RUGBY
NGATI Porou East Coast club rugby defending champions Uawa beat Hikurangi 25-3 to take the Chas Keelan Memorial Trophy in a commanding performance at Kahuitara on Saturday.
Hicks Bay beat Ruatoria City 36-15 at Wharekahika and Tihirau Victory Club came through 48-13 over Tokomaru Bay United at Whangaparaoa, while Tokararangi had the bye.
There were no positional changes on the seven-team table in Week 10, with four games remaining before the semifinals.
“I’m very happy and proud of the boys because it was a really good game and we’ve got the Chas Keelan,” Uawa captain and lock Scott Lasenby said.
“It was wet underfoot but that didn’t slow the game down much, in terms of hard hit-ups and tackles.”
Uawa’s tryscorers were loosehead prop Laman Davies, MVP (most valuable player) and blindside flanker Te Atapo Kirikiri, centre Jordan Birch and right wing Tipene Meihana.
Halfback Chris Richardson kicked one penalty goal and a conversion.
Hikurangi’s sole pointscorer was fullback Fabyan Kahaki, who kicked a second-half penalty.
The visitors, Uawa, led 5-0 at the break.
Hikurangi centre Corey Walker, was his side’s MVP. He is a consistent player who runs straight, passes well and makes his tackles. That solidity is worth its weight in gold to any club.
Hikurangi captain and hooker Ngarimu Parata said it was a tight contest early on.
“It was nil-all for the first half-hour, then we missed a penalty shot at goal and in the last minute before the break, Te Atapo scored for Uawa,” said Parata, who regarded the performance of Uawa wing Tipene Meihana as outstanding.
“He carried the ball well — he’s slippery — and his kick-returns under pressure were excellent.”
Efficiency comes first for Hicks BayEfficiency comes first for Hicks Bay.
The carried the standard for East Coast club rugby early this season with five consecutive wins, and their latest result — a 36-15 home win against hard-grafting Ruatoria City — was a fair measure of both teams’ current form.
A fired-up City opened the scoring with a penalty from left wing Nathaniel Fox for 3-0 in the 12th minute.
Hicks Bay lock Ivan Martin became the game’s first try-scorer after 27 minutes. Fullback Leyth Delamere converted for 7-3.
Burly No.8 Anton King dotted down for the hosts in the 37th minute for a halftime score of 12-3 to Hicks Bay at Wharekahika.
A small draught of déjà vu then kicked in with Martin (47th minute) and King (63rd minute) scoring again for a try-double each. Delamere converted both tries, for 26-3.
But the Lisa Muller-coached Ruatoria City then struck back in the 67th minute, with a try to tighthead prop Pera Bishop — converted by Fox — to close it to 26-10.
The home team, keenly aware that their visitors were not yet spent, had quality and depth to go to. Reserve left wing Morpheus Gladstone scored for 31-10 in the 72nd minute.
Gladstone’s try was not converted, and neither was that scored by City reserve blindside flanker Lornche Goldsmith in the 76th minute.
On fulltime, veteran first-five Tyrone Delamere scored the sixth try for the hosts, and the eighth and last try of the game.
Right wing Manu Papuni-Eyles won the MVP award for City.
“Our backs played with great structure this week,” Lisa Muller said.
“Old head Ian Logan came on at first-five in the second half, and he brings experience . . . reads the game.”
They've got spiritThey’ve got spirit.
Although they have yet to pick up a win, Tokomaru Bay United are fighting on.
With only 16 players, they gave their high-calibre hosts — Tihirau Victory Club — a hearty work-out in the process.
TVC won the first-round meeting at Hatea-a-Rangi 50-0 and won this latest clash 48-15 at Whangaparaoa.
TVC scored tries courtesy of No.8 Solomon Vaka (who went through defenders the hard way as he put together a hat-trick), tighthead prop Rawiri Waititi, lock Hirini Delamere, openside flanker Kuhu Haweti, fullback Ron-Paul McRoberts and reserve tighthead prop Clendon Wikaire. Hirini Delamere and centre Peti Delamere kicked two conversions apiece.
Second five-eighth Toa Saulala scored twice for United, their third try going to powerhouse No.8 Tupou Taliauli.
Saulala’s first-half try was converted by left wing Kahu Kahaki — TVC led 28-7 at the break — with Kahaki also converting the visitors’ second try, that of Taliauli.
“Our 16 boys played 50 hard minutes — it was awesome,” said a delighted Daryl Goldsmith, who is coaching the Tokomaru Bay United side with Kuru Gray.
He said that for their last try, they went from a turnover on their goal-line to the TVC goal-line for Saulala’s second try.