North Harbour
Massey overcame an traumatic opening when they lost flanker Michael Sele with a broken leg to continue on Saturday a remarkable domination of the North Harbour premier rugby competition.
The game against Northcote suffered a long interruption as the injured player was attended to. But the fact the match ended in near darkness did not prevent Massey winning 67-16 to maintain an unbeaten record for the season.
That gave them the first round competition by 11 points from second placed Western Pioneers, who lost their second match of the season and with it the Country Cup to Silverdale.
Silverdale won a tight contest 13-10, Western missing a chance to draw when a comfortable penalty goal attempt failed in the last minute.
North Shore finished the first round third equal with Silverdale with an easy 55-3 win over Mahurangi, with flanker Josh Blucher scoring three tries.
Takapuna moved into fifth place with a hard-fought 27-16 win over East Coast Bays, but despite a recent improvement appear to be too far away on the ladder to make the play-offs.
Marist produced a gallant effort to only lose 22-19 to Glenfield, but with Mahurangi will play the rest of the season against premier two sides. Takapuna 27 East Coast Bays 16
Glenfield 22 Marist 19
North Shore 51 Mahurangi 3
Silverdale 13 Western Pioneers 10
Massey 67 Northcote 16
Auckland
University did more than enough to see off the challenge of College Rifles with a 29-10 victory at Colin Maiden Park.
The five tries to one win was built on a dominant pack effort, where flankers Matt Matich and Nepia Fox-Matamua were ubiquitous, the scrum was ascendant and hooker Kurt Eklund tackled everything and saved a try. Varsity led 17-3 at the break, playing with a blustery wind at their backs. Matich opened the tryscoring off a lineout drive, and then a nice piece of soccer skill by fullback Simon Healy helped put impressive wings Lachlan Cooper and Ben Paltridge away. The latter finished with a swan dive of which Chris Ashton would be proud. Cooper added his own five-pointer soon afterwards. Paltridge's second was the best of the match, coming off a stolen lineout throw by Varsity. Matich was involved twice.
Rifles hit back through a fine solo try between the uprights by flanker Jeremy Innes (he and captain Hayden Edwards were industrious but swamped at the breakdown), but Varsity had the final say with a Bram Egli score off a well-weighted grubber by second five Kava Fuavao.
University appointed the club's first patron, 1955-57 Gallaher Shield winner and former All Blacks captain Sir John Graham. He made a heartfelt, eloquent and well-received speech at the after-match function, espousing the virtues and importance of club rugby.
Elsewhere, Waitemata did a 31-0 number on Marist, staying in the top two and consigning Marist to the lower half of the log.
Waitakere City, sadly, and following a couple of 100+ hidings, defaulted to Pakuranga. Few can recall the last time an Auckland premier side resorted to this measure.
Ponsonby put 82-0 on Maungarua, first five Danny Tusitala helping himself to 27 points. Grammar TEC was too strong, 43-12, for Otahuhu, while Suburbs beat Eden 43-3, helped in no small part by a hat-trick to wing Varasiko Duisokosoko. Papatoetoe made a comfortable first defence of the Sir Fred Allen Memorial Challenge Cup, shutting out neighbours East Tamaki 61-8, fullback James Faiva chalking up 26 points.
This Saturday sees some crucial match-ups, including Suburbs v Papatoetoe, Ponsonby toasting their 140 year jubilee in hosting Pakuranga, and the Dave Grace Memorial Trophy clash between Marist and University.
University 29 College Rifles 10
Grammar TEC 43 Otahuhu 12
Suburbs 43 Eden 3
Ponsonby 82 Maungarua 0
Waitemata 31 Marist 0
Papatoetoe 61 East Tamaki 8
Pakuranga beat Waitakere City by default
Counties Manukau
It took the final game in the first round for Karaka to drop their first game of the season. In a surprise result, 7th placed Waiuku were the team to break Karaka's winning run by downing them 16-15. Making the most of the wind at their backs in the opening fourty minutes, Waiuku's Braden Olsen scored the only try of the game assisting his team to take a 10-3 lead at halftime. In the second spell, Karaka came charging back with three penalties to first five Kieron Rollinson to take the lead and get the better of the territory with the wind at their back. The lead changed hands twice more before Waiuku were presented a penalty right on full time which they kicked to secure the well-deserved victory.
In a closer game than expected, Drury made Patumahoe work hard for 24-6 victory and in the process denying Patumahoe the four try bonus point. My missing the bonus point, Patumahoe slips from second on the table to finish fourth, albeit on equal points with second placed Bombay and third placed Pukekohe, but with an inferior points deferential.
Pukekohe put on an impressive performance to thoroughly out play Manurewa 51-14. Scoring six tries including a double to Sione Fifita, ensured a solid result with first five Michael Stanley converting all his teams tries and kicking an additional three penalties to finish with 21 points for the game.
In the biggest score of the round, Bombay ran in twelve tries including four to Sepuloni Taufa and three to Sam Vaka in their 84-0 thrashing of Te Kauwhata.
In the other games of the round, Onewhero beat Papakura 37-3 and Ardmore Marist outplayed Weymouth 41-0.
Waiuku 16 Karaka 15
Ardmore-Marist 41 Weymouth 0
Pukekohe 51 Manurewa 10
Patumahoe 24 Drury 6
Onewhero 37 Papakura 3
Bombay 84 Te Kauwhata 0
Thames Valley
Te Aroha College Old Boys continued their winning run, this week trouncing 2013 champions Hauraki North by 38-10 at Te Aroha. The home side's forwards dominated up front and from that platform the backline ran in the tries, including a hatrick to wing Josh Turner. Waihou had the tightest win, also at Te Aroha, scraping in 17-15 against Thames. Waihou trailed 8-7 at halftime but had the better of the second half in windy conditions.
The other matches were clear-cut results to the home sides. Waihi hosted Paeoa West and won comfortably by 36-10, while Mercury Bay trounced the visiting Whangamata side by 57-6 in difficult, windy conditions.
Waihou 17 Thames 15
Te Aroha COBRAS 38 Hauraki North 10
Mercury Bay 57 Whangamata 6
Waihi 36 Paeroa West 10
Bay of Plenty
Mount Maunganui 21 Rangiuru 15
Te Puna 13 Opotiki 10
Rangataua 39 Tauranga Sports 31
Te Puke Sports 28 Greerton-Marist 6
Whakarewarewa 22 Rotoiti 21
Waikato
Saturday's game between Hamilton Marist and Fraser Tech was vitally important to both clubs with the winner likely to have the inside running for a semi-finals berth later in the season. Last season's championship winners Marist were never tested, winning comfortably by 26-8. The green-and-whites produced a huge defensive effort in the first half and led 9-8 at the break, before kicking on to win the match comfortably. First 5/8th Wharenui Hawera had an outstanding game in his 50th appearance for the club. Hawera was successful with all three of his first half penalty goal attempts, each a difficult kick into a very srtong headwind, and then kicking a penalty goal as well as converting his side's two second half tries.
Leading sides University and Otorohanga both won well. University travelled to Cambridge and beat Hautapu 45-19, while Otorohanga hosted Melville and won as they liked by 48-6.
In the other matches, Hamilton Old Boys headed Morrinsville Sports 22-18 at Morrinsville, while at Te Awamutu the home side managed their third win of the season, trouncing Te Rapa by 51-7.
Hamilton Old Boys 22 Morrinsville Sports 18
Te Awamutu Sports 51 Te Rapa 7
Hamilton Marist 26 Fraser Tech 8
Otorohanga 48 Melville 6
University 45 Hautapu 19
Other results
Northland
Otamatea 42 Kamo 10
Hora Hora 27 Old Boys-Marist 12
Mid Northern 54 Mid-Western 12
Wellsford 61 Hikurangi 5
Waipu 54 Western Sharks 27
King Country
Waitete 80 Taupo United 0
Taumarunui R & S 31 Pio Pio 8
Kio Kio 64 Tongariro 12
Taupo Sports 51 Bush United 3
Poverty Bay
YMP 49 Horouta 14
HSOB 32 Wairoa Athletic 21
Ngatapa 10 OBM 10
Hawke's Bay
Hastings Rugby and Sports 24 Napier Old Boys Marist 20
Havelock North 24 Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 19
Napier Technical 46 Central 19
MAC 30 Clive 28
Taradale 74 Tamatea 0
Taranaki
NPOB 26 Spotswood United 16
Clifton 60 Stratford 19
Tukapa 30 Southern 24
Inglewood 18 Coastal 10
Wanganui
Marton 22 Marist 17
Taihape 28 Pirates 18
Border 34 Utiku OB 3
Ruapehu 36 Kaierau 3
Manawatu
Feilding 15 Linton Army 12
College Old Boys 33 Kia Toa 27
Old Boys-Marist 8 Varsity 6
Feilding Old Boys-Oroua 19 Freyberg 18
Horowhenua Kapiti
Paraparaumu 6 Waikanae 0
Shannon 40 Levin College Old Boys 5
Levin Wanderers 8 Levin Athletic 6
Wairarapa-Bush
East Coast 17 Martinborough 13
Greytown 23 Marist 10
Pioneer 20 Gladstone 13
Eketahuna 12 Carterton 0
Wellington
Old Boys-University 18 Tawa 16
Wainuiomata 16 Hutt Old Boys-Marist 13
Marist St Pat's 32 Wellington 5
Upper Hutt Rams 41 Johnsonville 10
Northern United 32 Poneke 30
Petone 23 Oriental-Rongotai 12
Tasman
(Tasman Trophy)
Waimea Old Boys 52 Moutere 8
Waitohi 7 Wanderers 3
Stoke 40 Renwick 25
Central 12 Wakatu Marist 8
Kahurangi 16 Harlequins 13
Nelson 37 Awatere 8
Buller
White Star 16 Westport 11
Ngakawau 25 Old Boys 0
West Coast
Blaketown 27 Kiwi 22
Marist 43 Wests 6
Grey Valley 35 South Westland 8
Canterbury
Marist-Albion 48 New Brighton 0
Lincoln University 36 Burnside 3
HSOB 37 Sydenham 30
University 20 Shirley 19
Christchurch 20 Sumner 15
Linwood 59 Belfast 5
Canterbury Country/Mid Canterbury
Darfield 36 Prebbleton 11
Hampstead 30 Kaiapoi 20
Methven 13 Southbridge 10
Rakaia 30 Ashley 10
Glenmark 22 West Melton 0
Lincoln 57 Ohoka 7
Saracens 34 Southern 24
Waihora 12 Burnham/Dunsandel/Irwin 8
South Canterbury
Harlequins 20 Celtic 17
Geraldine 13 Temuka 12
Mackenzie 14 Waimate 8
Pleasant Point 36 Old Boys 16
North Otago
Excelsior 34 Athletic-Marist 31
Old Boys 17 Valley 3
Maheno 33 Kurow 7
Otago
(Dunedin)
Taieri 38 Zingari-Richmond 0
Southern 46 Green Island 10
Harbour 31 Kaikorai 18
University A 32 Dunedin 5
Alhambra-Union 44 Pirates 10
Southland
Woodlands 17 Star 0
Pirates-Old Boys 46 Blues 15
Eastern-Northern Barbarians 19 Midlands 10
Marist beat Mataura by default
Scott Robertson's second year sparks a notable selection shake-up for the All Blacks.