In girls' rugby, the Whanganui High School 1st XV made it a championship double against rivals Cullinane College 1st XV last week. Photo / Supplied
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The McFall Fuel Whanganui Development XV has swept their two-game series with Wairarapa Bush Development XV, winning 47-21 at Spriggens Park on Saturday.
After the game was moved from being a Cooks Gardens curtain-raiser to protect that pitch from being cut up in the wet conditions, Whanganui found the visitors a stronger proposition than the side they dispatched 51-7 in Masterton two weeks ago.
After an early mistake from the kickoff, Whanganui were ripped open by hard-running first five-eighths Harry Eschenbach, who sliced through a gap and powered through two cover tacklers to score, with fullback Reece Calkin adding the extras in front.
Needing to strike back, Whanganui got on attack from a penalty and second five-eighths Tiari Mumby, one of a handful of Steelform Whanganui squad members stepping back, slipped under his marker and pumped his way to the line through four other defenders to score, with centre Jack O'Leary converting the try.
Shortly after, first five Tyrone Albert tried a cross-kick that took a horror bounce for the Wairarapa Bush winger, with halfback Kahl Elers-Green swooping through to claim it and put winger CJ Stowers over out wide, O'Leary adding the difficult extras for a 14-7 turnaround.
Whanganui got position for Albert to try another high cross-kick and again it worked as this time Stowers was right there when the ball was spilled, running off to score and set up a 21-7 halftime lead.
The home side then kept up the momentum after the break as reserve Josaia Dawai attacked the line and popped the ball up in the tackle to lock Ben O'Leary to dive over, Albert taking over the kicking and converting off the upright.
The visitors were not done however, as a string of penalties brought them down into Whanganui's corner pocket, where despite some strong goal-line defence against the forwards, Eschenbach charged off the last ruck to force his way through to reduce the deficit to 28-14.
Whanganui then lost Albert to a serious leg injury, but were able to call on the pace of Whanganui Heartland squad member Peceli Malanicagi, who from a penalty lineout win was able to dash outside his man and score out wide, Elers-Green keeping the goal-kicking sheet perfect with another difficult conversion.
The hosts were then required to spend a lot of time defending in their own half, due to a mounting infringement count and missing touch three times when getting relieving penalties of their own, and despite some solid tackling, the weight of possession told and reserve forward Zac Wakefield scored beside the ruck.
With the score closer than it should have been at 35-21 with the clock running down, Whanganui finished strongly. From a 50-metre lineout, Malanicagi skipped through a tackler and again dashed off and into a gap to outstrip the chasers and score.
Stowers, flanker Brett Joyes, Ben O'Leary and reserve winger Tasi Kabukaua then dealt out short passes between themselves to get back down on attack, where a high tackle meant a tap kick and Dawai putting flanker Regan Collier through under the posts, with Mumby slotting the extras on fulltime.
Counting the previous victory, Stowers and Malanicagi finished with seven and five tries respectively against Wairarapa Bush.
Other strong performers were Joyes, Collier, Mumby and hooker Ash Tamihana, while it was pleasing to see Whanganui Heartland lock Josh Lane make his comeback from injury and get through 71 minutes of solid work.
"The boys were pretty happy, not having to play on the [Masterton] turf, so they were pretty keen on getting out there," said coach Danny Tamehana.
"It wasn't too bad at times - a little messy, that set piece, but a good finish in the end.
"The boys were looking forward to the last game. It's been a mean campaign."
This was scheduled to be Whanganui's final match, although there is a slight chance their deferred game with Wellington Samoans may still happen.
Whanganui Development XV 47 (C Stowers 2, P Malanicagi 2, T Mumby, B O'Leary, R Collier tries; J O'Leary 3 con, T Albert con, K Elers-Green con, Mumby con) bt Wairarapa Bush Development XV 21 (H Eschenbach 2, Z Wakefield tries; R Calkin 3 con). HT: 21-7.
GIRLS FINALS: The Whanganui High School (WHS) 1st XV were able to make it a championship double against rivals Cullinane College 1st XV during the week. First, the sides met in an all-Whanganui playoff at Palmerston North's Ongley Park in the MRU Secondary Schools final, with WHS winning 42-10. It was much more competitive in the WRFU 10-a-side final on Thursday at Spriggens Park. Having traded title wins in the past two years, defending champions WHS got up 44-34.
MĀORI GIRLS: There were further honours for some of Whanganui's schoolgirls as WHS captain Hayley Gabriel and Cullinane's Waimarie Rauhina and Anahera Hamahona were selected for the New Zealand Rugby National Under 18 Māori Development Camp, being held September 15-18 in Rotorua. The three players attended the three Regional E Tu Toa camps held in July.
UNDER 15: The Whanganui Under 15 girls finished their short representative campaign with a 45-7 loss to the Manawatū Under 15 girls in Palmerston North on Saturday.