Whanganui's development side showed promise against the Hurricanes Under-20s.
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It was the second game in a row that McFall Fuel Whanganui Development faced a young representative side with quality talent, and they came close to level pegging in their 21-14 defeat to Heartland Hurricanes Under-20s on Saturday.
The local side were opposing a lot of familiar faces in the curtain-raiser game at Cooks Gardens, with the Hurricanes having six Whanganui players in the match-day 23, three starting and three coming off the bench.
This included Steelform Whanganui squad members in halfback Eben Classen, who played the first half before going to warm up for the main fixture, and prop Konradd Newland in the reserves.
Atriane Marino was back in his preferred hooker role after playing in the loose forwards for the Summit Electrical Whanganui Under-20s, while second five-eighths Mitai Hemi ran onto two perfectly-weighted delayed passes from Wairarapa Bush first five Ben Alvis to score a double.
Prop Aporosa Bulivou and utility back Chad Whale were also on the bench.
Hemi scored his first try to break the deadlock in the 24th minute after his side had been camped on attack for some time, slicing through the gap and holding off the last tackler to score.
Horowhenua-Kapiti winger Max Hosking’s conversion attempt went through on a rebound off the post.
The winger then scored a good try of his own after Whanganui centre Rusiate Lalanabaravi and winger Clive Stowers had been unable to complete a strong attack at the line in the car park corner.
The ball was transferred back to the other side but spilled, and Hosking ran through to collect and fend off two dive tackle attempts to score a 50-metre-plus try, which he converted for 14-0 at the break.
But Whanganui started the second stanza well, getting a couple of penalties, and from an attacking scrum, Whanganui wider squad member Brook Tremayne offloaded to Lalanabaravi, who poked through the middle of two tacklers to dive in to score, with first five Tremayne converting.
With a brief shower of rain coming in, play became a little stop-start with more penalties creeping in before Whanganui got the equaliser through their deep bench as reserve front rower Raponi Tofa took the ball off the back of a long rolling maul to drag defenders with him and score under the heap.
Fellow replacement Wiremu Morgan slotted the extras with 18 minutes left.
But the Hurricanes stayed composed as they turned over the kickoff and worked into position - Poverty Bay No 8 Hayze Nepia attacking to the carpark corner, before the young side worked back towards the posts, and on the opposite side, Hemi hit the pass right in the gap to score untouched.
Whanganui got themselves back to the Hurricanes tryline, but fumbles with four and then two minutes remaining proved costly, with the visitors able to clear the ball and get a penalty back up field to ride the clock out.
Still, coach Danny Tamehana was happy with the progress after the 34-15 loss to the New Zealand Marist Colts.
“Still sort of getting the combinations right, but it was a game of two halves out there,” Tamehana said.
“We had the opportunity of to get that [equaliser] about five minutes towards the end, but it is what it is.
“The numbers are good. Good trainings, good turnouts, so just looking forward to the away games.”
Whanganui will now travel for two games against Wairarapa Bush Development and King Country Development, Tamehana looking forward to the squad testing themselves against provincial sides on their level.
“But I think it’s been good for the boys to see the difference in intensity [playing Colts rugby].
“They went really well, but you’ve got to bring it for 80 minutes, you can’t play 40 minutes of rugby to win the game.”
The Heartland Hurricanes, including their Whanganui manager Chris Back and assistant coach Todd Cowan, will now enter the Central Region Trophy competition against the Under-19 squads of Wellington, Manawatū and Hawke’s Bay.
Heartland Hurricanes Under-20s 21 (Mitai Hemi 2, Max Hosking; Hosking 3 con) bt Whanganui Development 14 (Rusiate Lalanabaravi, Raponi Tofa tries; Brook Tremayne con, Wiremu Morgan con). HT: 14-0.
Under-18
The Air Chathams Whanganui Under-18 wider squad has been named to muster on August 20 at Springvale Park. The team – forwards: Jeff Dorset (Marist), Jayden Garland-Lower (Pirates), Dalaney Hina-Pauro (City College), Hunter Browning (Whanganui High/City College), Harry Rowe (Ruapehu), Jack Overweel (Border), Ian Morton (Collegiate), Timothy O’Leary (Collegiate), Ratunai Latus (Collegiate), Oscar Mabin (Collegiate), Jimmy Peacock (Collegiate), Jack Robertson (Collegiate), James Hardy (Collegiate), Rudy Ioasa (Collegiate), Jack McCarthy (Collegiate), Kevin Mason (Taihape Area School), Xzaviyah Ralph (Taihape Area), Ryleigh Josephs (WHS), Mac Lawrence (WHS), Campbell McKerras (WHS), Taine Te Waaka (WHS), Jovillsi Mataitoga (Cullinane), Blane Edwards (Cullinane), Angus Hadfield (Cullinane); backs: Lachlan Fisher (Ruapehu), Tahatika Te Riaki (Ruapehu), Ben Skedgewell (Border), Angus Pearce (Collegiate), Monty Sherriff (Collegiate), Tali Ioasa (Collegiate), William Johnston (Collegiate), Noah Ioasa (Collegiate), Akiwa Koro (Marist), Tyrone Herewini-Lama (WHS), Manilla Malili-Malo-Lauano (WHS), Al-Jarreau Manu-Kuru (WHS), Jahstice Metekingi (WHS), Aseli Takavesi (WHS), Thomas Campbell (Cullinane), Thaddaius Time (Cullinane). Coaches: Mike Lama, Cornell Mason.
Schoolgirls
Cullinane College have again reversed the pecking order in their rivalry with defending champions Whanganui High in the final of the Tranzit Coachlines Secondary School Girls 10-a-side competition. Cullinane won the playoff 36-10 at muddy Spriggens Park on Thursday.
In Wednesday’s MRU Girls competition, WHS 1st XV beat Feilding High 26-17, while Cullinane hammered Dannevirke High/Tararua College 63-5.
Collegiate
It was a disappointing finish to the Central North Island competition for the Whanganui Collegiate First XV, beaten 32-5 by the Wesley College First XV in the playoff for third at Taupō’s Owen Delany Park on Saturday.
The team who beat Collegiate in the semifinals, Feilding High, made it back-to-back titles, beating St John’s Hamilton 24-17 in the championship game. On Friday, the Collegiate Second XV defeated Ruapehu College 15-8.