One Way Metro traffic

SINGLE LANE: The Metro Colts seasonal debut match against Old Boys Marist in Marton on Saturday was one way traffic with the Wanganui lads winning 72-12.

St Johns Whanganui Metro showcased its talents on two fronts in Marton on Saturday with a 72-12 whipping of Palmerston North's Old Boys Marist.

The match signalled the beginning of the Manawatu McDonald's Colts division season, a competition that Metro finished third in on debut last year behind perennial winners Massey White and runners-up Whanganui High School.

The competition has lost four teams from last year and gained one with the arrival of Kia Toa leaving just eight teams to battle for this season's title.
WHS is not fielding a team after 13 players left school, while the Manawatu Marist club and Massey University have dropped a side each from last season. Linton is also no olnger competing.

Metro's first priority on Saturday was to obviously make a winning start to the season, but secondly to show Rangatikei why they had been formed in the first place.

The side was originally set up as a bridge to transition school leavers through to senior club rugby level and beyond. It was hoped that it would keep those same school leavers in the game, rather than lose them to the many other distractions life offers.

Coached by Carl Gibson and Darryl Malcolm, the Metro lads played Old Boys Marist in Marton in the hope Rangitikei could emulate the exercise and possibly retain some of their school leavers in the game.

"It worked quite well and we had a reasonable crowd watching the game, we were the curtain raiser to the Marton/Hunterville game,' Gibson said.

"We wanted to try and get the message out, spread the word to Rangitikei school leavers that this is what you can achieve."

Meanwhile, Gibson was and the Metro lads were more than pleased with the performance on Saturday.

"We were rapt, an outstanding performance," Gibsn said.

"Most of the tries were scored by the backs where there was plenty of room to move thanks to our forwards creating that space for them. I'm not sure how many tries in total, but Michale Wakeling who moved from centre to the wing scored four and our halfback Chris Ferguson scored two.

"While it was really solid team performance, open side flanker George Forster played an oustanding game and won Player of the Day for us."
Gibson said he and co-coach Malcolm were pleaseed with early season fitness, but more importantly team morale.

"They really did look like they were having fun out there on Saturday and that accounts for plenty."