Rugby: Pirates bury Ratana under Spriggens Park

Pirates flanker Fa'amanu Manutilila running away to just causally put the ball down. A recurring sight in Pirates 125-0 destruction of Ratana on Saturday.

Black Bull Liquor Pirates visited a nightmare on winless Harvey Round Motors Ratana at Spriggens Park on Saturday with the biggest blowout in well over a decade for Tasman Tanning Premier rugby.

Pirates, with their talented group of young Samoans, ran up 19 tries in a 125-0 execution - more than enough to confirm their semifinal spot as fifth-placed PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape lost to Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist earlier in the afternoon.

Pirates coach Phillip Morris said with the works being closed during the week, he was able to have his entire squad together for full practices.

But even he could not have imagined scoring tries every four minutes, often only the time it took for Ratana to jog back to halfway for another restart.

"She was kickoff, a couple of hit ups, tried to keep the structure and we were just too strong and too fast," said Morris.

"The Ratana boys never gave up. Their composure after the game, the way they carried themselves, you got to feel for them."

Second-five Vaovasa Afa'sua scored four tries, as did prop Raymond Epati in an extraordinary recurrence of his quartet a fortnight ago in the 74-0 win over Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau.

"He's just something different, isn't he? He's got that canny knack to put himself into space," said Morris.

Halfback Fa'alele Iosua was "his usual sniping self" and got a hat trick, while winger Junior Ainea picked up a double.

As soul-destroying as the scoreline was for Ratana, who are trying to rebuild their club around youngsters, it was not the Whanganui club record.

Morris himself had previously been involved in the previous biggest massacres, as Kaierau destroyed Waiouru 168-0 in 1997, while also blitzing Marton 133-0 in 2004.

Pirates centre Siulagi Lafi with ball finds another gap at Spriggens Park.