Osborne back at old stamping ground
Wanganui-born All Black Bill Osborne, who will become president of the New Zealand Rugby Union next season, was back at an old club stamping ground recently when he watched his former club Kaierau draw 18-all with Pirates.
Bill, who lives in Tauranga and was successfully nominated by the Wanganui union as vice president of the national body last year, takes over from Aucklander Maurice Trapp as NZRU president in 2019 — the year of the World Cup in Japan.
He will have a two-year reign in the top job.
Former Wanganui NZRU presidents have been Walter Epsom 1900, George Spriggens 1917, Dr George Adams 1930, Geoff Pownall 1932 and Ernie Bevege 57 years ago in 1961.
Born locally 63 years ago, Bill played 48 times in the All Blacks mid field, including 16 tests, between 1975 (debut in the waterlogged test against Scotland at Eden Park) and 1982, scoring 10 tries.
He was a NZ Colt in 1974 as a 19-year-old, a year after playing the first of 72 games for Wanganui, was an All Black trialist between 1974-79, a North Island rep in 1978-80-84, was a NZ Maori rep in 1975-77-78, won the Tom French Cup (NZ Maori Player of the Year) in 1977, and repped for Waikato in 1985-86.
Bill went to South Africa with the NZ Cavaliers in 1986
He was a very successful businessman after he retired from rugby.
When he watched Kaierau draw with Pirates it was almost certainly the first time in more than 100 years of matches between the two clubs that there have been two draws between the old rivals in the same season. It was 19-all at Spriggens Park and 18-all at Kaierau.
Kaierau won its first Wanganui premier championship in 1891 and Pirates in 1901.
Metro Title Tussles
With the leading two teams, Byford’s Readimix Taihape ( (33 pts) and McCarthy Transport Ruapehu (32), expected to claim maximum points in away games against the bottom two sides the main interest in Tasman Tanning Wanganui premier cub rugby on Saturday will be the battles for Metropolitan domestic title points.
Taihape journeys up the Waitotara Valley to play Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri (6 pts), a team it beat 45-10 in the first round, and Ruapehu takes on bottom of the table Harvey Round Motors Ratana (1 pt) at Marton Park. It was 71-12 to the defending champions first time around.
Taihape will defend the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield, won 39-14 off Waverley Harvesting Border at Memorial Park last weekend.
In the Takarangi Cup (Metro title) Border has 20 pts, defending trophy holders Black Bull Liquor Pirates 18, Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 15, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 11 and Ngamatapouri 1.
This weekend fourth placed Pirates in the combined championship (31 pts) tangle with park neighbours Marist (27 pts) at Spriggens Park and hoping to add to the 27-17 first round.
Although having lost only one game this campaign it has been a struggling time for Pirates in the last three outings — 12-10 against Ruapehu, 13-26 v Border and 18-all with Kaierau.
By contrast Marist has dropped four of nine games and needs the scalp of Pirates to realistically keep in contention for a start in the semifinals.
After missing out on any bonus points in a 29-10 first round visit to the Devon Road Country Club Takarangi Cup leaders Border, currently third in the combined championship with 31 pts, will be aiming to pick up at least four tries at home against Kaierau (21 championship points).
First round senior champions Kelso Hunterville (45 pts) travel to Waverley to play thirdplaced Border (31). Hunterville won 31-10 at home back in April.
Defending champions Speirs Food Marton (38 pts) meet Bennett’s Taihape (27) at Marton Park. Marton crashed 37-20 away to Taihape in the recent final game of round one.
Second placed Marist Celtic (42 pts) will be aiming to dethrone fifth positioned Counties (28) of the Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield at Spriggens Park.
Counties, who took the shield off Hunterville with a deserved but shock 18-17 home win, was beaten 17-6 by Celtic in round one.
In the senior consolation Seales Winslow Pirates (16 pts) host Utiku OB (25) on the Racecourse — 24-19 to Utiku OB in round one — and Kaierau (14 pts) will be looking to avenge an earlier18-23 loss when it is home to Buffalos (also 14 pts).
Ruapehu (6 pts) has the first round senior consolation bye.
NOTE — The senior grade points quoted were gained during the first round competition. They now play for the championship (Top 6 teams) and consolation (Bottom 5 sides) and start afresh with new points for the rest of the qualifying rounds.
Club Stats
The latest Wanganui Tasman Tanning premier and senior grade club statistics are:
Premier (after 9 rounds) — Individual points — 96 Nick Harding (Border), 76 Shandon Scott (Kaierau), 71 Mitchell Millar (Ruapehu), 55 Shaquelle Waara (Ruapehu), 48 Fa’alele Iosua (Pirates), 46 Sam Monaghan (Marist), 44 Dane Whale (Taihape), 42 Harry Symes (Border), 40 Te Rangi Tapu McLeod (Taihape) & Kahl Elers-Green (Ruapehu), 38 Junior Ainea (Pirates), 36 Jack Yarrall & Cameron Crowley (both Marist), 30 Josaia Bogileka (Marist), Angus Middleton (Border) & Troy Brown (Ruapehu).
Goal-kicking — 81 pts Harding, 61 Miller & Scott, 29 Whale, 26 Monaghan.
Individual tries — 11 Waara, 8 Symes & Elers-Green, 7 Yarrall & Crowley, 6 Iosua, Brown & Middleton, 5 Tyler RogersHolden (Border) & Elijah Ah Chong (Pirates).
Team tries — For: 51 Ruapehu, 43 Border, 39 Marist, 35 Taihape, 30 Kaierau, 26 Pirates,18 Ratana, 17 Ngamatapouri. Conceded: 15 Ruapehu, 18 Pirates, 20 Border, 21 Taihape, 22 Kaierau, 39 Marist, 60 Ngamatapouri, 64 Ratana.
Senior (after 11 rounds — end of 1st round) —
Individual points — 88 A J Newton (Counties), 78 Ben Toyne (Celtic), 69 Neihana Pomana (Border), 62 Jake Lockett (Buffalo’s), 57 Tiari Toko Talu-Mumby (Hunterville), 53 Guy Percy (Hunterville),45 Tyrone Albert (Border), Scott Parkes & Peter Duxfield (both Hunterville), 43 Leighton Harding (Hunterville), 35 James Lett (Hunterville), 32 James Marshall (Counties), 31 Manahi Kamaaru (Marton), 30 Wineti McDonnell & Josh Couchman (both Celtic), Francis Siagafo (Marton), Tristan Slight (Pirates) & Aaron Chapman (Taihape).
Goal-kicking — 73 pts Toyne, 43 Percy, 30 Slight, 27 Lockett.
Individual try scoring — 12 Pomana, 11 Talu-Mundy, 9 Duxfield, 7 Lockett, Parkes & Lett, 6 Wineti McDonnell, Couchman. Marshall & Siagafo, 5 Leighton Harding & Harry Bull (both Hunterville), Brosnon Tuimai, Karl Battersby & Maikara McDonnell (all Celtic), Liam McAfeese (Marton), Florient Jalenques (Taihape) & Karl Farrell (Utiku OB).
Team tries — For: 67 Hunterville, 47 Celtic, 36 Taihape, 34 Border, 30 Marton, Pirates & Utiku OB, 24 Buffalo’s & Kaierau, 21 Counties, 19 Ruapehu. Conceded: 14 Hunterville, 17 Counties, 20 Celtic & Marton, 25 Border, 33 Utiku OB, 40 Taihape, 44 Kaierau, 46 Buffalos, 49 Pirates, 50 Ruapehu.
International Rugby
The opening weekend of international fixtures draws this weekend (NZ times): Saturday:
New Zealand v France — Auckland — Sky Sport 1, 7.35pm. Australia v Ireland — Australia — NZ Sky Sport 3, 9.50pm. Sunday:
South Africa v England — South Africa — NZ Sky Sport 1, 2.55am. Argentina v Wales — Argentina — NZ Sky Sport 2, 7.55am. NOTE — The Investec Super Rugby championship resumes on Friday, June 29.