Rugby: Former Hawk still rising to occasion

One wag on the sideline at last weekend's premier clash between Taradale and Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports suggested Pirate lock Roger McPherson should slow down.

"If Roger keeps running around like that he might be recalled to the Hawks basketball team," the fan quipped.

He was referring to the fact McPherson, 33, played 75 games for the Hawks between 2000-04. It was a compliment to McPherson's mobility and the impact he had on the game with a player-of-the-match performance in his side's 21-18 victory.

This saw the Heinz Wattie's prepared department worker become the 11th winner in the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Player of the Year award. McPherson, who is in his fifth season with the Pirate premiers, scored a crucial try which winger David Neilson converted to tie the score at 18-all, before kicking the match-winning penalty 10 minutes later.

"We kept making a lot of mistakes early in the first half and Taradale got away on us. By reducing those mistakes in the second half we weren't under as much pressure," McPherson explained.

"The boys dug deep. The previous week against Tamatea it was a similar scenario and the boys gave up ... we don't like losing to Taradale," he said.

A 2011 Maddison Trophy winner with Pirate, McPherson, pointed out his team has got the players to give the province's most prestigious club trophy a serious crack again this season.

"A lot will depend on when the Hawke's Bay Magpies players are taken out and how disruptive that is to the team. We've got a young but talented backline and Clarkey is a good leader," McPherson said referring to former Magpies first five-eighth Aayden Clarke.

"In the forwards it's easy to follow Mucs [loosie Marcus Donovan] and Michael [fellow lock Michael Allardice] never lets us down," McPherson said.

In addition to basketball and rugby McPherson, a father of two toddlers under 3, is also a handy rugby league player. He won two Hawke's Bay premiership titles with EIT before playing for the Pirate league team.

McPherson is unsure whether his wife will let him play league again this year and he has yet to make any promises about another season of premier rugby next year.

"You know what the Tui billboard says ... this is going to be my last season. We'll wait and see."

Regardless of whether he plays or not, McPherson can expect plenty of workplace banter from workmates who play for Havelock North.

"I was lucky I had a week's holiday after our loss to Tamatea," he added before his lunch break was over.

Last week's MVP Ihaia West's 17-point haul for Havelock North in their away 54-19 win against Central saw him reach second place on his club's all time premier points-scoring list. West has scored 821 points in 62 games.

The late Jarrod Cunningham scored 1487 points. West overtook Murdoch Paewai who scored 815.

Best & fairestPirate v Taradale:

3, Roger McPherson (Pirate); 2, Nathan Ramsay (Taradale); 1, Aayden Clarke (Pirate).

MAC v Hastings:

3, Louie Tovo (MAC); 2, Danya Tulou (Hastings); 1, J'ndre Liebenberg (MAC).

Clive v Tamatea:

3, Daniel Chamberlain (Clive); 2, James Tango (Clive); 1, Hamiora Rowlands (Tamatea).

Havelock North v Central:

3, Zane Rangi (Havelock); 2, Mark Donald (Central); 1, Johnny Robin (Havelock).

NOBM v Tech:

3, Sean Watts (Havelock); 2, Levi Guildford (Tech); 1, Sam Giddens (NOBM).

LEADERBOARD

11 points: Hugh Reed (Tech).

10 points: Mark Braidwood (Tech).

9 points: Mark Atkins (Clive).

8 points: Ausage Fomai (Hastings).