Hawke’s Bay club rugby: Tech click on opening day

New Tech Old Boys centre Falealii "Gibson" Popoalii runs in his second try in his side's 69 - 14 win over Clive. Photo / Paul Taylor

Nash Cup holder Napier Tech Old Boys gave an early sign of the form needed to win the trophy again when they scored 10 tries in a 69 - 14 away win over Clive on the opening day of the 2023 Hawke’s Bay club rugby season on Saturday.

With a particularly slick midfield, including new centre Falealii Popoalii, from Canterbury, the Texans had the four-try bonus point in the bag by the 27th minute, the domination coming despite the team playing into a breeze in the first half at Farndon Park, having had no pre-season match.

It was 28 - 0 before Clive scored its only try, about two minutes before halftime, but it wasn’t a sign of any relaxation, for Tech scored another six tries with the sun at its back in the second half, some of which would have left Clive coaches Jorian Tangaere and Farrell Chrystal scratching their heads over the number of missed tackles and numerous mistakes - also a sign of a lack of pre-season match-time.

Tech also claimed considerable amounts of possession, with new loose forward Liam Udy-Johns, back in Hawke’s Bay from a stint in Southland, particularly prominent, giving a good platform for halfback Tim Sciascia, first five-eighths Sheridan Rangihuna and centres Popoalii and Tamati Samuels.

Popoalii scored three tries and Samuels two, as did Nik Patumaka and prop Tim Farrell after coming on in the front row in the second half.

There was reason for celebration for Dannevirke club Aotea, which travelled to Hastings to score a 38-12 win over Tamatea, including five tries to right wing Sam Jones, serving as a bit of a confidence booster going into a second trip next week to face Tech in Napier.

Prop Jahnique Whaitiri scored Aotea’s other try and former Hastings Boys High School 1st XV player Hoera Stephenson kicked four conversions.

It was a tough start for Tamatea, being been well-beaten on its home ground in Hastings, but it scored two good tries in a free-flowing game of running rugby.

Hastings Rugby and Sports got its season under way with a patchy three-tries-to-two, 20 - 12 home win over Napier Pirate at Elwood Park, with Neria Fomai getting two tries from the centres, and the match featuring a good debut for first five-eighths Koby Deacon in his first season out of Hastings BHS, which saw him kicking a penalty goal and conversion.

Pirate, which struggled through 2022 after being invited back into the competition despite relegation the previous season, went close to scoring the day’s third away win, being down 12 - 13 and on the attack when a Hastings Rugby and Sports intercept saw the ball dotted down at the other end.

Hastings’ other try went to hooker and captain Jacob Devery, who spent last season out of action with an injury received in the Super Rugby season.

Pirate coach Aaron Good described it as a physical game, but his side, down 13 - 5 at halftime, lost some impetus with four yellow-card temporary suspensions – two “back-to-back” in each half. HRS also had one player sin-binned for 10 minutes.

There were close calls in the other two matches, each won by a single point.

MAC beat Havelock North 25 - 22 at Flaxmere Park, leading 13 - 10 at halftime and going to 18 - 10 in the third quarter. They seemed to have lost the game under a 12-point Havelock North resurgence, before coming from four points down to score a converted try in the last 10 minutes.

MAC coach Anthony Morley said any win over Havelock North is a good one, but it was better to be seeing rugby back under way after the trauma of the storm.

Waipukurau side Central took it to Napier Old Boys Marist at Park Island’s Tremain Field in Napier, leading 34 - 28 midway through the second half before OBM scored a converted try and clung to a one-point lead to the final whistle and a 35 - 34 win.

Results from the first round of Nash Cup Hawke’s Bay Premier rugby on Saturday:

At Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings: Aotea (Sam Jones 5, Jahnique Whaitiri tries; Hoera Stephenson 4 cons) Tamatea 12 (Ramo Leef, Daniel Paku tries; Lincoln McClutchie con). HT: 22 - 5.

At Farndon Park, Clive: Napier Tech OB 69 (Falealii Popoalii 3, Tamati Samuels 2, Nik Patumaka 2, Tim Farrell 2, Scott Mogford tries; Sheridan Rangihuna 6, Leighton Shaw 2 cons) Clive 14 (Antony Wilson, Te Kahika Thompson tries; Jayden Falcon 2 cons). HT: 28-7.

At Elwood Park, Hastings: Hastings Rugby and Sports 20 (Neria Fomai 2, Jacob Devery tries; Koby Deacon pen, con) Napier Pirate 12 (Kassidy Ewart, Ted-Stuart Symes tries; Tipene Maxwell con). HT: 13-5.

At Tremain Field, Napier: Napier Old Boys Marist 35 (Terry Marsh 2, Duff Penitito, Kere Penitito, Josh Gimblett tries; Jonty Stewart 5 cons) Central 34 (Kaliova Mocetadra 2, Jeri Kavekai 2 ties; Jordan Soli 2 pens, 4 cons). HT: Central 24 Napier OBM 14.

At Flaxmere Park, Flaxmere: MAC 25 (Tom Iosefo 2, Damarus Hokianga tries; Hateni Tafolo 2 pens, 2 cons) Havelock North 22 (Epeli Tanadroga, Avian Rihia, Alex Philip, Jon Joseph Scales tries; Sam Walton-Sexton con). HT: 13-10.

Round 2 (home team first): Havelock North v Napier OBM, Central v Hastings R&S, Napier Pirate v Clive, Napier Tech OB v Aotea, Tamatea v Taradale, MAC bye.