Four tries for Mapu on Hawke’s Bay club rugby’s big night out

Taradale No 8 and tryscoring machine Iakopo Mapu scoring for the maroons last year. He scored four more in a Wednesday night, 59-20 win over Clive. Photo / NZME

A balmy early-autumn night of club rugby in Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday ended with 2022 trophy winners Napier Tech Old Boys and Taradale in the box seat to battle for Nash Cup honours and three teams all but disappearing from the race for places in the top six for the Maddison Trophy championship.

While the two unbeaten sides, holders of the Nash Cup and Maddison Trophy respectively, start the build-up to a possible crucial cup match between the teams three rounds away on April 29, it’s backs to the wall for former regular champion Havelock North, and Clive and Tamatea, all with four losses from four matches at the start of the season.

Tech scored five tries to four to beat Napier Old Boys Marist 34-22 in a cross-town Napier derby on OBM training ground Bond Field at Park Island, and at Tareha Reserve, Taradale, home side and Maddison Trophy holders Taradale scored nine tries in a 59-20 home ground win to inflict Clive’s third defeat in three games.

The winning sides, each with a bye in the opening three rounds, made it three-from-three played, with four-try bonuses each time out to lead the competition, with Napier Pirate also on 15 points, continuing their revival by scoring six tries to four in a third win in four games to beat previously unbeaten MAC 32-24 in the other game in Napier, at Ian MacRae Field, in the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union complex.

At Hastings’ Ellwood Park, Hastings Rugby and Sports tucked in one point behind with a third win in four games, scoring six tries to one in a 38-11 triumph in dealing Tamatea their fourth loss in four games, and at Central Park, Waipukurau, home side Central also kept on the tail of the top echelon with four tries to one 31-5 win over Havelock North, who were also left without a win after four games.

Among the features of the night were the four tries to Taradale No 8 Iakopo Mapu, the top try scorer in Hawke’s Bay Premier rugby last winter, and the goalkicking of Clive fullback and Hawks national basketball league squad member Tianua Poto, who kept banging home the three-pointers with five penalty goals.

The first three had kept Clive in the hunt at 14-all about the 30-minute mark but Taradale drew away with two tries late in the first half and five in the second.

Pirate’s flanker and captain Hamish Willis’ two tries were crucial for his side in a third win in a row since a 20-12 first-match loss to Hastings R&S, although MAC did have the last say with a try beside the posts when with a bit more focus could have stolen the result in the late stages.

In Waipukurau, home side first five-eighths Jordan Soli continued on his charge to become the first to 50 points, in his first season of Senior rugby, and with a penalty goal and four conversions on the night now has 48 points in four games.

New Hastings R&S coach Jason Long said he was proud of the way his side dug in later in the match against Tamatea, having led just 14-11 at halftime. Hastings were able to score four tries unanswered in the second half

The next round on Saturday sees some critical match-ups as the top eight angle for places in the top six, in particular MAC and Central facing up in Flaxmere, and another Napier derby with Pirate hosting OBM at Tamatea Park.

Tech have home advantage in an inter-cities clash with Hastings R&S at Whitmore Park, Napier, and Aotea have home advantage for its match against Taradale.

There will be a particular needle as Clive hosts Tamatea at Farndon Park, each seeking a first win for the season.

Tamatea coach Henare Harris said it was a good game against Hastings R&S and turned on two “easier” tries for the winners early in the second half, while Havelock North coach Richard Kinnear was pleased his side made progress in his side’s loss in the trip to Waipukurau, but is now relishing the opportunity of a week’s break with the bye.

Results:

Napier Pirate 32 (Hamish Willis 2, Noa Laisenia, 2, Al Momoisea, Jared Broughton tries; Tipene Maxwell con) MAC 24 (Vai Kireti, Hateni Tafolo, Meni Manase, Maika Fehoko tries; Joshua Coward 2 cons).

Napier Tech Old Boys 33 (Tim Farrell 2, Bethell Malasea, Xavier McCorkindale, Waitangi Tuisuga tries; Sheridan Rangihuna pen, 3 cons) Napier Old Boys Marist 22 (Ricky Hayes, Josh McIntyre, Paoraian Manuel Harman, Bain Champion tries; Jonty Stewart con).

Taradale 59 (Iakopo Mapu 4, Thomas Eden 2, William Foneheno, Kinghouse Tupuola, Nathan Ramsay tries; Dylan Ramsay 7 cons) Clive 20 (Antony Wilson try; Tianua Poto 5 pens).

Hastings 38 (Patrick Tuifua 2, Oscar Sowman, Johnny Saifiti, Jordan Thompson-Dunn, Enoka Chungching ties; Sowman 2, Thompson-Dunn cons) Tamatea 11 (Sawelio Macenalagi try; Dennon Robinson-Bartlett, Richard Herangi pens).

Central 31 (Trei Nepe-Apatu, Zac Simpson, Kaliova Mocetadra ties; penalty try; Jordan Soli pen, 4 cons) Havelock North 5 (Baden Papuni try)

Draw for Round 5 on Saturday (all games 3pm): MAC v Central, at Flaxmere Park, Flaxmere; Napier Pirate v Napier Old Boys Marist, at Tamatea Park, Napier Tech Old Boys v Hastings Rugby and Sports, at Whitmore Park, Napier; Clive v Tamatea, at Farndon Park, Clive; Aotea v Taradale, at Rugby Park, Dannevirke; Havelock North the bye.