Heartland rugby kicks off for 2023
By Jared Smith
In an all too familiar scene, South Canterbury tops the Bunnings Heartland Championship table after Week 1 of the 2023 saw a mixture of thrillers and thrashings.
Trying to join Steelform Whanganui as the only unions to win the Meads Cup three times in a row, South Canterbury’s 48-14 win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Manchester Park in Waimate saw them take yet another record off Whanganui.
Their invincible 2022 campaign had South Canterbury shatter Whanganui’s 2008 records for most points and tries in a season, while the victory on Saturday lifted them to 22 consecutive victories in the Heartland Championship – surpassing Whanganui’s 2015-2017 run.
South Canterbury have not lost in Heartland since the final round robin game of 2019 – there was no Heartland Championship competition in 2020 due to Covid, but they still went unbeaten in non-competition games against Heartland teams at that time as well.
Early on at 7-7, it was looking like Horownenua-Kapiti had a chance, but then the hosts pulled away and in typical style dominated the second half.
Centre Zach McKay scored two of their eight tries.
The last union to defeat South Canterbury in competition was West Coast, and with the return of their previous coaching regime, the Coasters got their season off to a strong start with a 40-9 victory over the long-travelling King Country at Greymouth’s John Sturgeon Park.
Only leading 13-6 at halftime, the Coasters likewise had a strong second stanza, with winger Logan Ross having an excellent day with the boot, scoring 20 points.
It was a similar story at the Oval in Gisborne as Poverty Bay’s fullback Ricardo Patricio scored 20 points in his side’s big 52-33 victory over Buller.
Poverty Bay made an absolute rocket start, scoring six tries to be safely ahead 40-14 by halftime, and although the long-travelling visitors gave a stronger effort in the second half, earning a bonus point for tries scored, they could not make up the deficit any further.
Having had a dream 2023 season, winning the Lochore Cup and Bill Osborne Taonga, Ngāti Porou East Coast received a jolt of reality when Wairarapa Bush kept coming back at them to snatch a 32-31 victory on the artificial turf at Masterton’s Memorial Park.
East Coast had led 14-0 early and 21-14 at halftime, and then were up 31-24 with the clock ticking down.
But Wairarapa first-five Ben Brooking slotted his fifth straight successful kick to give his side half a chance, and then reserve winger Nathan Hunt scored the match-winning try off a brilliant tap-and-run from fullback Andre Taylor.
The upset leaves East Coast thoughtful heading into their first Taonga defence of the season at home against the beaten Lochore finalist Mid Canterbury, who stuttered first up with a 43-24 loss at the Ashburton Showgrounds to North Otago.
Most notable for Whanganui fans is that local product Vilimoni Koroi is lining up at first-five for North Otago this season, having been loaned out by the Otago union.
A NZ Sevens regular and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Koro played four games for the Highlanders in 2020 and has over 50 appearances for Otago, and is hoping a stint in Heartland competition can revitalise his career.
Results, Week 1
South Canterbury 48 (Zach McKay 2, Lieuli Simote, Paula Fifita, Siu Kakala, Finlay Joyce, Sireli Buliruarua, Vaka Taelega tries; Sam Briggs 4 con) bt Horowhenua-Kapiti 14 (Aaron Lahmet, Leighton Ralph tries; Jack Tatu Robertsson 2 con). HT: 24-7.
West Coast 40 (Troy Tauwhare, Cleve Barrell, Tyler Kearns, Josh Manning tries; Logan Ross 4 pen, 4 con) bt King Country 9 (3 pen). HT: 13-6.
Wairarapa Bush 32 (Nikora Ewe, Sam Walters-Sexton, Terongo Tekii, Nathan Hunt tries; Ben Brooking 2 pen, 3 con) bt East Coast 31 (Terangi Fraser, Apirana Pewhairangi, Pamona Samupo, Joe Royal tries; Renata Roberts-Te Nana pen, 4 con). HT: 21-14 East Coast.
Thames Valley 36 (Fletcher Morgan 2, Leroy Neels, Sam McCahon, Harry Lafituanai tries; Morgan pen, 4 con) bt Whanganui 33 (Alekesio Vakarorogo, Timoci Seruwalu, Samu Kubunavanau, Doug Horrocks, Alesana Tofa tries; Sheldon Pakinga 2 con, Dane Whale 2 con). HT: 14-12 Whanganui.
North Otago bt Mid Canterbury 43-24. HT: 24-10.
Poverty Bay bt Buller 52-33. HT: 40-14.
Points Table
WOMEN’S NPC: The Manawatu Cyclones with their Whanganui contingent sit on top of the Farah Palmer Cup Championship table with four straight wins after the 46-14 defeat of Tasman in Palmerston North on Saturday. Sosoli Talawadua started at hooker and played her blazer game (20) for the province, with expat Hollyrae Mete at centre, while on the bench was Mia Maraku and Brianna Wallace for her debut game. The Taranaki Whio with Hayley Gabriel at flanker lost 67-0 to Auckland.
MEN’S NPC: Taranaki with their expat Whanganui players Stephen Perofeta and Adam Lennox sit on top of the Bunnings NPC standings, having played and won three games including the first midweek fixture of the 2023 competition. Hawke’s Bay with Harry Godfrey are unbeaten from two games, while Manawatu with Brett Cameron and Te Rangatira Waitokia, and Otago with Jona Nareki have yet to get a victory.
WRFU WOMEN: The Chesters Plumbing & Bathroom Whanganui Women’s squad kicks off their inaugural Heartland campaign at Cooks Gardens on Saturday against King Country. The Whanganui U18 Girls are also scheduled to play Taranaki.
