Wanganui Rugby
The race for Tasman Tanning Premier's second home semifinal berth has closed back up with Waverley Harvesting Border once again reclaiming the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield, beating Speirs Food Marton, while Taihape turned on a try fest against Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist on Saturday.
Shaking off the disappointment of dropping the Shield to Marton the previous weekend, while being reinforced by the return of flanker Marcus Totman, Taihape ran in 10 tries at Spriggens Park in the first game of the Premier double header, winning 55-7.
Leading 31-7 at the break, Taihape kept the foot down with winger Jaye Flaws scoring his second try after a series of one handed passes between himself, No8 Tremaine Gilbert and centre Cyrus Paringatai from inside their own half.
Winger Luke Whale regathered a chip in open spaces to dash away untouched and score the converted try to raise 50 points, then brother Dane Whale linked in a passing interplay with Flaws to bring up Taihape's biggest total for the year and second highest overall in Premier after the 80-0 flogging McCarthy's Ruapehu gave Utiku Old Boys in April.
Down at Marton Park, Border scored a try in each half to once again get back on the bus with the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield in tow, winning an arm wrestle 15-3.
Halfback Lindsay Horrocks scored in the first half, earning another MVP point to move just ahead in the standings from his Ruapehu rival William Short, while big prop Kamipeli Latu added the second try in the final quarter to see his team home.
Integrity Motors Pirates losing to Ruapehu in the other Spriggens Park game means Border, at least temporarily, move back into second position, although their Shield defence against Marist next Saturday is their last game before taking the bye in the final round-robin weekend.
Taihape's comprehensive mauling of Marist also all-but signalled the end of Harvey Round Motors Ratana's fleeting hopes of a semifinal spot, despite beating Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 10-8 at the Country Club.
A number of key Kaierau players had missed training and were relegated to the bench to start the match, sitting alongside veteran fullback Ace Malo, who was making a tentative comeback after breaking his cheekbone in May.
Ratana scored their tries through props Kapene Paki and Matthew Wineera, with Kaierau flanker Regan Calder scoring in reply.
Jordan Farrington's penalty for Kaierau would be the only points of the second half to close the gap, but not enough to carry Kaierau to a fifth win this season.
It was a tight weekend in the Senior championship with two games ending in stalemate.
Fighting to keep their semifinal hopes alive, Border nearly emulated their Premier team as a missed kick was all that kept them from taking the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield off competition leaders Power Farming (PN) Hunterville, settling for a 12-12 draw.
Border scored a converted try in the first half, then conceded two to the home team before coming back with a late equaliser.
At the Wanganui Racecourse, Marist Celtic and Tech took turns doing all the scoring in each half to be locked 17-17 by fulltime.
In the Senior consolation, Counties stay on top by virtue of the bye, while Marton comfortably beat Utiku Old Boys 44-6 and Kaierau continued their late season hunt for respectability, beating Ratana 13-0.
Results, July 5
Tasman Tanning Premier, Week 16
Taihape 55 (Tremaine Gilbert 2, Jaye Flaws 2, Johnson Hiroa, Marcus Totman, Jeremy Gilbert, Luke Whale, Dane Whale tries, Tom Wells 5 con) bt Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 7 (Tom Nepia try, Sean Brown con). HT: 31-7.
McCarthy's Ruapehu 11 (Roman Tutauha try, Zyon Hekenui 2 pen) bt Integrity Motors Pirates 10 (Kameli Kuruyabaki try, Manulua Lafi pen, con). HT: 10-6 Pirates.
Harvey Round Motors Ratana 10 (Kapene Paki, Matthew Wineera tries) bt Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 8 (Regan Calder try, Jordan Farrington pen). HT: 10-5.
Grand Hotel Challenge Shield - Waverley Harvesting Border 15 (Lindsay Horrocks, Kamipeli Latu tries, Jack Lupton pen, Sikeli Ulukuta con) bt Speirs Food Marton 3 (Jake Karaynidis pen). HT: 7-3.
Bye: Utiku OB.
Grand Irish Bar Most Valuable Player points
At Spriggens Park: Tremaine Gilbert (Taihape No 8) 3 points, Marcus Totman (Taihape flanker) 2, Ian Hawkes (Marist flanker) 1.
At Spriggens Park: Andrew Evans (Ruapehu No 8) 3, Sonny Woodmass (Ruapehu lock), Manulua Lafi (Pirates No 8) and Ricky Boniface (Pirates halfback) 1 point each.
At Kaierau Country Club: Isaac Fonotoe (Ratana prop) 3, Ephraim Reynolds (Kaierau No 8) 2, Taylor Kirkwood (Kaierau fullback) 1.
At Marton Park: Kamipeli Latu (Border prop) 3, Chris Rayner (Marton flanker) 2, Lindsay Horrocks (Border halfback) 1.
MVP leaders: Lindsay Horrocks (Border) 18 points, William Short (Ruapehu) 17, Andrew Evans (Ruapehu), Ryan Gill (Marist) and Manulua Lafi (Pirates) 12, Ray Stark (Border) 11, Sikeli Ulukuta (Border), Vaan Rauhina (Ratana), Marcus Totman (Taihape) and Clive Stowers (Pirates) 10, Darren Munro (Kaierau) 9, Jamie Hughes (Ratana) 8, Simon Hillis (Pirates), Hoani Rameka (Utiku OB), Ephraim Reynolds (Kaierau) and Nick Cranston (Ruapehu) 7, Isaac Greer, Chris Thomsen and Chris Rayner (Marton), Zyon Hekenui (Ruapehu), Brett Nicholls (Taihape), Simon Dibben and Rory Gudsell (Marist) 6, Dane Whale and Jaye Flaws (Taihape), Michael Nabuliwaqa (Utiku OB), Logan Vaughan (Ruapehu), Josh Edwards (Kaierau) and Junior Tume (Pirates) 5.
Senior championship, Week 16
At Racecourse: Ruapehu bt Pirates 46-7. HT: 33-0.
At Racecourse: Marist Celtic drew with Tech 17-17. HT: 17-0 Tech.
At Hunterville: Power Farming (PN) Hunterville drew with Border 12-12. HT: 7-0 Border.
Senior Consolation, Week 16
At Racecourse: Marist Buffalo's bt Taihape 31-15.
At Kaierau Country Club: Kaierau bt Ratana 13-0. HT: 3-0.
At Marton Park: Marton bt Utiku OB 44-6.
Bye: Counties.