The Barbarians have had a good start to their campaign.
Brought to you by Whanganui Rugby
The McFall Fuel Whanganui Barbarians are already looking like a cohesive unit following their 38-12 win over the King Country Big Horns in Tūrangi on Saturday.
Looking to get the ball wide, where most of their tries were scored, coach Danny Tamehana said that while they were not perfect in execution, his side should be ready to reach their potential within the next couple of games.
“It was a very good start to a campaign. I thought we played very well as a team,” Tamehana said.
“They complemented each other, which made it easier to do their core roles.”
A number of players will be finding their feet are making a couple of steps up from the second-tier Tasman Tanning Senior club competition, specifically the large Forest 360 Marist Knights contingent.
The Knights’ regular fullback, Joey Devine, ran the cutter at first five-eighths for the Barbarians.
“It was just to have a little bit of a play because we didn’t really have anyone at first five until late, because it wasn’t until Friday we heard some of the [Steelform Whanganui] boys were coming back, like Tyrone [Albert] and Rangi [Kui].
“We decided to give Joey a crack there and have Carliwyne [Riddles] to go at [fullback], because he’d be a better option at No 10.
“He went good, very versatile and a good utility player, so he could probably play anywhere if you wanted.”
The return of Riddles was most welcome in his comeback match from a broken eye socket in Premier club rugby on May 10.
“He was dead set keen to get out there, been there and done it before, so he was keen to lead the way,” Tamehana said.
“We named him our vice-captain and Ben O’Leary was our captain – a couple of guys that have been around for a bit and both of them doing a really great job.”
Another to impress was big barnstorming prop Jonty Bird, Tamehana said.
“He did his core work really well, especially in the scrimmaging department, he was really strong there.
“He carried very strongly, very explosive at times. Did some good runs, set up a try – got to a draw and pass and had the skills for the offload.”
The Barbarians will now prepare to face the Wairarapa Bush Barbarians in the first leg of their home and away series, this Saturday at Spriggens Park.
It will be a tough full weekend of games upcoming for the Summit Electrical Whanganui Under-20s as their Hurricanes Youth Council tournament plays out its final rounds in Bulls.
Whanganui played two-time defending champions Wairarapa Bush in the opening round at Memorial Park in Masterton on Saturday, suffering a 63-21 loss.
On the all-weather artificial turf, the hosts outscored Whanganui five tries to two in the first half, but ran away with the game in the second half with six more tries.
Last year’s runners-up, Poverty Bay Under-20s, had a close loss to Horowhenua-Kāpiti U20s, 40-35 on neutral ground in Napier, with Horowhenua-Kāpiti coming back from 21-12 down at halftime.
All sides now head to nearby Bulls RFC for rounds two to three of the competition on Saturday and Sunday.
Whanganui have Poverty Bay first up and finish with the derby against Horowhenua-Kāpiti.
At the conclusion of the tournament, the Heartland Hurricanes U20s squad will be named by head coach Darren Larsen.
Whanganui U20 coach Todd Cowan will be the assistant coach again for the Heartland Hurricanes, with Whanganui’s Chris Back the team manager.
* * * *
Forest 360 Marist Knights captain Brandon Burberry has been right in the thick of the action for the New Zealand Marist Colts tour of the North Island.
The intensive four-match tour, which alternates between North and South Islands each year and is undertaken by promising players nominated from all Marist rugby clubs, started with Bay of Plenty Development in Tauranga on Saturday.
Burberry was reserve loose forward in the team who had only been together 24 hours and, despite a good start, had a defeat, being down 41-12 in the second half.
The team then travelled to Matamata to play a Tuesday night game against the Thames Valley Jackals, the development squad of that Heartland union.
Burberry started at lock as the New Zealand Marist side picked up a comfortable 42-12 victory.