Getting Technical in premier club rugby

Flanker Xavier McCorkindale in bustling form for Napier Tech OB, for whom he scored the first of the side's seven tries in a 47-14 win over Napier Pirate. Photo / Paul Taylor.

Rejuvenated Napier side Tech Old Boys maintained an unbeaten 2022 record in quest of a first Maddison Trophy Hawke's Bay premier rugby title in nine years with a 47-14 win over Napier Pirate on Saturday.

The win in perfect conditions on home soil at Whitmore Park made it four-out-of-four in the Ray White Real Estate Nash Cup preliminary round, after opening the season with a 30-28 win over MAC, followed by beating Aotea 34-22 on a trip to Dannevirke, and then beating Napier Old Boys Marist 33-26 in Napier.

Tech has two more games before the big challenge, a May 28 match against defending champion Taradale, a club Tech hasn't beaten in premier rugby since April 2018. On Saturday Taradale made it three-from-three this season with a 47-17 win over Clive at Farndon Park, Clive.

In Saturday's other matches, Hastings Rugby and Sports beat Tamatea 50-23, bouncing back from the humiliation of conceding 70 points to Taradale seven days earlier. Napier OBM beat Havelock North 38-29 in Napier, and MAC beat Aotea 33-27 in Flaxmere. Waipukurau club Central had the bye.

Among a number of features at Whitmore Park was the appearance of new Hawke's Bay Magpies signee Tyrone Thompson, in a one-week break from the Chiefs Super Rugby programme and getting 60 minutes at hooker, a try, and an accidental elbow in the face from a teammate.

Others in the Tech performance were the four-try bag for the wings, with two to Ben Lewis, and one each to Bethel Malasia and substitute Cruz Davies. Sheridan Rangihuna converted six of the seven tries.

The feature for Pirate was the brave second-half effort, down to 14 players with a red card to long-serving prop Sean Morrison and after Tech led 35-7 at the break.

Tech manager Cyril Whitburn said the side had a good start with numbers at training, having overcome a Covid issue which threatened the side at the time the competition was to have started in March and a suitable schedule, giving time to develop the side.

It has an away match against Clive next Saturday, while Taradale will be at home against MAC.

In other grades, combined side Tara/Tech sealed women's grade honours with only a bye remaining, beating Hastings R&S 43-5 and being presented on the day with the Big Marsh Cup. Clive won the Colts' first-round final for the Arthur Brown Cup with a 38-0 win, also over Hastings R&S.

In Senior 2 rugby Bridge Pa continued an unlikely run for glory in just its fourth season in the Senior grades, making it four-from-four with a 65-12 win over Napier Pirate at Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park, Hastings. It's the type of form which could see the club in Premier rugby next season.

Results:

Premier – Ray White Real Estate Nash Cup, Round 4:

Napier Tech OB 47 (Xavier McCorkindale, Tyrone Thompson, Manaaki Aranui, Ben Lewis 2, Bethel Luotele Malasia, Cruz Davies tries; Sheridan Rangihuna 6 cons) Napier Pirate 14 (Daniel Boon, Felise Tavae tries; Zion Clarke 2 cons).

Taradale 47 (Nathan Ramsay, Kienan Higgins, Brayden-Trevaughn Lansdown-Cunningham, Humphrey Shield, Aloese Aiolupotea, Angelo Mufana 2, tries; Ezra Malo 4, Brad Truesdale, Dylan Ramsay cons) Clive 17 (Te Aranga Hakiwai, Tianua Poto 2 tries; Tianua Poto pen, 2 con).

Hastings R&S 50 (Isaac Hinton, Xavier Hill, Jayden Rihia, Ioane Ioane 2, Billie Crosswell, Dennis Tapusoa, Saifiti Saifiti tries; Oscar Sowman 5 con) Tamatea: 23 (Ash Robinson-Bartlett, Sekope Nalovo 2 tries; Ash Robinson-Bartlett 3 pen, 2 con).

Napier OBM 38 (William Tremain, Kere Penitito, Josh McIntyre 2, Boris van Bruchem, Pedro Bezanilla tries; Jonty Stewart 4 con) Havelock North 29 (Alex Philip, Hamish Clapcott, Isaac Bracewell, Jesse Paewai, Cooper Flanders tries; Adam Blake, Howard Lole cons).

MAC 33 (Teina Huia, John Ika, Vailoa Kereti, Sivinia Koroi, Solomone Fono tries; Ioane Lauano 4 cons; Aotea 27 (Ryan Tongia 2, Samuel Jones 2), Hoera Stephenson tries; Stephenson con).

Points after four rounds: Napier Tech OB 2, Napier OBM 17, Taradale (3 games) 15, Hastings R&S 15, Havelock North 14, MAC 14, Central (3 games) 8, Aotea 5, Clive 1, Napier Pirate (3 games) 0, Tamatea -2.

Senior 2 - Town Grade (Jack Swain Cup): Pool 1 - Bridge Pa 65 Napier Pirate 12, Taradale 33 Hastings R&S 21. Pool 2 – Napier Tech OB 36 Eskview 20, MAC 65 Havelock North 25. Crossover – Napier OBM 19 Maraenui 17.

Senior 2 - Country Grade (Arthur Bowman Cup): Otane 59 Takapau 0, Porangahau 13 Central 10, Waipawa Country Utd a bye.

Senior 3 - Big Barrel Maury Cody Cup: Flaxmere 12 YMP 7, Taradale 54 Maraenui 22, Napier Pirate 24 Havelock North 0, Tamatea 17 Napier OBM 8, M.C 27 Bridge Pa 5, Clive a bye.

Colts – Round 1 final (Arthur Brown Cup): Clive 38 Hastings R&S 0.

Women - Big Barrel Marsh Cup: Tara/Tech 43 Hastings R&S 5, Clive 36 MAC 15, Central a bye.