Old Boys Marist, which have the last-round bye next Saturday, scored the first points and came back strongly, falling short of the win but taking two bonus points for the third time in four losses, part of a haul of 13 in their 10 games, which also included five wins and a draw.
Marist first five-eighths Jonty Stewart kicked a penalty and two conversions to continue as the competition’s top points-scorer, with 117 to his name.
Remaining four points clear of second-placed Taradale, who they beat 34-14 on April 29, Tech would have to be part of one of sport’s more significant form reversals to not wrap their arms around the Cup again after next Saturday’s final round against Tamatea, who haven’t scored even a bonus point this season.
On Saturday, Tamatea were beaten 100-22 by cross-town Hastings rival MAC in Flaxmere, with a tally now of 551 scored against the side in their nine losses, an average of over 61 points per game.
MAC scored 16 tries - racing away to a 31-3 lead at the start of the second quarter and up 59-8 at halftime - eventually including three tries to hooker and captain Damaris Hokianga, in his 50-match blazer Premier game for the club, and a penalty try. First five-eighths Joshua Coward scored a try and kicked six conversions.
One of the three other conversions was kicked by midfield back Vailoa Kereti, who first played in Hawke’s Bay for Tamatea while employed as a seasonal worker in New Zealand and who has now played in 100 matches for MAC since 2015.
Dannevirke club Aotea’s hopes of playing Maddison Trophy rugby for a second time in just two seasons back in Premier rugby - albeit already slim as they’d drifted seven points off the target of six after also conceding a century seven days earlier - finally ended at Elwood Park, Hastings, when the competition’s most-travelled side were beaten 66-12 by a Hastings Rugby and Sports side who confirmed their place in the top six, scoring 10 tries, including three to fullback Bryson Crawford-Pakoti.
First five-eighths Koby Deacon landed six conversions, and another was converted by Danny Toala, back for the day from Super Rugby Pacific side Moana Pasifika.
It was only the second time in the competition Aotea had been restricted to less than 20 points, but one of their two tries went to wing Sam Jones, who remained the competition’s top try-scorer, now with 13.
In the other match, in Waipukurau, with just a home match against Aotea remaining, Central enhanced their chances of an eventual third placing with a 26-18 win over Napier Pirate, who were shunted back to seventh and need to beat Taradale next Saturday to have a chance to get back to the Maddison Trophy rugby the 2015 champion club have been missing from since 2020.
One of Central’s three tries was scored by wing Kaliova Mocetadra, his 10th of the season (equal second-best). First five-eighths Jordan Soli’s three conversions took him to 107 points in his first season of Premier rugby, while Japanese acquisition Ryo Kikkawa scored two tries for Pirate.
The top six in the Nash Cup will play a five-week Maddison Trophy round-robin, with the semifinals on July 8, and the final capping a five-grade finals weekend at McLean Park in Napier the following weekend.
Results:
Hastings Rugby and Sports 66 (Bryson Crawford-Pakoti 3, John Palu, Oscar Sowman, Saifiti Saifiti, Patrick Tuifua, Isaac Hinton, Jessie Lesa-Sipaia, Jardine Chungching tries; Koby Deacon 7, Danny Toala conversions) Aotea 12 (Samuel Jones, Gene Ropoama tries; Zane Taite conversion).
Taradale 32 (Majella Tufuga 2, Angelo Mufana, Iakopo Petelo Mapu, Dylan Gallien, Thomas Eden tries; Dylan Ramsay conversion) Napier Old Boys Marist 27 (Kere Penitito 2, Matthew Monaghan, Pedro Bezanilla tries; Jonty Stewart penalty, 2 conversions).
MAC 100 (Damarus Hokianga 3, Lexus Greening 2, Elia Bari, Solomone Fono, Abraham Lauaki, Joshua Coward, Fa’alemiga Selesele, Meni Manase, Josiah Sakaria, Thomas Kirikiri, Hateni Tafolo, Roger Paewai tries; penalty try; Joshua Coward 6, Hateni Tafolo, Vailoa Kereti, Fa’alemiga Selesele conversions) Tamatea 22 (Muli Tuanaki, Rongowhitiao Maaka, Ramo Leef tries; Darcey Gilbert penalty, conversion; Oranga Harris conversion).
Napier Tech Old Boys 32 (Bethel Luotele Malasia, Ben Lewis, Troy McIvor, Ted Walters tries; Sheridan Rangihuna 2 penalties, 3 conversions) Havelock North 7 (Tuaniu Tuaniu try; Sam Walton-Sexton conversion).
Central 26 (George Macpherson, Kaliova Mocetadra, Frank Lochore, Jeri Kavekai tries; Jordan Soli 3 conversions) Napier Pirate 18 (Ryo Kikkawa 2, Kassidy Ewart tries; Tipene Maxwell penalty).
Points: Napier Tech Old Boys 44, Taradale 40, Napier OBM 35, Central 33, Hastings R&S 29, MAC 27, Napier Pirate 24, Aotea 17, Havelock North 14, Clive 6, Tamatea 0.
Draw for the last round of the Nash Cup next Saturday (home teams first): MAC v Hastings Rugby and Sports, Havelock North v Clive, Napier Pirate v Taradale, Napier Tech Old Boys, Central v Aotea (Napier OBM bye).
Division 2 (Tom Mulligan Cup): Napier Tech OB Napier Pirate 36, Napier OBM 48 Hastings R&S 24, Waipawa Country United 25 Bridge Pā 24, Pōrangahau 15 Ōtāne 15.
Division 2A: Taradale 39 Havelock North 31, MAC 33 Central 29, Takapau 33, Eskview 19.
Division 3 (Maury Coady Cup): Taradale 55 Flaxmere 7, Napier Pirate 82 Napier OBM 7, Maraenui 32 Havelock North 22, Clive beat Bridge Pā by default, Tamatea bye.
Colts (Pat Ryan Memorial Trophy): Taradale 38 Clive 36, Napier Pirate 34 Napier Tech OB 20, Hastings R&S 41 Onga-Tiko 17, Havelock North 40 Napier OBM 0.
Women (Big Barrel Championship Cup): Clive 22 Hastings R&S 17.
