Whanganui rugby: Taihape books return to premier final

Taihape will meet Kaierau in Saturday's Tasman Tanning Premier final.

Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby

Byford’s Readimix Taihape are going back to Cooks Gardens for the fifth time in seven seasons after overcoming Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 20-6 at Memorial Park on Saturday.

In cool winter conditions, Taihape rose above last weekend’s scratchy loss to Waverley Harvesting Border to contain the form team of Tasman Tanning Premier, once again denying Marist a grand final berth for the first time since their title win of 2010.

In wet and cold conditions, Marist opened the scoring with a long-range 11th-minute penalty from halfback Daniel Kauika, which had a reply from Taihape first-five Chad Whale five minutes later.

Marist lost a player to the sin bin in the 34th minute and although they defended the overlap until halftime, Taihape were right on them from the restart, with centre Teihana Brown diving blindside off a tryline ruck for a seven-pointer.

Back to full complement, Marist replied swiftly with another Kauika penalty, and Taihape looked under further pressure with a player yellow-carded in the 57th minute.

Instead, the hosts responded superbly, working into position for big second-five Cyrus Tasi to pump through two tacklers and score under the posts for a straight-forward conversion.

With both sides caked in mud, Whale would complete a faultless kicking day with another long-range penalty in the 65th minute, and when back to 15 players, Taihape would absorb considerable pressure on their tryline with seven minutes left, before clearing out back up-field to avenge their loss to Marist on the same ground in May.

Senior rugby

The top two teams of the Tasman Tanning Senior competition won their home semifinals, but not without a titanic struggle in the township and under the mountain on Saturday.

The Forest 360 Marist Knights confirmed back-to-back grand final appearances after slogging their way to a 14-0 win over 2025’s great improvers McCrea Scanning Counties at Spriggens Park.

Knights lock Noah Pa’a was driven over to score entering the second quarter, converted by fullback Joey Devine, who then held onto a low pass to score out-wide for a seven-pointer near halftime.

In the second half, the Knights missed one penalty kick, but kept Counties away from their tryline, the visitors rueing a lot of dropped ball on the far fringes.

Also winning at home was McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, but only just, as they ended Direct Connect Marist Celtic’s 50th anniversary season with a try near fulltime snatching an 18-13 win.

Ruapehu’s Northern subunion rep winger Cullen Cross scored his second try in the 76th minute to break a 13-13 deadlock, with fullback Chrissy Winter previously slotting a conversion and two penalties.

Celtic first-five Wineti McDonnell also kicked two penalties and converted prop Jeremy Seal’s try.

Semifinal results, July 4-5

Tasman Tanning Premier

Byford’s Readimix Taihape 20 (Teihana Brown, Cyrus Tasi tries; Chad Whale 2 pen, 2 con) bt Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 6 (Daniel Kauika 2 pen). HT: 3-3.

Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 22 (Adam Boult 2 tries, penalty try; Ethan Robinson pen, con) bt Waverley Harvesting Border 18 (Jeff Dorset, Ekenasio Fiso tries; Tyrone Albert 2 pen, con). HT: 10-7 Border.

Tasman Tanning Senior

Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt McCrea Scanning Counties 14-0. HT: 14-0.

Rochfort Park: McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu bt Direct Connect Marist Celtic 18-13. HT: 10-3.

Tasman Tanning Women

Cooks Gardens: AGC Training Marist Clovers bt Hunterville 95-12.

Memorial Park: Byfords Construction Taihape bt Silks Audit Rātana 15-12.