Premier teams get revenge for first round losses
Photo by Merrilyn George
By Jared Smith
And who said this comp was becoming predictable?
It’s certainly not spring, as a wet Saturday saw games around the catchment caked in mud, but Tasman Tanning Premier has sprung into life with all three games having the opposite winner from the first round.
As well as Byford’s Readimix Taihape restoring the balance in their rivalry with Waverley Harvesting Border to draw level at the top of the table, the ‘fight for fourth’ has only gotten more interesting as Settler’s Honey Ngamatapouri upset an injury-plagued Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 17-12 in the Waitotara Valley.
It was Kaierau’s second straight loss to a ‘bottom three’ team, while it was Ngamatapouri’s first win over the Kaiwaka’s since their 2017 debut season in Premier.
Kaierau scored all their points in the first half to lead 12-10, with tries by hooker Joe Edwards and halfback Cameron Davies.
But like they did at home against McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, Ngmatapouri were close enough to strike, as the only converted try of the second half carried the day.
Speedy league convert Emitai Logadraudrau dotted down, as did Te Rau Wirihana for his second try of the season, while adding a conversion and penalty.
The four-competition points are absolutely crucial for Ngamatapouri’s hopes of an inaugural Premier semifinal berth, because otherwise Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist would have been nigh-on uncatchable.
After their own upset of Kaierau last weekend, Marist secured their first back-to-back victories since 2019 by coming back to slip past Ruapehu 17-13 on an absolute mud heap at Spriggens Park.
Held on Ladies Day for Marist RFC, by the time the feature game got underway after preliminaries, the player’s jersey’s became so caked in mud that the opposing forwards jerseys were unidentifiable.
Ruapehu led 8-0 at halftime through an opening penalty by fullback Tuhirangi Akapita, and a try out wide by winger Ben Waiwai.
But despite the wet and the muck, Marist showed the character which has marked this last fortnight, as player of the day centre Jo Bogileka and winger Ioane Hough traded tries with Waiwai, who got his double.
At 13-12 to Ruapehu, it was Marist’s young first-five Rangi Kui who was once again the hero, breaking through to score under the posts for the match-winning try he converted.
Fighting to make their first semifinal since 2017, Marist dealt a hammer blow to Ruapehu’s desires to keep their 13 season-playoff streak alive, but it is game-on for all in these last two weeks.
Another big statement was made in Tasman Tanning Senior, as Kelso Hunterville went to the Pa and emerged with the first on-field victory over Harvey Round Motors Ratana in 20 games, hanging on 15-10.
In rainy conditions, Hunterville scored two tries to one reply in the corner from an attacking scrum, leading 12-5.
Another corner try to Ratana closed the gap to two points, but Hunterville added a penalty and hung on to go well clear on top of the table and guarantee a home semifinal with two regular season games left.
While that result was a slight surprise, the biggest boilover was back at Memorial Park as Speirs Food Marton produced a 29-19 boil-over against Utiku Old Boys to become the third owner of the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield in as many weeks.
Marton showed great ball-handling skills in muddy conditions to run in several tries for a comfortable 29-5 lead and although Utiku finished strongly, dominating the last 10 minutes, they had left it too late.
The loss also ended Utiku’s playoff hopes, while two other sides kept themselves in the chase for one more week, but will need other results to go their way.
Black Bull Liquor Pirates stopped a clean sweep of Ladies Day for the Marist club by beating the Buffalo’s 26-7 on the Racecourse ground, while Bennett’s Taihape started what would be a great day for the club by holding off Ruapehu 31-26 at Rochfort Park.
In an important game for both sides, Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennel Marist Celtic emulated their Premiers by winning the derby with Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau 19-5, leapfrogging them into third and having a break on the team’s chasing the Top 4.
McCrea Scanning Counties are now well clear of the wooden spoon after a 39-3 win over Border at McNab Domain.
Results, June 19
Tasman Tanning Premier, Week 8
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 17 (Jo Bogileka, Ioane Hough, Rangi Kui tries; Kui con)
bt McCarthy Transport Ruapehu 13 (Ben Waiwai 2 tries; Tuhirangi Akapita pen)
HT: 8-0 Ruapehu
Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri 17 (Terau Wirihana, Emitai Logadraudrau tries; Brook Tremayne con, Wirihana con, pen)
bt Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 12 (Joe Edwards, Cameron Davies tries; Davies con)
HT: 12-10 Kaierau
Grand Hotel Challenge Shield –
Byford’s Readimix Taihape 28 (Cyrus Paringatai, Peter-Travis Hay-Horton, Dylan Gallien, Tiari Mumby tries; Dane Whale 4 con)
bt Waverley Harvesting Border 17 (Semi Vodesese, Jack Hodges tries; Nick Harding pen, 2 con)
HT: 21-10
Senior Championship, Week 9
At Spriggens Park:
Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennel Marist Celtic
bt Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau 19-5
HT: 0-0
At Racecourse:
Black Bull Liquor Pirates
bt Marist Buffalo’s 26-7
HT: 19-7
At McNab Domain:
McCrea Scanning Counties
bt Border 39-3
HT: 22-3
At Ratana Pa:
Kelso Hunterville
bt Harvey Round Motors Ratana 15-10
HT: 12-5
At Memorial Park – Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield:
Speirs Food Marton
bt Utiku OB 29-19
HT: 15-0
At Rochfort Park:
Bennett’s Taihape
bt Ruapehu 31-26
HT: 12-7
Premier Points
| 2021 Tasman Tanning PREMIER | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border | ||||||||||
| Taihape | ||||||||||
| Kaierau | ||||||||||
| Marist | ||||||||||
| Ruapehu | ||||||||||
| Ngamatapouri |
Senior Points
| 2021 Tasman Tanning Seniors | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunterville | ||||||||||
| Ratana | ||||||||||
| Celtic | ||||||||||
| Kaierau | ||||||||||
| Pirates | ||||||||||
| Taihape | ||||||||||
| Ruapehu | ||||||||||
| Marton | ||||||||||
| Utiku OB | ||||||||||
| Counties | ||||||||||
| Buffalo’s | ||||||||||
| Border | ||||||||||
| *All Standings are provisional | ||||||||||
| * Ratana lose 5 Championship Pts for playing an in-eligible player, 5 pts are award to Ruapehu "B'" | ||||||||||
HAPPENINGS:
METRO: St Johns Whanganui Metro continue to deal out body-blows to the playoff hopes of MRU Colts teams after a 51-7 win over fifth-placed Massey RFC at the university grounds on Saturday. Metro keep their seven point lead on top of the table and could guarantee it stays theirs with a game to spare if they beat Old Boys Marist away this coming weekend.
COLLEGIATE: Whanganui Collegiate 1st XV sits third on the CNI table after another midweek sports exchange victory, beating Lindisfarne College 21-15 at the school grounds. Unbeaten St Peter’s Cambridge leads the table, followed by their 2020 co-champion St Paul’s Collegiate.
SCHOOLBOYS: The Whanganui High School and City College 1st XV’s occupy first and second on the MRU Premier 2 points ladder after victories on Saturday. WHS beat Feilding High 2nd XV 29-0 at home, while City College defeated Palmerston North Boys High 3rd XV 41-22 at Coronation Park.
SCHOOLGIRLS: Cullinane College 1st XV rebounded from their loss to beat Tai Wananga Tu Toa 46-15 at Ongley Park on Wednesday, moving into fourth on the Premier points table. Whanganui High 1st XV lost to third-place Feilding High Blue 50-17.
