Wanganui Rugby: Marist vs Ruapehu: Marist No.5 Aiden Fitzgerald stealing the line out ball from Ruapehu at Spriggens Park. Saturday, July 01, 2017 Wanganui Chronicle photograph by Bevan Conley.
Look for fireworks at Spriggens Park on Saturday when Taihape endeavours to salvage some silverware from a struggling 2017 season by lifting the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield off Marist.
Fifth placed PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape, runners-up in the Tasman Tanning premier championship last year, must beat second positioned Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals.
When Marist beat Taihape 26-23 in the first round it was the first time the greens had won at Memorial Park since a similar three point margin (14-11) in 2012 and it was only the second victory over the opposition in 10 games.
Taihape, who went through the 2016 first round unbeaten to win the Paul Mitchell Cup and carried on to reach the final before being pipped 17-16 by Waverley Harvesting Border at Cooks Gardens, has dropped only one game against Marist at Spriggens Park in the past four seasons - 20-17 last year.
Each side scored two tries but an extra penalty goal from Sam Monaghan gave the hosts a slender victory. Taihape later outscored Marist six tries to one with a convincing 46-10 home semifinal victory.
Taihape has collected five wins at Spriggens Park since 2004 including three on the trot - 34-22 in 2013, a record 55-7 in 2014 (a season when Tom Wells scored 100 points and Jaye Flaws nine tries), and 48-22 in 2015.
Marist, however, ended that winning sequence with last year's three-point victory.
The two clubs have played 34 times since the turn of the century with Marist ahead 20 victories to 13. There was a 16-all draw at Taihape in 2013.
After demolishing McCarthy Transport Ruapehu 48-17 last Saturday, the highest winning margin by the city side since a 60-0 thrashing of the "Mountain Men" at Ohakune in 2001, Marist has moved into second place on the points table with just two qualifying games remaining.
Should Marist complete its first double success in a season against Taihape since 2010 it then faces defending champions Waverley Harvesting Border at Dallison Park in the last qualifying round.
And that promises to be a battle royal because Marist is the only team to have beaten Border this campaign, lifting the Challenge Shield 30-22 on Spriggens Park.
The immediate task, however, is winning this weekend. A loss for Taihape will eliminate the side from the 2017 play-offs, for the first time in five years, because the visitors have the bye in the final round and are currently fifth on the table.
Even if Taihape beats Marist on Saturday it will still be touch and go because Border (away to Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri), Ruapehu (away to Kaierau) and Black Bull Liquor Pirates (home to Harvey Round Motors Ratana) will all start favourites this weekend.
Despite last week suffering its heaviest defeat at Spriggens Park since 2000 - the previous worst were 3-69 to Wanganui Counties in 1999 and 3-50 v Pirates in 1998 - Ruapehu look too strong for Kaierau. It was 43-20 at Ohakune in round one.
Border beat Ngamatapouri 35-13 in the first round and Pirates whipped Ratana 76-17 at Ratana.
In Saturday's double header at Spriggens Park Marist and Taihape meet at 1pm and Pirates (sponsors' day) play Ratana at 2.35.
Current points - Border 60, Marist 55, Ruapehu 51, Pirates 49, Taihape 48, Ngamatapouri 38, Kaierau and Utiku OB 17, Ratana 2.
In the last qualifying round on July 15 Border (v Marist), Ruapehu (v Ngamatapouri), Utiku OB (v Pirates) and Ratana (v Kaierau) have home games with Taihape having the bye.
It is the final qualifying round in the senior championship on Saturday with Black Bull Liquor Pirates hosting Kelso Hunterville, Celtic play Counties at McNab Domain and Taihape is home to Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield holders Speirs Food Marton. Hosting rights for the two semifinals will be decided.
Present points - Marton 19, Celtic 14, Hunterville 9, Pirates 7, Taihape 6, Counties 4.
Park Teams Worst
Pirates and Marist, the two Spriggens Park-based clubs, are currently top of the Wanganui judicial yellow card handouts this season.
There have been 112 temporary sin-binnings (yellow cards) issued in premier (74) and senior (38) club matches.
Pirates 22 (19 premier and three senior) and Marist 20 (12 and eight) have received the most yellows followed by Ngamatapouri 13 (premier), Border 10 (4-6), Kaierau 8 (3-5), Ratana 7 (premier), Ruapehu 7 (5-2), Utiku OB 7 (premier), Hunterville 5 (senior), Taihape 5 (4-1), Counties 4 (senior) and Marton 4 (senior).
Fourteen players have received warning letters following two sin-binnings each. Three yellow cards qualify for an automatic two-week stand down.
Dangerous tackles and repeat infringements are the two main rule infringements.
One referee has issued 20 yellow cards, one 13, two have handed out a dozen cards and two others 11 cards each.
There have been eight red cards issued. Pirates and Ngamatapouri have each had three premier players ordered off, Kaierau one premier player and Marist Celtic one senior.
The red cards were for dangerous tackles (2), fighting (2), misconduct (2), stamping and verbal abuse of an official.
There have been five yellow cards issued to secondary school teams - three to Ruapehu College players and one each to Wanganui City College and Wanganui Collegiate School.
Ruapehu Regain Title
After conceding the Northern Wanganui premier sub-union domestic championship title to Taihape in 2015 and 2016, Ruapehu has regained the trophy this season.
Ruapehu scored a comfortable 17-3 home victory over Taihape to win the title for a 12th time since 2000. There was a golden era between 2004 and 2014 with 11 championships in a row. The other Ruapehu success during the new millennium was in 2002.
Taihape won in 2000, 2001 and 2003 as well as 2015 and 2016. This year Ruapehu's title came on the back of two consolation points (four tries and losing by seven points or less) in a first round 24-30 away loss to Taihape, Ruapehu finally dethroning Taihape by 16 championship points to 15.
Both Ruapehu (88-7 and 29-3) and Taihape (34-10 and 33-7) claimed maximum 5 pts in each of their matches against Utiku OB who last won the title in 1999.
Border Players Tops
Nick Harding holds a 30 point lead and Harry Symes is two tries clear in try scoring in Wanganui premier club rugby this season. Marist's Mitchell Miller holds a 10 points advantage over Harding in goal-kicking.
Latest statistics:
Points - 147 Nick Harding (Border), 117 Mitchell Miller (Marist), 112 Junior Ainea (Pirates), 109 Dane Whale (Taihape), 92 Te Tua Kemp (Ngamatapouri), 88 Craig Clare (Ruapehu), 86 Ethan Robinson (Kaierau), 84 Harry Symes (Border), 75 Te Rangi Tapu McLeod (Taihape), 71 Fa'alele Iosua (Pirates), 60 Kaveni Dabonaise (Border), 57 Max Navas (Utiku OB), 55 Jim Seruwalu (Ngamatapouri) and Kahl Elers-Green (Ruapehu).
Tries - 14 Symes, 12 Dabonaise, 11 Serewalu, Iosua and Elers-Green, 10 Harding, 9 Raymond Epati (Pirates) and McLeod, 8 Isaiah Hooper (Border), Emosi Vucago (Ngamatapouri), Shaquille Waara and Campbell Hart (Ruapehu).
Goal-kicking - 107 pts Millar, 97 Harding, 91 Ainea, 84 Whale, 77 Kemp, 63 Clare, 61 Robinson, 57 Navas.
Team tries - For: 82 Border, 75 Marist and Pirates, 74cRuapehu, 72 Taihape, 54 Ngamatapouri, 44 Kaierau, 32 Utiku OB, 24 Ratana. Conceded: 31 Ruapehu, 32 Border, 44 Marist, 45 Pirates, 48 Taihape, 63 Ngamatapouri, 80 Kaierau, 89 Utiku OB, 102 Ratana.