Hawke's Bay Saracens blow early lead in loss to Centurions

Loose forward Iakopo Mapu, who scored 16 tries in 2022 premier club rugby and one the Saracens XV's five on Saturday, pictured scoring for the Magpies in 2019. Photo / NZME

The scoring of three tries to lead 17-0 after 25 minutes proved to be too good to be true for the Saracens Hawke's Bay Development rugby side as it was comfortably beaten by Wellington Centurions in Napier on Saturday.

The visitors responded to their early setback by scoring points at better than one a minute before the Hawke's Bay side came back with two converted tries in the last five minutes.

The Saracens led 17-14 at halftime, but Wellington won 54-31, scoring eight tries to five, including three to promising wing Isi Saumaki and two to wing-centre Lose Filipo.

Hawke's Bay had plenty of talent with well-performed Premier club rugby talent in such players as try-scorers flanker Jacob Stephenson, second five-eighth Zack Simpson, No. 8 Xavier McCorkindale, prop Lewis Bush and loose forward Iakopo Mapu, with first five-eighth Jonty Stewart adding three conversions.

Simpson and Bush each got time in the Hawke's Bay Magpies' Ranfurly Shield defence against 2021 NPC Heartland champion South Canterbury in June, and Mapu, despite being a forward, was the top try-scorer in Hawke's Bay Nash Cup and Maddison Trophy rugby this year, with 16 of the five-pointers.

The defeat followed the previous weekend's second-half turnaround against Heartland side Poverty Bay, when the Saracens led 12-5 at halftime, only to be beaten 22-17.

The Saracens had also been beaten in a high-scoring opening match against Whanganui Development, and now face away games against Manawatu and Taranaki Development sides and the Centurions to complete the season.

Saracens coach Ellery Wilson said the Centurions had a strong patch of 4-5 tries early in the second half and it was just "catch-up" for his side from then on.

Te Matau a Maui Hawke's Bay Maori had a second win in two games in its revival season by travelling to Palmerston North and scoring seven tries to beat Manawatu Maori 47-31.
Victors by one point over HB Samoa at Clive a week earlier, Te Matau a Maui looked to be in for a close and tough battle when it was 19-19 and three tries apiece at the break, but took control with four more tries in the second half.

Ziah Taumoepeau, playing at lock, scored two tries, added to the one he scored at Clive the previous weekend, while loose forward Kaleb Whakataka also scored twice.

Te Matau a Maui returns to Clive on Saturday to play its taonga match against HB Samoa, with hopes of getting at least one more match before playing in a tournament with Wellington, Canterbury and Taranaki Maori in Wellington.

The Central Hawke's Bay sub-union ended a four-match season of competitive rugby against mainly expected tougher opposition by scoring all the points in the second half when beaten 21-18 by Whanganui Development on Saturday at Coronation Park, Waipawa.

The visitors scored three converted tries, and CHB responded with a penalty try after an earlier penalty goal kicked by centre Tate Harte, who scored all the points in the second half – a try and a penalty.

A 31-man Hawke's Bay Under 19 squad played two 40-minute matches in Masterton on Saturday, beating Wairarapa Bush Development 43-0, including two tries each to Josiah Sakaraia and Cooper Flanders, and the Hurricanes Under 20 team 12-10.