Metro colts upset Massey

The Metro lads packed a punch when beating Massey White 18-17 at Cooks Gardens on Saturday. Photo / Bevan Conley

St Johns Club Whanganui Metro has found the key to breach the Massey White fortress after a narrow, but confidence-building win over the multiple Manawatu McDonald's Colts division match at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.

Massey White has gone through pool play unbeaten to win the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Colts division championships, but this season the competition nemesis has had a case of the hiccups.

In round one Feilding beat Massey White and now Metro have also breached the defences winning 18-17 on Saturday.

Metro manager Chris Friedel said the game was a match to behold with even the most expert eye struggling to pick a winner until the final whistle blew.

"It was a great game," Friedel said.

"We led 8-7 at half time and ended with a win to us by a solitary point. Both teams played extremely good rugby and even though it was the start of university holidays Massey was full strength."

For Friedel and co-coaches Carl Gibson and Darryl Malcolm it was been a five year battle to finally beat the top side.

"All three of us were three years with Whanganui High School in this division and now in our second with Metro and to finally beat Massey White is a huge achievement. There are some very big boys in the Massey team."

The win ensures Metro a spot in the July 22 final and while it is mathematically possible for another team to make the final, it is highly unlikely.

"It looks like a Metro/Massey final, although they have had their bye and play Old Boys Marist this weekend and they are a pretty tidy team. We have the bye this weekend and then play Kia Toa the week before the final. Kia Toa has yet to win a game, so it should be a good warm-up for us ahead of the final."

Friedel said while the narrow victory at the weekend was a full team effort he singled out captain and blindside flanker George Forster, lock Lochie Steedman and No8 Brayden Maua for special mention.

"George has great captaining skills and marshals the troups very well leading from the front, while Lochie was outstanding at lineout time claiming quality ball for our backs.
Brayden is a real up-and-comer. We were also helped with the return of Corbin Warren (No7) from a month-long concussion break," Friedel said.