Kia Ora dominant over Linton

The Kia Ora Warriors will be the team to beat when it comes to winning the Manawatu club rugby crown after they dispatched their most likely challenger, the Linton Cobras.

Kia Ora won 32-12 in a Fitzherbert Park doubleheader on Saturday in one of their better performances of the year.

Kia Ora started the game well with props Te Huarahi Rask and Wesley Veikoso making big yards up the middle and they led 12-0 after 20 minutes. Linton answered back with a try before halftime, making it 16-6 at the break.

The Cobras scored again after

halftime to make the game close, but Kia Ora pulled away as Linton’s poor completion rates let them down. Hitaua Butler had another solid game at hooker, while centre Pepa Moefili and half Jahlon Governor stood out too.

Linton were boosted the return of Jaxon Tagavaitau, who played 13 game for the Manawatu Turbos between 2014 and 2015.

The man known as Jaxon Samoa when he was last on the league scene, has come back to league and the damaging runner made an immediate impact for the Cobras.

Tagavaitau started at centre, then shifted to fullback and he was their biggest threat on attack, scoring two tries. Nikolao Ioane was strong at centre and Tahurua Pou filled in admirably at hooker.

Linton also had four players backing up from playing against the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers from England on Friday night. In the other game showed no mercy for the crushing them

had 82-0. The the bye.

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