Pivotal pair show class

BREAKAWAY: NZ Heartland No8 Bryn Hudson rolls off the back of the scrum and shapes up to feed halfback Lyndsay Horrocks for an all-Wanganui breakaway during the 38-32 loss to the Australian Barbarians in Levin on Tuesday. PHOTO/LISA GADSBY

THE Wanganui halfback/first five combination was again an outstanding feature of the NZ Heartland XV play when going down narrowly to the Australian Barbarians 38-32 in Levin on Tuesday.

Halfback Lyndsay Horrocks and first five Stephen Perofeta were key to the 47-42 win over NZ Marist at the weekend and again impressed in Levin.

Schoolboy Perofeta scored 17 of the New Zealand XV's 32 points with a try, three conversions and three penalties, but it was his direction of play that impressed coach Grant Keenan most.

"Stephen is all class and had another outstanding game last night. Both he and Lyndsay combined excellently against Marist at the weekend, but seemed to step it up a notch last night," Keenan said.

"It was a very good game and at the end of it all we should have won, but we didn't. We had our chance. It was 38-32 with minutes to go and we had the ball on their line, but unfortunately tipped it over."

Keenan said it was Perofeta's class that led to TK Moeke's (East Coast) try.

"A bit of a kick and chase down the side then regather the ball allowed TK in for his try. Stephen directed the game brilliantly."

Wanganui's Fraser Hammond also managed a try before leaving the field two minutes into the second half with a broken hand.

NZ Heartland and Steelform Wanganui manager Chris Back said the fracture ruled the flanker out of tomorrow's final match against the Barbarians at Cooks Gardens.

"We had it looked at today and there is a fracture to bones in Fraser's hand, so unfortunately that's the end of the season for him," Back said yesterday.

Keenan said Hammond would be sorely missed with his abrasive style matching the size, mobility and skills of the Australians.

"You've got to remember these guys [Barbarians] have just come off a 10-week competition akin to out ITM Cup, so it is a step up in level for Heartland players. They are big mobile boys who to their credit played the typical Baabaas' style of running rugby. It wasn't often they kicked the ball," Keenan said. "It is a little disappointing all our hard work and effort didn't pay off with a win, but I was pretty happy with the performance and it gives us something to work for the rematch in Wanganui."

Steelform Wanganui players Bryn Hudson, Cole Baldwin and NZ Heartland captain Peter Rowe were also in Tuesday night's starting line-up.

"Peter and Cole played up to their high standards without really shining, while Bryn had a great game," Back said.

All Wanganui players, apart from Hammond, will be included in the squad for tomorrow's Cooks Gardens match with at least Horrocks and Perofeta in the starting line-up.