Napier Old Boys Marist celebrate after winning the Spillane Cup for the second consecutive year. Photo / Supplied
Matt Gardner reckons he owes it to his family and everyone else who has invested in him to earn at least one Mitre 10 Cup appearance for the Magpies this year.
No 8 Gardner, 24, who broke his arm in the final pre-season match played in Palmerston North last year and in 2016, proved how keen he is to crack the Magpies squad again with an outstanding display as his Napier Old Boys Marist club team retained the Spillane Cup with a 32-17 win against Hutt Old Boys Marist in yesterday's final of the 87th edition of the New Zealand Marist tournament in Auckland.
"Matt took on a senior role for us. He always made the right decisions and his patience on the ball was superb," delighted NOBM head coach Craig Gowler said.
"It's been a disappointing couple of years in terms of missing out on my Magpies debut. I'm hoping it's a case of third time lucky this year and I'm sure everyone will be holding their breath if we head to Palmerston North for another pre-season game ... but I can't turn down pre-season games," said Gardner, who was Hawke's Bay's 2017 club rugby MVP award winner.
"It's easy to play like I did today when you have a massive team round you. It's good to have Chris Johnson back from holiday too. It is special to retain the Spillane Cup and we did that because everyone is working hard at training and playing harder."
Centre Shae Tucker, who missed Friday's 24-14 win against Auckland Marist, scored three tries in the final. Inspirational halfback Sam Weber, second five-eighth Paul Bickle and fullback Michael Buckley scored the others and first five-eighth Johnny Lauano kicked a conversion.
Substitute winger Craig Sharplin provided valuable impact and regular flanker Willie Benson, a former Olympic Games swimmer, did an admirable job as a substitute hooker. Benson's task was made a little easier with golden oldies scrums used during the final 30 minutes.
"Hutt Old Boys called for golden oldies scrums when they ran out of frontrow substitutes. It was still an awesome final with both teams displaying a strong intent to play positive rugby," Gowler said.
Gowler pointed out his troops collected another five injuries so will welcome this weekend's rest before the first round of their quest to retain a second trophy, the Nash Cup in Hawke's Bay's premier club competition, begins the following week.
Napier Old Boys Marist also hold the Maddison Trophy, the most prestigious trophy in Hawke's Bay club rugby. It was interesting to note former Magpies prop Jarvy Aoake played for NOBM at the tournament despite transferring to Hamilton for work earlier this year.
Gowler said Aoake had not ruled out the possibility of commuting from Hamilton to play for NOBM each weekend.
Hastings Rugby and Sports will join Napier Old Boys Marist in the Spillane Cup section at next year's tournament in New Plymouth after winning yesterday's Ham Cumming Cup division two final with a 25-17 victory against North Harbour's Marist University. Hastings led 25-0 before the start of the final quarter.
"During the first three quarters we dominated the breakdowns and scored some nice tries. It was good to achieve our goal of promotion," Hastings co-coach Bevan Lynch said.
Second five-eighth Danny Toala, a New Zealand Secondary Schools rep last year, was the Hastings side's player-of-the-final. Lynch was impressed with the manner in which Toala bounced back from an ankle injury which forced him to leave the field prior to halftime in the previous day's 34-7 win against Taranaki's Tukapa Rugby and Sports.
"Danny did everything right with his rehab ... we couldn't have asked for more from him," former Magpie Lynch said.
Halfback Folau Fakatava, a teammate of Toala's in last year's national title-winning Hastings Boys' High School 1st XV, shone with his tenacious snipes for Hastings. Lynch said his troops produced some gutsy defensive work during the first two quarters.
Fakatava, Toala, lock J J Scales, who was promoted from the club's colts team for the trip, winger Johnny Saifiti and halfback Jayden Rihia scored tries for Hastings.
Fakatava scored a hattrick in Saturday's win against Tukapa. Saifiti, halfback Matt Makris and flanker Fale Matamata also scored tries and fullback Ioane Ioane kicked two conversions. Hastings led 17-0 at halftime in this match.
Expect Hastings Rugby and Sports to be among this season's big improvers and at least top four finishers in the Nash Cup.