Central captain and flanker Callum Shanks is tackled during his team's 50-0 loss to Hastings East yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown
Central captain and flanker Callum Shanks is tackled during his team's 50-0 loss to Hastings East yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown
Hastings East fullback Art Thompson equalled the Ross Shield rugby tournament's day point-scoring record yesterday.
The only member of the defending champions' 2014 team and a Hawke's Bay Ross Shield rep last year, Thompson scored five tries and kicked five conversions in a 50-0 victory against Central at Lindisfarne College.His 35-point haul equalled the record which a then future world champion All Black, Israel Dagg, set for East in 2001 at Dannevirke and a then future world champion Baby Black, Star Timu, equalled for Hastings West at Waipukurau in 2003.
While Thompson was classy he was pipped for player-of-the-match honours by his captain, lock Daemon Brough. Blindside flanker Crighton Murphy was another tireless worker in a polished team effort.
Central did well to trail only 19-0 at halftime.
Captain and openside flanker Callum Shanks shone with his never-say-die approach while Ben White was productive in the prop and lock positions.
Prop Jock Kilmister had a huge defensive work rate and centre Bailey Carter displayed vast improvement on the previous day's play at the 114th edition of the Heinz Wattie's-Hastings Pak'nSave-sponsored event. "Our forwards dominated at times but our defence was leaky out wide again. When we made errors they were punished," Central manager John Kilmister said.
Hastings West scored the biggest win on day 2 with a 57-0 walloping of Dannevirke. Powerful West No8 Arama Kite was the player of the match.
Centre Eldius Alainuuese (Oli) shone with his carries and again combined well with second five-eighth Deijah Tuliau who took her try tally to four with another couple.
Dannevirke co-coach Karl Withey said his troops displayed vast improvement on the previous day and the crowd appreciated this by clapping his team from the field. Captain and lock Lachlan Christian, hooker Hayden Bell and centre Tama Nikora were Dannevirke's best.
Like West, title favourites Napier maintained their unbeaten run with a 39-10 victory against Wairoa. Blindside flanker Kere Penitito, a brother of Magpies loosie Joseph Penitito, was again prominent in a Napier pack where prop Rakai Henare was a workaholic.
Centre Jayden Stok was always a threat when given the opportunity. "The score wasn't a reflection of the game ... Wairoa played well," Napier co-coach Paul Teddy said afterwards.
Centre Hani Cejay Waiwai scored all of Wairoa's points with a try, conversion and penalty.
Today is trophy day with Napier and Dannevirke meeting at 1pm for the Steve Cottrell Memorial Cup, Wairoa and Central clashing at 2pm for the Tino Amato Shield and the Battle of Hastings between West and East for the Bill Mathewson Memorial Trophy kicking off at 3.15pm.
