Wanganui Development XV fullback Sheldon Pakinga-Manhire fires out a pass during his team's loss to Wellington Maori at Cooks Gardens today.
Wanganui Development XV fullback Sheldon Pakinga-Manhire fires out a pass during his team's loss to Wellington Maori at Cooks Gardens today.
Wanganui Toyota Development XV discovered this year's RDO Shield campaign will have a heightened physicality and requirement of conditioning after they lost to Wellington Maori 42-22 at Cooks Gardens today.
The second-tier Wanganui side's opposition from the capital in this grade last season was officially Wellington Maori Development, but thefull-strength unit had numbers and a crispness to their backline execution, particularly in the first half, that had the home side struggling to keep up.
But come back they did, as the wet weather arrived, and three second half tries including a double to winger Tom Symes saw Wanganui Development XV take the lead twice, before the Maori redoubled their efforts through the forwards to get the territory to score three more converted tries in the last 12 minutes.
For new coach Kim McNaught, the Maori represented undoubtedly their strongest competition this year, although the team will need to lift was they head to Masterton to face Wairarapa Bush Development this coming weekend.
"We've had one full training, so just keep working and look forward to next week," he said.
"It was a good start for us, we know how we need to play and the intensity.
"It's one of three times we play them."
Wanganui were still in the match at 14-5 down at halftime, with both of Wellington's wingers having spilled the ball right in the front of the tryline.
Unable to get out of their own half, Wanganui had to do a lot of cover tackling and eventually the Maori worked a cross-pass play to send an attacker rolling over the line in the last ditch tackle for 7-0 after 10 minutes.
Wanganui had to take a grubber kick at their corner flag out of play, and from the set piece, the Maori forwards kept control and drove over the line for in the 21st minute.
Needing to get some attacking ball, the home side took advantage of a Maori forward pass in their own 22m to go on the offensive, and following a tap kick from a penalty, fullback Sheldon Pakinga-Manhire picked up a loose ball to step through to the tryline, with centre Josaia Bogileka accepting the ruck pass to score.
Wanganui kept it up after halftime with two rapid fire tries – starting with an attacking chip into the Maori 22m which Symes, one of club rugby's best kick chasers, grabbing the bounce to run under the posts, with Bogileka converting.
Symes then ran onto a cut out pass to get Wanganui straight back on attack, with No 8 Kieran Hussey accepting a ruck pass to step back inside and then land back-first on the tryline, getting the ball down beside to give his team the lead 17-14 after 47 minutes.
Wellington Maori didn't panic and got a turnover scrum on Wanganui's 22m, which saw them recycle to attack down each sideline, before taking a quick tap penalty to set their rampaging lock over the line for another converted try.
Yet if the visitors thought Wanganui were done with their flourish, they were mistaken as just four minutes later, Pakinga-Manhire steamed onto another cut out pass from reserve Mitchell Millar, and the fullback drew the cover defence to send Symes off on a 55m try in the corner, 22-21.
Tom Symes scores his second try during his team's brief comeback in the second half.
Wellington Maori just lifted another notch, working forward of penalty scrum opportunities, then smashing over the tryline for 28-22.
Even losing a man to the sinbin did not halt their progress for long, as despite missing a penalty kick to go outside the seven point buffer, they ran back Wanganui's clearance and beat the midfield defenders to go off under the posts for 35-22.
Wanganui tried to trap the Maori in their own half, with prop Te Uhi Hakaraia charging down a box kick, but a succession of penalties allowed the Wellington team to march forward again, eventually getting a 5m scrum which they pushed over the tryline to score with three minutes remaining.
These Wanganui Development XV games will be the last locally for talented back Mitchell Millar, who will be departing for Ireland in a couple of weeks.
Millar, adept at first-five or fullback, has signed a contract with Mullingar RFC, based in County Westmeath, just over an hour from Dublin.
The club's top team plays in Men's Division 2A of the Leinster League.
Playing for McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu, Millar was the top points scorer in Tasman Tanning Premier/Division 1 this season, with 125.
