Marist take the Challenge Shield and stay alive in playoff race

Double tryscorer Cameron Crowley on the bust for Marist in their cruical win over Ruapehu at Rochfort Park on Saturday. Photos by Maxine Hakaraia

The curse of Tasman Tanning Premier leadership and the hot potato journey of the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield continued in Ohakune on Saturday.

Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist claimed the prize and stay alive in season 2018 while McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu were shut out of the points in their 28-8 loss at Rochfort Park.

A competition which has seen more twist and turns than a barbed wire fence served up another, as Marist's tall forwards and veteran backs defended grimly for the majority of the first half as Ruapehu dominated territory, and then first-five Pene Nabainivalu and the estimable Cameron Crowley led the breakout with three quick-fire tries over the 20 minutes on either side of halftime.

Suddenly, Ruapehu looked right out of sorts and regressed to aimless attacking kicks, while their cover defence dropped off crucial tackles as Crowley and fellow try-scoring second-five Josaia Bogileki began to find the holes.

Marist coach Jerome McCrea showed big faith in his starting XV, especially the forward pack, as he did not make any substitutions until the 75th minute with a 21-8 lead and Ruapehu going a man down when halfback turned winger Kahl Elers-Green was sinbinned for a high tackle.

Having been under the pump for nearly 30 minutes to start the game, both at the scrum and ruck, it was Marist's big men who finished the stronger with lock Taione Ratu, flanker Sam Madams, prop Viki Tofa and hooker Jack Yarrell turning in excellent 80 minute shifts.

It was Nabainivalu and young fullback Ashton Coates' first time playing at the slightly higher altitude on the muddy Rochfort field, and it took them a while to get sighted with their line kicks, gifting Ruapehu extra territory with possession.

But once Coates accepted the first job was getting the ball out rather than trying to pinch an extra 5-10m to the other side of halfway, Marist settled into their work.

Even without Campbell Hart (fractured eye socket), Ruapehu should have had the firepower to convert momentum onto the scoreboard.

First-five Mitchell Millar had good direction in the opening changes, booting his team to a 3-0 lead, while flankers Jack Kinder and Jamie Hughes pressured the home team and prop Gabriel Hakaraia was loving his tussle with Tofa.

But the ball was just transferred from sideline to sideline and eventually came unstuck.

Midfielders Craig Clare and Troy Brown were unable to crack the Marist cover defence, while wingers Shaquille Waara and Corey Carmichael, the latter nursing a sore shoulder, were well covered, other than one defensive slip where Clare got free to put Carmichael over in the far corner after Marist's scoring burst.

The home side rotated their bench more, but in the last quarter did not have the answer to Marist's pack, with only captain Roman Tutauha proving their equal, as the visitors forced a 5m scrum and reserve halfback Sean Cummins sliced over for what could prove a priceless fourth try.

Ruapehu coach Daisy Alabaster was going back to analyse why his in-form team had all the quality ball in the first 30-odd minutes and did little of good with it.

"We gave them a bonus point and we got nothing," he said.

"They played with a bit more passion than us. We played like we were already in the final.

"Back to training – that's it."

McCrea knew his team's 80th minute try for the bonus could be "gold".

While the team remains in sudden death mode for a semifinal berth heading into their last home match with Byford's Readimix Taihape, McCrea believes his top men can be in it from the opening whistle to the closing.

"Because of our skeleton crew earlier, most of these guys have been playing 80 minutes anyway.

"I'm just happy for the boys, they're having fun, enjoying their rugby now.

"We're not saying much to them, they're driving this stuff."

Ruapehu lock Andrew Evans claims the lineout ball.

It looked anything like fun for the visitors in the opening exchanges as Coates struggled to find the sideline whereas Mitchell was pinpoint in putting Marist back into their own corners.

Hakaraia went close to the tryline after taking the ball at the back of a Ruapehu lineout, and while Marist's defence right on the chalk held, they infringed and Mitchell had an easy shot in front.

Kinder charged down a Marist clearance to trap them deep, and only Coates good tackle on Carmichael stopped a try on the other side.

Marist held on at scrum time, but Ruapehu's back three were catching the clearances right on the chalk to run back into their half, with Mitchell just missing another penalty attempt.

Even when Marist got back to midfield for Ratu to attack, Hughes and the Ruapehu forwards good force the turnover.

Suddenly, after being kept quiet, Ruapehu let the first class veteran Nabainivalu run and he made them pay – squeezing through a half gap with Kinder just hanging onto his jersey and setting up Crowley, who can pivot off both feet at full speed, and when he saw no obvious support he still out-stripped the cover defence to go under the posts.

Rejuvenated, Marist began to find traction, while Ruapehu still had territory but began making basic errors with a kick straight to Coates and a forward pass to the Waara wing.

The decisive plays came just after halftime as Marist exploded onto attack, with Bogileka haring after a Nabunalavu grubber kick and in the confusion of the Ruapehu cover sliding in to grab it, the Marist second-five wrenched the ball free and dived over for 14-3.

Straight from the kickoff, winger Simon Dibben charged through to catch Marist's clearing bomb at pace, and while Marist tried it again, it seemed Ruapehu were out of danger when Tutauha saved it and Ruapehu cleared.

But having missed touch, the broken defensive line danger played right into Crowley's hands, as the master just pinned the ears back to run through centre field, catching out Mitchell who has running backwards looking over his shoulder, and committed too late to stop Crowley diving over in the tackle for 14 points in three minutes.

Ruapehu collected themselves to hit back following a tap kick and charge by No8 Andrew Evans, with the ball then transferred wide for Clare to beat his man and put Carmichael over.

But the home side never got close to the line again as Marist clicked into another gear, with only a great tackle by Ruapehu fullback George Williams denying the rampant Bogileka another try, while Crowley's pass to winger Luke Foster was just too low with the line open.

Madams was fired up and urged his pack forward as they ground Ruapehu down, now living in their half, and after Elers-Green's dismissal, they encamped on the 5m to get the scrum for Cummins to slide across and nab the bonus point.

Grand Hotel Challenge Shield: Marist 28 (Cameron Crowley 2, Josaia Bogileka, Sean Cummins tries; Ashton Coates 2 con, Peni Nabainivalu 2 con) bt Ruapehu 8 (Corey Carmichael try; Mitchell Miller pen). HT: 7-3.