Cooks Gardens will host the Whanganui Rugby club finals day on Saturday. Photo / Bevan Conley
One club has already savoured the silverware after 14 years without it, while another has waited over 30 years to be called champions again.
It’s a fresh matchup in the Tasman Tanning Senior championship final at Cooks Gardens on Saturday as defending champions and top qualifier Ali Arc Logistics Marist Celtic take on number-two qualifier and first-time finalists Utiku Old Boys.
Finally breaking through to win the trophy last year, and having had a very strong season with an 11-1 record, this is the grand occasion that Celtic coach Duane Brown very much enjoys.
“Back in the big dance - the Colosseum.
“[My team are] all rugby players, and they all know what it means – we’re all one big whānau and we all play together, from No. 1 to No. 29.
“It just comes down to every single minute and what you do with that minute.”
Celtic have been hitting their straps at the right time with a succession of big wins in their last four games, including 32-0 in the semifinal against Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau in the Spriggens Park semifinal.
Nonetheless, Brown sees areas of improvement, as Celtic led 15-0 at halftime and took a while to pull away from their cross-town rivals.
“We just couldn’t get the ball down. They held us up over the line a couple of times.
“It was a frustrating kind of game – we stayed in their 22m for ages, [and] they only threatened our line once.
“We worked the ball well... we left about four tries out there.”
The team also paid a price, as inspirational No. 8 and captain Maikara McDonnell (shoulder) and veteran centre Jordan Davies (ankle) took knocks and will be on light duties this training week.
“The focus is on them getting healthy. Nothing changes, we’ll continue to train as normal.
“[McDonnell]’s an 80-minute man, and he’s been doing 80 minutes for 11 seasons.
“I think that’s where Utiku is going to be dangerous. They’re now an 80-minute rugby team. Even 100 minutes.
“They can run the ball – all day if they can. They’re going to be keen.
“If it’s another wet one like we [had] in round two, it will be another hard match.
“We’ll definitely work on our defence this week. It’s who is powerful in collision and the contact.”
If McDonnell and Davies are limited, look to the likes of Trevor Gunn, Dale Pene and Jamie Robertson to carry the can, while fullback Te Heru Reu Koro was a stand-out in last year’s final with 15 points.
Celtic won the April 22 matchup against Utiku 19-15 at Memorial Park - a game that showed Brown that his squad needed to tighten up their discipline, which they did for the rest of the competition.
But under player/coach James Maher, a strong Utiku squad has likewise evolved together since that time, to the point where over two months down the line, the country team sees this as a fresh matchup.
“Not to sound cliche, but [last time] doesn’t apply – there’s only 80 minutes on Saturday, or 100 minutes,” said Maher.
“We know full well what to expect, but we’re excited, we’re pumped and can’t wait.”
With a 10-2 record, Utiku were victorious in a semifinal that was probably the best WRFU club game played this season – Senior or Premier – when they finally put down Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 28-25 after extra time at Memorial Park.
In freezing conditions but warmed by the passion on the sidelines, Utiku trailed 13-8 at halftime but came back to lead the game near fulltime until Rātana scored again for an 18-18 deadlock.
Having subbed, Maher was consoling his disappointed bench until he saw Rātana’s conversion to win the game strike the upright.
“In hindsight, we were pretty lucky. No one deserved to lose.
“I thought we had opportunities before that to shut the game down, but we didn’t do that.
“It was pretty awesome country rugby.”
Utiku then worked their way to a 28-18 advantage by the second half of extra time, and although Rātana scored a converted try with three minutes remaining, Maher was confident they would see it out.
“By then, our fitness was definitely showing through. The depth of our bench, the depth of our squad, these were keys.”
Even after such a massive effort, the coach is confident his charges have not mentally already played their final, with no major injuries to report from the extended game.
“Touch wood, we’ve come through pretty good. There might be some subtle changes, but there won’t be many changes.”
Playing on the big stage will give a bigger audience a chance to see what the likes of props Gordon Coogan and Josh Hirini, talented lock Joseph Abernethy and his fellow Whanganui Collegiate First XV alumnus No. 8 Sam Sherriff can do, the latter also a Whanganui senior cricket representative.
Maher has sensed the building groundswell of support, as now that the team is competitive again, many long-time club people are returning to watch as Utiku try to win their first title since the Premier Rosebowl Trophy of 1992.
“We’re going back a long time.
“Our supporters, and I know there’s Taihape supporters going down as well – I imagine there won’t be many people left in the town.
“We’re stoked, they’re stoked, and it’s just a wicked buzz.”
Kick-off is at 12.45pm.
School Girls
The Whanganui High and Cullinane College sides have been looking good in the MRU Secondary School Girls competition so far. Last Wednesday, June 28th, WHS made it two wins from two with a big 64-5 victory over Dannevirke High School. The two local schools also meet in the Tranzit Coachlines Secondary School competition in 10-a-side games. Cullinane beat WHS 46-17 last week. School rugby resumes after the holidays.
Under-18
There is strong local representation in the NRZ National Māori Under-18 camps. The Whatukura training camp in Rotorua includes forwards Jack McCarthy of Whanganui Collegiate and Jeff Dorset of Whanganui Marist. The Māreikura camp includes Cullinane College’s Keira-J Mete-Renata (also representing MRU’s Kia Toa), Anahera Hamahona and Pania Pari. Ex-Cullinane pupils Waimarie Rauhina (Whanganui Marist) and Tamaliyah Bogileka (Otago University RFC) were also included. Other additions are Hayley Gabriel (Kaierau), who like Rauhina follows up the 2022 camps, and Cienna Newlands (Kaierau and Whanganui High).
Under-20s
New Zealand and their former Whanganui Collegiate captain Harry Godfrey have missed the semifinals of the 2023 World Rugby Under-20 Championship in South Africa. After holding off Wales 27-26 in their Pool B opening game in Paarl, with fullback Godfrey kicking a penalty, New Zealand were well beaten by France 35-14. They won their last pool game against Japan 62-19, with Godfrey kicking four conversions, but it was not enough to secure the fourth spot, which went to Pool B runners-up England on points differential.