Rugby: Crunch time for Wairarapa

Wairarapa Bush still have it all to play for next weekend despite suffering a second Heartland Championship rugby loss of the season yesterday.

A 12-13 setback to Horowhenua-Kapiti in Levin means Wairarapa Bush's Meads Cup ambitions will come down to their final pool A match against Buller in Masterton next Saturday

Nothing less than a win will suffice for Wairarapa Bush, who presently sit in fourth place in the pool.

The top three from each of the two pools advance to the Meads Cup with the bottom three contesting the Lochore Cup.

Pool leaders Wanganui could do Wairarapa Bush a favour next weekend by confirming their favouritism and tipping over third-placed West Coast in Wanganui.

Horowhenua-Kapiti survived a tight tussle to beat Wairarapa Bush and the difference in the end was arguably the only try of the match by 130kg Horowhenua-Kapiti prop Rahiri Connor-Johnson, who crossed in the 70th minute after ranging up in support of the ball carrier.

Wanganui's character was tested to the full before they secured a 13-7 rugby win over Buller in Westport, with penalties by Denning Tyrell, one on the stroke of halftime and the other one minute after the resumption, while Buller had a player in the sinbin, tipping the balance in their favour.

The other pool A match saw West Coast secure their third win with a 34-21 success over East Coast in Greymouth, with first five-eighth Josh Cornish an influential figure with his goalkicking and general play.

Poverty Bay suffered their first loss in pool B when a 78th-minute converted try by fullback Jimmy Owen enabled South Canterbury to pip them 16-14 in Gisborne.

But Poverty Bay's bonus point kept them atop the pool standings although another three teams are within three points of the lead entering the closing round of preliminary matches.

North Otago helped their cause by overcoming a sluggish start to the season to cross for eight tries in a rousing 55-3 win over Thames Valley in Oamaru.

That lifted them to 11 points ahead of their game against second-placed Mid Canterbury in Ashburton next Saturday.

Mid Canterbury will go into that contest confident also after two tries in as many minutes to wing Hayden Dwyer saw them beat King Country 24-12 at Te Kuiti.

Mid Canterbury were down 0-6 midway through the first half when Dwyer struck for the first time after finding space down the right-hand touchline.

He scampered 50m for that touchdown and almost immediately repeated it in similar fashion to suddenly edge Mid Canterbury clear 14-6.

HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Pool A
At Levin: Horowhenua-Kapiti 13 (Rahiri Connor-Johnson try; James Proctor 2 pen, con) Wairarapa Bush 12 (Byron Karaitiana 2 pen, Nick Olson 2 pen). Halftime: 0-6.

At Westport: Wanganui 13 (Fraser Middleton try; Denning Tyrell 2 pen, con) Buller 7 (Mitieli Kaloudigibeci try; Marcus Taylor con). Halftime: 10-7.

At Greymouth: West Coast 34 (Lee Tauti, Robert Thomson, Mitchell Sincock tries; Josh Cornish 5 pen, 2 con) East Coast 21 (Mike King, Jason Babbington tries; Nathan Langford 3 pen, con). Halftime: 26-8.

Pool B
At Gisborne: South Canterbury 16 (Jimmy Owen try; Scott Norton 3 pen, Kayne Wahlstrom con) Poverty Bay 14 (Wade Owen try; Scott Leighton 3 pen). Halftime: 6-3.

At Te Kuiti: Mid Canterbury 24 (Hayden Dwyer 2, Kieran Lindsay tries; Lindsay pen, 3 con) King Country 12 (Jared Murrell 2 pen, Kane Quinlan 2 pen). Halftime: 14-6.

At Oamaru: North Otago 55 (Ofa Fatai 2, Paula Fonokalafi 2, Daniel Waenga, Viliami Leo, Samisoni TongoTongo, Peter Breen tries; Waenga pen, 6 con) Thames Valley 3 (David Harrison pen). Halftime: 15-3.

- NZPA