Winning 11 of 12 matches with an average score of 40-14, Waverley Harvesting Border amassed the most points (475) and tries (72) in the Whanganui premier club rugby season. Photo / Supplied
Border deservedly joined the ranks of double Whanganui premier club rugby champions during a 2021 season notable for a few twists in the dying few weeks.
Winning 11 of 12 matches with an average score of 40-14 Waverley Harvesting Border amassed the most points (475) and tries (72), but were fully extended to hold out tenacious "underdogs" Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 23-18 in a thrilling final marred by atrocious driving rain squalls that swept down Cooks Gardens.
Border had disposed of the Kaiwhakas 37-10 and 44-7 during the qualifying rounds, but struck revitalised opposition from opponents who had completely surprised 2019 champions Byford's Readi-Mix Taihape 16-5 in a major semifinal upset at Memorial Park.
Like Border, Taihape had twice beaten Kaierau in qualifying fixtures – 32-8 and 24-3 – but the city squad, suddenly free of injuries, sprung a match winner in the form of goalkicker Ethan Robinson who scored all 16 points for a halftime lead that was sufficient for a sudden-death 16-5 semifinal victory.
The result should not have come out of the blue for the locals because the visitors had also won on the same field in both the previous two seasons, but this time it was cut-throat and out went the Northern Whanganui domestic champions.
It was the eighth time in the past nine years that Taihape had qualified in the Top 4 but defeat ruined the hopes of a finals berth for only the fourth time since the merger of Taihape Pirates and Huia in 1999.
It also washed out a third-successive-year crack at playing Border for the title.
Kaierau, on the other hand, celebrated long and hard at reaching the club's first final since 2011.
And fair enough because Taihape had qualified for the semis with twice as many championship points as Kaierau, winning nine games compared with four.
Border, as anticipated, proved too classy for Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist in the other semifinal, winning 39-11, but it was a tremendous achievement by the men in green to reach the playoffs for the first time in five years thanks to winning three of the last four qualifying games, including 22-21 at Kaierau.
Then came a forecast wet finals day and, remarkably, there was a good turnout thanks to covered stands. And they were needed when the torrential driving rain and strong wind arrived just before halftime.
Border took control for a 17-3 lead, but four Robinson penalty goals cut the lead to 17-12 at the turn.
With the elements at their backs Border looked set to easily join the ranks of back-to-back champions, but the Kaierau forwards knuckled down into the gale, and the second-spell honours were shared 6-all.
Again it was the accurate boot of Robinson, who for the second time in a week provided all of his side's points with six penalty goals, this time in difficult conditions, that helped keep his team within striking distance.
Border, on the strength of scoring the only two tries of the final, deserved the narrow 23-18 victory to round off a successful campaign.
Star of the Tasman Tanning club season was Border's ultra-fast winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone with four hat-tricks in his club-record 23-try tally, while his 115 points were also top in 2021.
Border boasted a strong squad, well led by skipper Angus Middleton (11 tries including one in the final and player of the final award winner) and evergreen back maestro Craig Clare who collected his fourth club championship title.
Robinson stood out for Kaierau with 34 of his 91 points coming in the two playoff fixtures that enabled the maroons to salvage a successful season and continue a rankings improvement of 5, 4, 3, 2 since 2018.
The "ageless" Ace Malo played a key role in helping Kaierau survive a testing player-injury period of six losses in seven outings and reach the playoffs.
Taihape's 28-17 Grand Hotel Challenge Shield home trophy win over Border gave the team a consolation for the year with the Whale brothers, Dane (75 points) and Ben (seven tries), prominent.
But dropping only two games all season and missing the final was a real body blow for Taihape, winners of the Weeks Cup and as the overall champion club in the union.
Marist, who scalped two 2020 semifinalists, Kaierau and McCarthy Transport Ruapehu, recovered well to return to the top-four ranks.
Ruapehu will need rebuilding after missing the playoff for the first time in 14 years, managing only two victories, both against Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri who, despite fielding a new elusive winger in Joeli Cauca (nine tries), rounded out the six-club premier ranks.
Waverley Harvesting Border (Champions – Top qualifiers, 45 points) –
Played 12, Won 11, Lost 1, Points For 475, Against 162, Differential 313, Average score 40-14, Tries for 72, Against 22.
Match record:
Home – Beat Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri 54-14, Byford's Readi-Mix Taihape 39-22, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 37-10, Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 33-5 and 39-11 (SF), McCarthy Transport Ruapehu 58-17.
Away – Beat Marist 39-10, Ruapehu 41-10, Ngamatapouri 51-10, Kaierau 44-7 and 23-18 (Final), Lost to Taihape 17-28.
Most points – Vereniki Tikoisolomone 115, Nick Harding 66, Angus Middleton and Craig Clare 55, Semi Vodosese 35, Ross McDonald and Alekesio Vakarorogo 20.
Most tries – Tikoisolomone 23, Middleton 11, Vodosese 7, McDonald and Vakarorogo 4, Tyrone Albert and Tom Symes 3.
Try-scorers – 18.
Placings since 2011 – 6, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2, 1, 1.
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau (Runners-up – Qualified 3rd, 22 points) –
P 12, W 5, L 7, Pts for 210, Ag 242, Diff - 32 pts, Av score 18-20, Tries for 26, Ag 34.
Match Record:
Home – Beat Ruapehu 36-5, Ngamatapouri 27-13. Lost to Marist 21-22, Border 7-44, Taihape 3-24.
Away – Beat Marist 30-5, Taihape 16-5 (SF). Ruapehu 22-15. Lost to Border 10-37, Taihape 8-32, Ngamatapouri 12-17.
Most points – Ethan Robinson 91, Karl Pascoe 20.
Most tries – Pasoe and Robinson 4, Joe Edwards 3. Try scorers – 14.
Placings since 2011 – 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Byford's Readi-Mix Taihape (Third – Qualified 2nd, 44 points) –
P 11, W 9, L 2, Pts for 324, Ag 153, BP 8, Av score 32-15, Tries for 50, Ag 21.
Match Record:
Home – Beat Ruapehu 38-22, Marist 81-14, Kaierau 32-8, Ngamatapouri by default, Border 28-17. Lost to Kaierau 5-16 (SF).
Away – Beat Ngamatapouri 52-7, Ruapehu 25-22, Marist 17-5, Kaierau 24-3. Lost to Border 22-39.
Most points – Dane Whale 75, Tyler Rogers-Holden 40, Ben Whale 35, Tiari Mumby, Beau Walker and Dylan Gallien 20.
Most tries – Rogers-Holden 8, Ben Whale 7, Mumby, Walker and Gallien 4, Tyrese Payne, James Barrett and Tim Goodwin 3. Try scorers – 19.
Placings since 2011 – 6, 7, 4, 4, 3, 2, 6, 3, 1, 2, 3.
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist (Fourth – Qualified 4th, 19 pts)–
P 11 ,W 4, L 7, Pts for 174, Ag 334, Diff -160 Av score 16-30, Tries for 27, Ag 51,
Match Record –
Home – Beat Ngamatapouri 32-17, Ruapehu 17-13, Lost to Border 10-39, Kaierau 5-30, Taihape 5-17.
Away – Beat Kaierau 22-21, Ngamatapouri 31-15, Loat to Ruapehu 22-29, Taihape 14-81, Border 5-33 and 11-39 (SF).
Most points – Rangi Kui 36, Jack Yarral 20.
Most tries – Yarrall 4, Kui, Viki Tofa 3.Try Scorers – 14.
Placings since 2011 – 4, 6, 7, 9, 6, 3, 3, 6, 5, 5, 4 .
McCarthy Transport Ruapehu (Fifth, 15 points) -
P 10, W 2, L 8, Pts for 188, Ag 312, Pts Diff -124, Av score 19-31. Tries for 29, Ag 50.
Match record:
Beat Marist 29-27, Ngamatapouri 34-27. Lost to Border 10-41. Kaierau 25-22, Taihape 22-25,
Away – Lost to Kaierau 5-36, Taihape 22-38, Ngamatapouri 21-26, Marist 13-17, Border 17-58.
Most points – Roman Tutauha 25, Tuhirangi Akapita 21. Gabriel Hakaraia 20.
Most tries – Tutauha 5, Hakaraia 4, Campbell Hart and Ben Waiwai 3. Try scorers – 16.
Placings since 2011 – 3, 1, 1, 2, 4, 4, 1, 1, 3, 4, 5.
Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri (Sixth, 11 points) –
P 10 W 2 L 8 Pts for 146, Ag 314.Pts Diff -168. Av score 15-31. Tries for 23, Ag 49.
Match Record –
Home – Beat Ruapehu 26-21, Kaierau 17-12. Lost to Taihape 7-52, Border 10-51, Marist 15-31
Away – Lost to Border 14-54, Kaierau 13-27, Marist 17-32, Ruapehu 27-34, Taihape by default.
Most points – Joeli Cauca 45, Brook Tremayne 24, Te Rau Wirihana 22, Timoci Seruwalu 20,
Most tries – Cauca 9, Seruwalu 4, Wirihana and Emetai Logadraudrau 3.
Placings since 2017 – 7, 7, 7, 6, 6 .