylan Gallien scored his fifth try in four games, while outside back Tiari Mumby scored in consecutive matches and fullback Tim Goodwin, the former Kaierau player, got his first try for his new club.
But Taihape leaving Waverley without a bonus point let Kaierau get the break on them in the race for second, after they turned their Country Club match with Ngamatapouri into a testimonial day for their veterans.
The oldest men on the field, No8 Lasa Ulukuta and second-five Ace Malo scored a hat trick and a double respectively in a free-flowing 60-12 win.
Ulukuta had the advantage of playing behind a dominant forward pack, being able to score from barge-over scrums, while prop Siona Fa’afetai also got a strong try by busting tacklers.
The backs had a big say as well with the ball spread to the wingers Karl Pascoe and Clive Stowers – the latter brushing off cover tacklers to both score himself and give a great flick pass for Malo to run away for one of his tries.
Flanker Woody Martin added his name to the sheet, while skipper Ethan Robinson scored for the second game in a row while popping over four conversions.
On the bottom of the table now but still only two points back from fourth, Ngamatapouri are like McCarthy Transport Ruapehu and Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist in that they need to stay in games hopelessly lost right until the end in the hope of securing a precious four-try bonus.
However, only two tries to regular scorer Timoci ‘Jim’ Seruwalu and Terau Wharihana meant they left empty-handed.
The big anticipated game in Tasman Tanning Senior was the undefeated Harvey Round Motors Ratana hosting leaders Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic at the Pa, with the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield on the line.
Ratana made an important statement, coming from 10-7 down at halftime to grind out a 21-16 win and truly stake their claim for a Top 2 final berth.
By virtue of bonus points, Celtic stayed top of the table, but will go thoughtfully into their bye week, waiting to see if third-placed Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau can make up a little ground.
Mathematically, Kaierau probably would have preferred Celtic to win and go well clear, while giving themselves a chance to possibly overtake Ratana, as they will head into crucial season games with Kelso Hunterville and the boys from the Pa in the next two weekends.
At Hunterville, the home team made a proper celebration for their skipper George Gardner’s 100th club game, beating Black Bull Liquor Pirates 48-15.
Up the road at Memorial Park, both the home sides picked up big victories as Bennett’s Taihape had a top-scoring 52-15 win over Marist Buffalo’s, while Utiku Old Boys disposed of Counties 43-7.
In what was initially a battle to avoid the wooden spoon, Speirs Food Marton defeated Border 26-15 to move right up to seventh place.
Results, August 22
Tasman Tanning Premier, Week 8
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 60 (Lasa Ulukuta 3, Asalemo Malo 2, Siona Fa’afetai, Ethan Robinson, Karl Pascoe, Clive Stowers, Woody Martin tries; Robinson 4 con, Logan Henry con)
bt Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri 12 (Timoci Seruwalu, Terau Wharihana tries; Brook Tomoana con)
HT: 38-0
Grand Hotel Challenge Shield –
Waverley Harvesting Border 36 (Vereniki Tikoisolomone 2, Ranata Tikoisolomone, Anaru Haerewa, Semi Vodosese, Nick Harding tries; Craig Clare 3 con)
bt Byford’s Readimix Taihape 19 ((Tiari Mumby, Tim Goodwin, Dylan Gallien tries, Dane Whale 2 con).)
HT: 17-7
McCarthy Transport Ruapehu 41 (Mac James Edmonds 2, Takarangi Metekingi, Andre McDonnell, Troy Brown, Tele Kaimu, Royce Trow tries; Kahl Elers-Green 3 con)
bt Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 24 (Brad Graham, Jack Yarrall, Pati Fa’asisina Leo tries; Ashton Coates pen, 3 con)
HT: 24-3
Senior Championship, Week 8
At Ratana Pa (Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield):
Harvey Round Motors Ratana bt Ali Arc Logistics – DNA Kennels Marist Celtic 21-16
HT: 10-7 Celtic.
At Hunterville:
Kelso Hunterville bt Black Bull Liquor Pirates 48-15
HT: 24-5.
At Marton Park:
Spiers Food Marton bt Border 26-15
HT: 10-0.
At Memorial Park:
Bennett’s Taihape bt Marist Buffalo’s 52-15
HT: 24-5.
At Memorial Park:
Utiku OB bt Counties 43-7
HT: 17-7.
Bye: Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau.
Premier Points
2020 Tasman Tanning PREMIER
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist
Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri
Senior Points Table
2020 Tasman Tanning Seniors
Ratana
Celtic
Kaierau
Utiku OB
Hunterville
Taihape
Marton
Counties
Buffalo’s
Border
Pirates
Other News from around the Parks
REPRESENTATIVE: The games for Steelform Wanganui have been announced, and include the possibility for one of them to be televised. Wanganui will play a preseason match with familiar opponent the Hawkes Bay Saracens, followed by first-class fixtures with Horowhenua-Kapiti, King Country, Wairarapa Bush, and Poverty Bay. The Poverty Bay game will be at McLean Park in Napier as a curtain-raiser to the Hawke’s Bay vs Manawatu Mitre 10 Cup match. A 37-man extended Wanganui squad has been invited to train at Cooks Gardens on September 2.
HURRICANES: The HYRC Regional Roadshow with the Hurricanes coaching staff is on Monday and Tuesday at Cooks Gardens. Club and secondary school coaches are invited to a 6.30pm seminar on the Monday, while all 1st XV, 2nd XV and Girls XV players will have a coaching clinic from 8.45am-4.30pm on Tuesday.
COLLEGIATE: Unbeaten Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV are locked into the Central North Island semifinals after a 26-3 away win over St John’s Hastings on Saturday. It just remains to be seen if Collegiate will be top or second qualifier out of the South Region pool, when they play rescheduled opponent Feilding High School this Saturday.
