Youth team avoid the dreaded spoon

The Ag Challenge Wanganui Under 16's finished off their Hurricanes tournament with a flourish to avoid the wooden spoon in the Saracens Cup division, beating East Coast 31-27 in Palmerston North on Thursday.

Having had a rough week being upended by Wairarapa-Bush 44-7 and then hammered by Wellington Development 84-0 on Monday and Tuesday, Wanganui regrouped over their rest day, winning the close match with five tries and three conversions.

Coach Cornel Mason said they led at halftime, and the plan was to get around the field to tire out the bigger East Coast players.

"For us, it was just changing up a few things of our gameplan."

Captain Toby Lennox led from up front, as did Ben Skalp.

Fullback Paiki Ponga from Cullinane College was moved from fullback into halfback and played well in both positions.

He was later named in the Hurricanes tournament team, one of only four players from the lower Saracens Cup division in the squad of 22.

The week-long tournament concluded the month of games for the Under 16 squad, with Mason satisfied with the squad's development in that time.

"[From] when I first caught up with these guys, they've come a long way.

"I got warned, they were a little green.

"There's seven of them that can come away with us next year, and the tournament's in Whanganui."

Wellington Development went on to win the Saracens Cup, while the Wellington A team retained the Don Broughton Shield for the top division.