Whanganui club rugby: Marist win fourth straight

Marist put on a show for their club day.

Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby

Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist’s outstanding resurgence continues in Tasman Tanning Premier after racking up a fourth straight win on Saturday, beating a much-depleted Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 47-24 at Spriggens Park.

The centrepiece game of Marist’s club day on Saturday, the Premiers reversed their 50-13 loss to a full-strength Kaierau in May, and have now beaten all teams in the same season for the first time in recent memory.

As for Kaierau, who lost three players to yellow cards, compared with one for Marist (which was late in the match), they allowed themselves to get disheartened by the whistle – especially on either side of halftime as Marist cut loose from 17-17 to 42-17.

Marist halfback Daniel Kauika opened the home team’s account with a penalty, before Kaierau fullback Ethan Robinson scored in the corner.

Marist winger C.J. Stowers, about to have a great finishers game, scored the first try of his hat-trick before Kaierau again replied through prop Tai Pulemagafa burrowing in, converted by second five-eighths Ezra Malo.

Big Marist prop Jonty Bird scored off a Kauika burst, and Kaierau winger Jordyn Leiasmaivao-Turvey got another equaliser in the corner.

But then Kaierau cracked, following their second sin-binning, as the Marist forwards scored before halftime, then Stowers and fellow winger Shaun O’Leary dotted down after the resumption, with Kauika adding three more kicks.

After Stowers stood up his chaser for his third try, Kaierau recovered enough for centre Opetini Dryden to get the bonus point try to keep his team ahead of Byfords Readimix Taihape on the table.

In Tasman Tanning Senior, McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu ended McCrea Scanning Counties’ six-match winning streak to lift the Whanganui Rugby Challenge shield in a 22-21 thriller at Rochfort Park.

There was an upset at Memorial Park as the Border “Rack Pack” surprised Utiku Old Boys with a 29-20 win, climbing to eighth place.

Bennett’s Taihape all but secured an upset of their own against Direct Connect Marist Celtic, who scored off the last play to snatch a priceless 13-12 win.

Forest 360 Marist Knights did their clubmates a favour with a big 41-12 win over Seales Winslow Pirates in the Spriggens Park derby, as Pirates and Utiku losing means Celtic are locked in fourth place.

Kelso Hunterville sit in seventh place after they consigned Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau to the bottom of the table with a 29-15 home win at their Domain.

Results, June 6–7

Tasman Tanning Premier

Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 47 (C.J. Stowers 3, Jonty Bird, Shaun O’Leary, Unknown tries; Daniel Kauika 3 pen, 4 con) bt Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 24 (Ethan Robinson, Tai Pulemagafa, Jordyn Leiasmaivao-Turvey, Opetini Dryden tries; Ezra Malo 2 con) HT: 24-17.

Byfords Readimix Taihape 34 (Teihana Brown 2, Jack Kinder 2, Kaleb Sweet, Tiari Mumby tries; Dane Whale 2 con) bt Tāmata Hauhā Rātana 12 (Taylor Kirkwood, Mitai Hemi tries; Rehimana Meihana con). HT: 12-10 Rātana.

Tasman Tanning Senior

Rochfort Park – Challenge Shield: McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu bt McCrea Scanning Counties 22-21.

Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt Seales Winslow Pirates 41-12.

City College: Direct Connect Marist Celtic bt Bennett’s Taihape 13-12.

Hunterville Domain: Kelso Hunterville bt Gemini Pepper Construction Kaierau 29-15.

Memorial Park: Border bt Utiku Old Boys 29-20.

Tasman Tanning Women

Hunterville Domain: AGC Training Marist Clovers bt Hunterville 70-12.

Bulls Domain: Byfords Construction Taihape bt Heidi Macaulay Realty Bulls 49-15.

Marton Park: Silks Audit Rātana bt Marton Queenbeez 136-0.