Rugby: Midfield contenders to clash at last

Hastings Rugby and Sports centre Timo Vaiusu gathers up some sports equipment while on the job as a teacher aide at Kimi Ora Community School in Flaxmere. Photo/Duncan Brown

If you were surprised by Timo Vaiusu's omission from the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team for Monday's pre-season match against Wairarapa Bush you weren't alone.

But the Auto Super Shoppe Hastings Rugby and Sports centre who has been the one of the most consistent midfielders in Hawke's Bay's premier men's club play this season had a good excuse. Vaiusu and his wife Arohia welcomed their first child, Eva Ariana, into the world a fortnight ago.

"I asked for some time off to help Arohia. I'm really enjoying my sessions with the wider training group and hopefully I'll get an opportunity in the next pre-season outing," Vaiusu said.

If the 25-year-old teacher aide at Kimi Ora Community School in Flaxmere keeps producing polished displays at club level like he has in recent seeks it will be hard for Magpies head coach Mark Ozich to ignore him. Vaiusu had his second player-of-the-match performance of the season in Hastings 60-21 win against Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical at Whitmore Park on Saturday.

This saw Vaiusu become the week-11 winner in the tussle for the McDonald's-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award.

"We owed them one," Vaiusu said referring to the Texans 26-23 win in the Nash Cup semifinal between the two teams at Elwood Park last month.

"Tech are always tough to play at Whitmore. But we had a good game plan which did the job."

A 2012 New Zealand Marist Sevens representative who moved to the Bay from Wellington in 2007, Vaiusu, is in his seventh season in the Hastings premier team.

"Apart from that loss to Tech we have gone well this season. We've got a good coaching staff and the boys are all starting to learn how each other plays. Hopefully we can get to the Maddison Trophy final and win it," Vaiusu said.

The third-season Hawke's Bay Sevens rep and former Hawke's Bay under-18 and 16 rep is eagerly awaiting Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with WIT Napier Old Boys Marist at Elwood Park. Should NOBM win they will equal the record of 46 consecutive wins in Hawke's Bay's premier club competitions set by Clive during the 1999 and 2001 seasons.

"It's going to take a good team to beat NOBM. Hopefully we can do it. It's important we have belief," Vaiusu said.

He pointed out the hosts won't lack motivational ammunition as it will be utility back Ioane Ioane's 100th match for the team. Vaiusu is likely to mark another member of the Magpies wider training group, Shae Tucker, who has also been a consistent performer in club play.

"It will be a good battle. I haven't played against Shae yet so we will have to see what happens."

Should Hastings upset their visitors Vaiusu might have to have a fair sized chunk of the morning talk time at school on Monday. He will also have something special to tell little Eva Ariana about when she is old enough to understand.

Best & fairest
Hastings v Napier Technical: 3, Timo Vaiusu (Hastings); 2, Danny Toala (Hastings); 1, Ausage Fomai (Hastings).
NOBM v Havelock North: 3, Michael Buckley (NOBM); 2, Ricky Hayes (NOBM); 1, Phil McRoberts (Havelock).
Taradale v Central: 3, Tom Parsons (Central); 2, Ashton Tuck (Taradale); 1, Jason Cutbush (Central).
Clive v Pirate: 3, Cameron Smith (Clive), 2, Jonah Lowe (Clive); 1, Pouri Rakete-Stones (Pirate).
MAC v Tamatea: 3, Amiga Mikaele (MAC); 2, Solomone Funaki (MAC); 1, Everard Reid (Tamatea).
Leaderboard: 14 points: Chris Johnston (NOBM). 9: Johnny Ika (MAC). 8: Aleki Vuki (Hastings). 7: Ricky Hayes, Hannon Brighouse (both NOBM), Danny Toala, Timo Vaiusu (both Hastings), Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea), Fa'alemiga Selesele (MAC). 6: Michael Buckley (NOBM), Mark Braidwood (Tech), Mason Kean (Tamatea).