Rugby
Three teams have already booked their places in the semifinals of the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's Tui Cup premier division rugby competition and a fourth is tantalisingly close to doing the same.
Already through to the last four with still two series of preliminary round matches to be played are Pioneer (31pts), Greytown (25) and Eketahuna (24) and if East Coast (19) beat Gladstone (11pts) at Whareama next weekend they will join them there.
A Gladstone win in that match, would mean their fate and East Coast's would come down to the following weekend when East Coast would be away to Eketahuna and Gladstone to Carterton.
Competition leaders Pioneer might have picked up the maximum five points for their 34-31 win over Marist at Memorial Park on Saturday but even their most ardent supporters would agree that Marist "won" the game everywhere but on the scoreboard.
Marist took the game to Pioneer right from the word go and it took a last-minute penalty by their impressive halfback Joseph Thompson for Pioneer to get their noses in front when it mattered most.
Marist will be rueing three missed penalty attempts by the usually reliable James Goodger but such was his storming performance in general play he could easily be forgiven for them. His versatility was illustrated by Marist using him in the forwards at lineout time and otherwise in the midfield backs where his powerful running and tackling was always apparent.
Another interesting positional change for Marist was having veteran Ben Couch at hooker rather than his more accustomed role of loose forward and, like Goodger, he relished the challenge, grafting away diligently in the tighter exchanges yet still making some storming runs with ball in hand.
Justin Fricker and Kieran O'Brien were two other Marist forwards to shine while the inside combination of halfback Abel Ripene and first-five Pua Tafa also shone.
This was not one of Pioneer's most memorable games but their performance reflected the old adage of good teams always being able to find a way to win even when under pressure. Nathan Rolls, Conan Gray and Stacey Rewai-Arnold were the pick of their forwards while Thompson had a huge impact at halfback and Himiona Haira impressed as a young first-five of immense promise. Charlie Brown, Damian Kamo-Paku, Nathan Rolls and Nikora Ewe scored tries for Pioneer and Joseph Thompson kicked four conversions and two penalties. Pua Tafa (2), Rhys Severn and Couch scored tries for Marist and Goodger landed one penalty and four conversions.
Bush Sports produced their most convincing display of the season with a six-try 40-14 beating of Martinborough, three of the tries being scored by Heartland contender Jordan Bennett-Davies. Braden Woodmass, Alan Harding and Matthew Walker all got one try and Bennett-Davies added five conversions. Josh Hawkins and Phil Aporo scored the tries for Martinborough and Tipene Haira and Thomas Te Kani both kicked one conversion.
Pacy outside back Tavita Isaac ran in a hat-trick of tries for Greytown in their 41-8 defeat of Carterton. Other try-scorers were Tana Isaac, Rihi Brown (2) and Joseph Sio and Hamish Meyrick kicked three conversions. Lachie McFadzean scored Carterton's sole try and Danny Brown kicked a penalty.
Eketahuna and Gladstone met under lights at Gladstone on Friday night and it was Eketahuna who ran out winners 26-8. They ran in three tries through Anthony Eagle, Tom Meuli and Johan Van Vliet and Meuli also kicked one conversion and three penalties. Andrew McKay scored a try for Gladstone and Cameron Hayton kicked a penalty.
Confirmed senior reserve results: Marist 42, Pioneer 29; East Coast 25, Carterton 10; Masterton Red Star 27, Martinborough 14.