CLUB RUGBY
Yellows win jubilee match
RUGBY: Ben Wyness showed why he can’t be left out of this year’s Manawatu¯ Turbos squad in Feilding’s 140th jubilee 31-11 victory over Old Boys-marist in the third round of Manawatu¯ club rugby.
With a passionate forward pack led by prop Sean Rankin in front of him, Wyness at first five-eighth controlled the match, setting up the first of three Feilding tries, slotting goal-kicks and putting his mates into space at Johnston Park, Feilding, on Friday.
With Sam Malcolm gone to Australia, Wyness must be a sitter to share the Turbos’ No 10 jersey with Otere Black and Jade Te Rure.
‘‘I want it to be and they are talking to me,’’ said Wyness, the 25-year-old air force aircraft technician.
‘‘I’m training twice a week with the [Manawatu¯ ] wider training group.’’
Yellows coach Kelvin Tantrum said they had kept the 140th factor low key, focusing more on a big season with many new players brought in.
‘‘We’ve been mid-table for too long,’’ he said.
Ob-marist looked far from last season’s champions as they fumbled the ball and Feilding’s tacklers shut them down.
Once the well-drilled Yellows absorbed the OBM pressure in the first 20, Feilding scored against the run of play through Wyness, only for OBM wing Ben Werthmuller to score off a rare Kameli Kuruyabaki bust on halftime.
From then on, OBM escaped Feilding’s grip only twice despite a sterling effort from lock Chris Long. Feilding’s dominant scrum even forced a penalty try and OBM finished flustered in all areas.
Auckland fullback Lucks Funaki and young halfback Griffin Culver also starred for Feilding.
Their derby clash in two weeks with Feilding Old Boys-o¯ roua is shaping up to be exciting after the Stags scored six tries in beating College Old Boys 38-19 at Kimbolton on Friday.
FOBO resembled the clinical COB teams of the past decade, owning 80 per cent of possession, a strong lineout and dominant scrum involving Turbos prop Sean Paranihi. Halfback Tom Stewart shifted to 10 and was player of the day.
COB started well to go up 5-0, only for the Stags to put on 38 unanswered points. COB scored two tries at the end.
Kia Toa clapped on 26 points in the opening 20 minutes to beat Linton Army 45-10 at Linton on Thursday night, scoring seven tries to one.
The training lights were on the dark side and partly to blame for Kias scoring only 10 points after halftime. Players often lost sight of the ball.
Kias looked sharp, especially when they went wide via centre Jono Ihaka. Their scrum was massively improved, with Turbos prop Sione Asi back.
Other double blues heroes were lock Jaxson Taylor, Te Rure, halfback Atu Henare and flanker Jackson Iose. All of Linton’s points came in the first half and soldiers Leni Tonga and Jaxon Tagavaitau celebrated their 50 games.
Varsity dedicated their 61-15 win over Freyberg under lights at Massey University on Thursday to former Massey Rams and colts player Kuzzie Hero Tameoka, who died in Japan from cancer on Thursday.
The scarfies took it out on Freys in the second spell, running in six of their nine tries through rapid, wide passing that stretched the Freyberg defence.
Freyberg won more ball in the first half, with Varsity under the penalty pump, and were mostly stuck in their own backyard.
Freyberg’s forwards picked and drove stoutly, but in the end it sapped their gas and Varsity’s new talent Cody Hemi, sub Te Rangitira Waitokia and centre Ueta Tufuga, as well as the seasoned Nick Birchfield, cut them up. Lock Mickey Woolliams and wing Jayden Falcon, brother of Chiefs and Hawke’s Bay first fiveeighth Tiaan, gobbled up the high balls imperiously. Varsity rested frontline loose forwards and Turbo Hamish Northcott.