Napier Old Boys Marist front-row forward Terry Marsh in Saturday's 29-0 Division 2 town and country first-round final win over Ōtāne, a week after playing his 200th match for the club in a Premier match. Photo / Paul Taylor
Napier Old Boys Marist made sure they weren’t going to let another trip to Dannevirke spoil the club’s day when their Premier team smashed the century and a near-record match score in thrashing Aotea in the ninth round of Hawke’s Bay Nash Cup rugby on Saturday.
Heading off on the 250km round trip, Old Boys Marist knew a win would guarantee a place in the top six for Maddison Trophy rugby with one match and a bye to go, meaning they wouldn’t have to worry about other teams deciding their fate in the last week before the start of the championship round on June 3.
They also knew that Aotea would be tough opponents on their home ground at Rugby Park, but it was never in doubt once the visitors stepped out, weathering the voyage to win 101-36 with 15 tries, including four to fullback Paoraian Manual-Harman for a second match in a row, against an Aotea side which still played ball once the chips were down, and scored five tries of their own, including two to wing Sam Jones, who now has 12 for the season.
First five-eighths Jonty Stewart scored 31 points for Old Boys Marist, with a try and 13 conversions, becoming one of two players on the day to pass 100 for the season and heading into the lead with 110 in nine games.
The match total of 137 points was the biggest in Hawke’s Bay Premier club rugby since the 150 when MAC beat Maraenui 138-12 in June 2003.
For a moment it didn’t look like it was going to be that way, with Aotea having had three wins this season and being down just 14-7 at the end of the first 20 minutes.
But by halftime the visitors had shaken off the bus-lag to score another 42 points to lead 56-10, which for some may have been payback for a July 2021 Old Boys Marist Reserves trip to Dannevirke when the travellers were leading a Senior 2 semifinal 43-7, only to see Aotea score six converted tries in the last quarter and win 49-46.
It was that win that promoted Aotea back to Premier rugby after an absence of 15 years, and there was just a touch of irony on Saturday in that club stalwart and new Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union president Mavis Mullins was unable to be present.
She was in Napier, presenting the 2023 second division’s first-round prize, the Pratt Trophy, to the Napier Old Boys Marist Reserves, who had scored four tries to none to maintain an unbeaten record for the season and beat Ōtāne 29-0 in the grade’s town and country first-round final at Tremain Field, Park Island.
The Nash Cup round was a tryfest all-round, including seven in competition leader Napier Tech Old Boys’ four-tries-to-three, 33-30 win over Central, derived only by Tech’s last two tries, after being down 19-27 heading into the final quarter.
Central first five-eighths Jordan Soli kicked all three conversions for his side and also landed three conversions, the 15 points taking him to 101 in his first season in Hawke’s Bay.
The outcomes were more decisive in the remaining games, with Taradale maintaining second place with a nine-tries-to-four, 56-28 win over MAC at Tareha Reserve, Taradale, while Hastings Rugby and Sports scored an 11-tries-to-three 69-19 away win over Clive at Farndon Park, and Havelock North claimed a second victory in a row in a nine-tries-to-three, 57-15 away win victory over Tamatea at Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings.
Hastings Rugby and Sports, with three tries to centre Jordan Thompson-Dunn and two each to prop Vikta Tevita and halfback Jayden Rihia, climbed into the top six, MAC dropped down to seventh - albeit keeping in touch with another four-try bonus, while seven of Havelock North’s tries went to loose forwards, highlighting further improvement after starting with six consecutive losses, No 8 Sam Smith claiming four tries and openside flanker Cooper Flanders three.
With Division 2 Town and Country finalists Napier Old Boys Marist Reserves ineligible for promotion and Ōtāne deciding against it, their match doubled as a first round match in the Division 2 championship.
Premier (Nash Cup)
Napier Old Boys Marist 101 (Paoraian Manuel-Harman 4, Michael Beech 2, Kere Penitito 2, Luke Foster, Jonty Stewart, Tulitaluai Faleiva, Kade Manuel-Green, Iakopo Tana, Josh Gimblett, Craig Sharplin tries; Jonty Stewart 13 conversions) Aotea 36 (Samuel Jones 2, Gene Ropoama 2, Trent Conway tries; Hoera Stephenson penalty, 4 conversions.
Napier Tech Old Boys 33 (Elijah Martin, Ted Walters, Liam Udy-Johns, Manaaki Aranui tries; Sheridan Rangihuna 3 penalties, 2 conversions) Central 30 (George Macpherson 2, Tom Parsons tries; Jordan Soli 3 penalties, 3 conversions).
Taradale 56 (Brayden-Trevaughn Lansdown-Cunningham 2, Majella Tufuga 2, Josh Eden-Whaitiri, Karl Hewitt, Andrew Gardner, Dylan Gallien, Nathan Ramsay tries; Ezra Malo penalty, 4 conversions) MAC 28 (Elia Bari 2, Alatasi Tupou, Lexus Greening tries; Joshua Coward 4 conversions).
Hastings Rugby and Sports 69 (Jordan Thompson-Dunn 3,Vikta Tevita 2, Jayden Rihia 2, Oscar Sowman, Patrick Tuifua, Xavier Hill, Luke Rosvall tries; Koby Deacon 7 conversions) Clive (Quaid Paora, Antony Wilson, Aminiasi Koroi tries; Tianua Poto 2 conversions).
Havelock North 57 (Samuel Smith 4, Cooper Flanders 3, Jesse Paewai 2 tries; Tawhiri Gifford-Kara 3, Sam Walton-Sexton 2, Alex Philip conversions) Tamatea 15 (Dennon Robinson-Bartlett, Waisake Babitu, Sawelio Macenalagi tries).
Premier points (with matches played in brackets): Napier Tech OB (8) 39, Taradale (8) 35, Napier OBM (9) 33, Central (8) 28, Hastings R&S (8) 24, Napier Pirate (8) 24, MAC (8) 22, Aotea (8) 17, Havelock North (8) 14, Clive (9) 6, Tamatea (8) 0.
Draw for next Saturday (home team first): Hastings R&S v Aotea, Napier OBM v Taradale, MAC v Tamatea, Havelock North v Napier Tech OB, Central v Napier Pirate, Clive a bye.
Division 2
Pratt Trophy Town and Country final: Napier OBM 29 (Paul Lapa, Cory Wilson, Taleni Moananu, Kitiona Moleli tries; Hamiora Miringaorangi penalty, 3 conversions) Ōtāne 0.
Other matches: Napier Pirate 45 Hastings R&S 17, Napier Tech OB 36 Waipawa Country United 12, Porangahau 32 Bridge Pa 29, Taradale 57 Central 24; Eskview 35 Havelock North 35, Flaxmere 36 Takapau 12.
Division 3: Clive 25 Havelock North 17, Maraenui 26 Napier Pirate 26, Taradale 46 Napier OBM 17, Flaxmere 34 Tamatea 31.
Colts: Clive 44 Napier Pirate 35, Hastings R&S 92 Napier OBM 7, Taradale 45 Onga-Tiko 24, Havelock North 27 Napier Tech OB 12.
Women: Napier Tech OB 67 Hastings R&S 7, MAC 48 Central 5.