Rugby
Results in the latest round of the Moose Kapene Cup premier rugby games on Saturday ran fairly much to form.
A determined Eketahuna took on table-toppers Greytown at home with the game living up to expectations. Both sides made light of the wet, slippery conditions which made handling difficult but each looked to run the ball wide and play expansive rugby whenever possible.
Greytown took advantage of the slope and weather conditions to lead 11-0 at the break, courtesy of two Hamish Meyrick penalties and a try to Nathan Iro. Eketahuna rallied after the break and ran in two tries of their own, first to Rupeni Tamani and then Sam Monaghan, converted from wide out by Thomas Meuli, giving the home side a slender 12-11 lead. While Meuli later converted a Brendan Walker try, between times Greytown rallied and re-asserted themselves, registering tries to Iro and Tavita Isaac with one conversion to Meyrick to finally prevail 23-19.
Martinborough continued their run of form, proving too strong for Carterton 26-11. Greg Dennes scored a brace of tries for the home team while Mike Te Whare and Tipene Haira also crossed the line, with Haira adding three conversions. In reply, Mike Wakefield scored an unconverted try while Daryl Pickering and Tim Griffith each slotted a penalty.
Gladstone returned to winning ways by inflicting a 59-3 scoreline on Puketoi, running in no less than nine tries in the process. Andrew McKay, Andrew Patrick, Cameron Hayton (3), Hayden Manley, Jon Bailey, Shaun Loader and Thomas Murray all dotted down for Gladstone, with Hayton providing seven conversions. In response, Lewis Small kicked a penalty for the home side whose lack of game time over the past weeks showed.
In what must have been the result of the round, Pioneer outscored Bush Sports four tries to three in Pahiatua but had to contend with a share of the spoils in a 30-30 draw, a result which nearly doubled Sports points tally for the season. Jordan Bennett Davies, Matthew Long and Sam Marshall Wilson scored tries for Bush Sports with Jackson Clince adding three conversions and three penalties. Pioneer answered with tries to Damian Kamo Paku, Himiona Haira, Ihe Namana and Joseph Thompson. Thompson converted two of the tries and also kicked two penalties.
At Whareama, East Coast accounted for Marist 43-5 to lift the Olson Cup, played in memory of Keith Olson and his brother who both played for Marist and the Coasties. The home side scored four tries including two to first five Zeb Aporo thereby securing a bonus point.
In the senior reserves grade, Pioneer defeated Bush Sports 14-10, Eketahuna edged out Greytown 10-9, Martinborough completed the club double over Carterton 27-10 and Marist gained some revenge on East Coast, 25-23, after slotting a last-minute penalty.