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RUGBY
Take the positives from it.
The Manawatu under-16s beat Poverty Bay 74-19 at the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council tournament at Masterton yesterday and today is the “rest day” — a chance to recover, heal and take stock before tomorrow’s crossover games.
Poverty Bay hooker Reef Roberts scored a first-half double — both tries being converted by first-five Anaru Paenga-Morgan — with a second-half try to No.8 Kitini Taihuka.
A five-try haul for Manawatu captain and player of the day, openside flanker Elyjah Crosswell, and a hat-trick to loosehead prop Nasser Tato were at the core of the 12-tries-to-three result.
“It was a quick game in sunny conditions,” said Manawatu head coach Potene Paewai, who was as impressed by the line-breaking ability of centre Whetu King-Taufa and passing of halfback Jordan Christie in the Poverty Bay team, as he was pleased with the lineout work of lock Tom Hansen in the Manawatu side.
“Poverty Bay hung in there,” Paewai said.
“Their captain (openside flanker Amos Roddick) showed discipline and real determination.”
Manawatu left wing Kalis Mason opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and first five-eighth Jonty Stewart converted.
Poverty Bay’s Roberts scored twice, in the 10th and 14th minutes, and Paenga-Morgan’s boot had the Bay 14-7 up.
Tato scored, and Stewart’s conversion made it 14-all. Tato scored again, then Crosswell scored, Stewart converting his captain’s try.
Stewart converted tries to centre Lafo Takiari-Ah Ching and Tato to give Manawatu a 40-14 lead at the break.
Manawatu right wing Tavita Henare-Schuster scored the first try of the second half in the 37th minute, and Crosswell went in again.
In the 49th minute, Taihuka scored for Poverty Bay to close it to 50-19.
Henare-Schuster scored, and Crosswell then scored three in a row, fullback Terrence Graham converting the first two of them to make it 74-19.
Poverty Bay captain Roddick felt his side were at their best in the middle of the park: “We started strongly with the ball in the forwards, the likes of Kitini and (Poverty Bay player of the day) Whetu tackling hard.”
Gutsy from top to bottomGutsy from top to bottom, right the way through — that’s how the East Coast u16s have comported themselves throughout the Hurricanes Youth Rugby Council tournament to date.
Yesterday the Hawke’s Bay development team beat the Coast 60-6, having led 35-0 at halftime.
“It was a fast game and we played to our strengths out wide,” saidHawke’s Bay head coach Vaine Maui, who was impressed by the hard carries of East Coast No.8 Porourangi Nepia-Poutu and the kicking game of Coast captain and first-five Reweti Fisher, who potted the Sky Blues’ two second-half penalty goals.
The Hawke’s Bay tryscorers were No.8 Tino Savea (3), lock Able King (2), reserve lock Caleb Johnson, blindside flanker Gigal Malasia, openside flanker Xavier Smith, right wing Ethyn Martin and fullback Matason Carroll.
Hawke’s Bay first-five Afa Moleli kicked five conversions and Martin, four.