St Johns Club Wanganui Metro Colts had a stunning start to the Manawatu McDonalds Colts Top 6 rugby competition with an effortless 76-nil thrashing of Old Boys Marist Lightning Dolphins at the Kaierau Country Club on Saturday.
The last time the two teams met during round robin play, the atrocious weather
conditions suited the Dolphins who claimed a 22-10 victory. However, on a firm track on Saturday the Palmerston North side was left floundering in the wake of a determined Metro.
This was the first match of the Top 6 competition that also includes the Wangnaui High School 1st XV who claimed maximum points after Massey Ag defaulted. In the remaining match-up defending champions Massey White convincingly beat Fitzherbert Rowe of the Old Boys Marist club 34-10.
Darryl Malcolm, who co-coaches Metro alongside Carl Gibson, said the complete whitewash was delivered after a whole team effort.
"And that includes training. We have encouraged our players to take ownership of the decision-making on-field and even the options practiced during training sessions and they have really embraced that concept," Malcolm said yesterday.
The near perfect performance was also delivered without two key players on Saturday after hooker Harry Black and Caius Weber began a five week suspension for a dangerous tackle during the game against Freyberg the week before. Weber traditionally plays centre, but also covers for openside flanker, the position he was playing in with the transgression occurred alongside Black.
Metro will also be without winger Shayden Phillips who was sidelined late in the piece on Saturday with a broken hand.
"It was an outstanding win and hard evidence the guys have taken control of their own destiny. Captian Keanu Kaa rallied the forwards and the entire team well. He did was he was meant to do as captian, while first-five Hare Meihana played and kicked outstandingly," Malcolm said.
He also singled out winger James Dorgan.
"James is in his first season playing rugby and he scored four tries on the wing. Young Chris Ferguson was also very good continuing on the good work Riley Culver did at halfback before replacing Shayden Phillips on the wing. Riley scored both his tries on the wing."
Macolm said the immediate goal now was to make the top four and then take each semi-final as it came.
Metro meet Massey White in Palmerston North this weekend, while WHS meet Fitzherbert Rowe of Old Boys Marist at high school at 1pm.
THRASHING: Stand-in winger Riley Culver slips in for his second helping of tries in St Johns Club Metro's 76-0 thrashing of the Marist Old Boys Dolphins on Saturday. PHOTO/Bevan Conley
St Johns Club Wanganui Metro Colts had a stunning start to the Manawatu McDonalds Colts Top 6 rugby competition with an effortless 76-nil thrashing of Old Boys Marist Lightning Dolphins at the Kaierau Country Club on Saturday.
The last time the two teams met during round robin play, the atrocious weather
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