RUGBY: The best 40 minutes of rugby from Kaierau this season settled any vague hopes Pirates may have had of an upset on Saturday ? and proved quite conclusively that the defending champion has learnt from its poor second half two weeks ago against Ruapehu.
Kaierau won 62-5 in the end, far overshadowing Ruapehu's 19-5 win over Marist and Ratana's 31-17 victory over Marton.
But Taihape is starting to look a little better. With experienced players returning, and a full bench of senior reserves for the first time this season, Taihape beat Utiku 31-8.
At Kaierau: Kaierau 62 (Ace Malo 4, Ateria Ateria 3, Darren Munro 2, Denning Tyrell tries; Tupai Pati 6con) Pirates 5 (Cole Baldwin try). HT: Kaierau 29.
The Kaierau machine was back in full cry at the Country Club on Saturday, a performance ? as promised by coach Phillip Morris ? where the senior players stood up and produced.
Two of them? Locks Nemai Adrole and Filifili Samuella, dominated the lineouts and worked hard around the field. Samuella's performance was easily his best since arriving on the Wanganui scene.
Denny Tyrell, captain and halfback, did everything precisely, and Ace Malo upped his accuracy, running off the shoulders of the big midfielders to rack up four tries ? taking his season's total to 16, the same as second-five Pati Fetuai'i.
The latter's efforts in the past two games have been affected by a flu-like illness, but this was more than made up for by the preciseness of the work by the loose trio, the tight forwards, and Tyrell and Frank Lene.
New winger Ateria Ateria, a member of the Samoan national sevens squad, started to show something with his three tries.
Pirates were not at all together on the field. Young lock Mike Fitzgerald, Brett turner and No 8 Dan Cavelle had some good moments. But the side lacks decision-making material behind the pack.
Altogether they were as disappointing as Kaierau was impressive.
At Spriggens Park: Ruapehu 19 (David Gower 2, Leonard Pirere tries; Jim Doolin 2con) Marist 5 (Robert Hughes try). HT: Ruapehu 14-0.
Ruapehu may not have done enough with the wind against Marist at Spriggens Park, but the big Ruapehu pack took control solidly in the second stanza.
"We were still confident at halftime, although sure we would have been happy with a few more points," said co-coach Marty McGrath.
Marist coach Andy Transon suggests his forwards stopped doing the hard work in the second half in the expectation that the wind would do the trick.
"We were on the back foot all the time, and their forwards really bore into the game in that second half," Transom said. "I was very impressed with them as a pack.
"They had a dominant scrum ? they beat us up at scrum time. So they deserved their win."
Ruapehu's front row of Richie Player, Jonathon Maxwell and Kim McNaught played well, with the very hard-working Todd Wise having another big game at lock.
David Gower at No 8 picked up the crumbs with two tries. Jim Doolin at centre and Che Barlow were the best of the backs.
Lock David Hoekstra and fullback Robert Hughes were Marist's best.
At Ratana: Ratana 31 (Paul Belliss, Leon Mason, Cory Pardoe, Cornel Mason, Isaac Fonotoe tries; Leon Mason 3con) Marton 17 (James Linklater, Sifa Talalima tries; Bruce Galpin 2con pen). HT: Marton 10-7.
Marton fired a shot across Ratana's bows at Ratana.
Maybe most of the Ratana players had forgotten Marton had done the same thing a few weeks ago at Marton, when Ratana escaped with two late tries.
It was pretty much a carbon copy this time, with Marton leading 10-7 at halftime and 19-17 with 15 minutes to go. No 8 Sifa Talalima and outside back James Linklater both scored long-range tries to put the dagger's edge just outside Ratana's heart.
But Marton couldn't push hard enough in the final minutes to make a killing.
Ratana was without five starting players, but nonetheless would not be happy. Coach Murray Ririnui hopes to have all of Richie Ropata, Dwayne Corfield, Raymond-Lee Mason, Charlie Mete and Haydon Docherty back for this Saturday's match with Ruapehu
Paul Belliss maintained his excellent standards for Ratana, and hooker Aaron Paulger was Marton's No 1.
At Taihape: Taihape 31 (Hamish Bielksi, Ricki Alabaster, Wayne Musgrove, Roger Gilbert tries; Alabaster 4con pen) Utiku OB 8 (Glen Thomas try; Shane Kavanagh pen). HT: Taihape 10-0.
Taihape's completion of the derby double was highlighted by a line-up of senior squad members of the bench ? the first time the struggling club has been able to field such a group this season.
To make matters better, No 8 Scott Sargison and lock Ian Rowe ? both seriously injured previously ? had time on the field in the second half.
It was a situation of some cheer for Taihape and its coach Kereti Maniapoto ? and for Wanganui rugby as well, because Taihape as a competitive unit will add plenty to the second round.
Prospective representative prop Leroy Rangiwai was one of the standouts, playing tighthead in the first and loosehead in the second to show some pleasing versatility.
Peter Rowe was again outstanding, and first-five Ricki Alabaster and fullback Hamish bielski played with growing confidence in the backline.
JJ Walker also returned to the field for Utiku, making it a big game for player returns. Walker had already played a full game for the Utiku Bs.
Ash Transom was a standout for Utiku.
It's official: Kaierau are GOOD!
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