Rugby: Tuis falter as winds help fuel Wellington win

Photo / Thinkstock

Some positional changes paid dividends but it wasn't the desired result for the Hawke's Bay Tuis rugby side in their final outing of the season on Saturday.

The Tuis were beaten 36-10 by Wellington in a Porirua Park-hosted women's NPC clash after trailing 12-10 at halftime.

"We were in the game in the first half but Wellington used the windy conditions better in the second half and ran away a bit during the final 20 minutes," Tuis trainer Dan Rodden said.

Regular backs Nuia Momoisea and Gemma Woods performed admirably in the blindside flanker and No8 positions respectively for the Tuis. Regular loosie Kaylah Clarke-Winiata was tidy at halfback.

Lock Ditte van Vliet scored the Tuis try and first five-eighth Sylvia Bockman kicked a penalty and conversion.

A lack of game time during the past three weeks took its toll on the Hawke's Bay under-13s team during the final 15 minutes of their 29-22 loss to the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield team in Friday night's McLean Park curtainraiser. The under-13s led 12-5 at halftime.

"It was a good game and the Ross Shield boys certainly weren't daunted by their bigger opponents," under-13s manager Ian Horsefield said.

Vice captain Jordan Thompson-Dunn and fellow lock Rob Slabbekoorn were workaholics in the Ross Shield team pack. Substitute halfback Mitchell McLeod was lively off the bench.

Openside flanker Sam Henderson and substitute prop Tui Kuru were prominent in the under-13s team pack. Winger Junior Isaako impressed with two intercept tries.