Karaka trump Ardmore Marist
Karaka have handed Ardmore Marist their first loss of the season to claim the Counties Power Cup in the Counties Manukau Rugby premier competition.
In the Counties Power game of the week, Karaka were able to collect a hard fought win 24-17 at EcoLight Stadium number two.
‘‘It was certainly a step up from last week. The boys brought the right attitude and were committed,’’ Karaka coach Craig Hill said.
Karaka was stung by an upset loss to Patumahoe last week and Hill said that actually helped them to be more motivated to knock over the top side.
‘‘It certainly sharpened the focus on what they were doing. It was a bit of reality around being consistent and not taking anything for granted.’’
Bombay remain in the top four after an extremely convincing 55-5 win over Waiuku.
The home side bagged seven tries in racking up the half century with Jordan Goldsmith scoring four of them. First-five Ki Anufi added four conversions and a penalty.
‘‘We were pretty pleased with the way we started the game really,’’ Bombay coach Jeff Marr said.
‘‘The first 30 minutes was really excellent from us.
‘‘It was probably the best half of football we have played all year really.’’
Patumahoe kept second place on the ladder, with an impressive 34-8 bonus point win over Manurewa at Mountfort Park.
It extends Patumahoe’s winning streak to four games and keeps them in touch with Ardmore Marist.
The win also keeps a clear gap between the top four sides and the chasing bunch.
‘‘It was actually a really good game. They are a hard team to beat,’’ Patumahoe assistant coach Josh van Lieshout said.
Pukekohe rebounded from last week’s upset loss at Waiuku to thump Te Kauwhata 36-0 at Colin Lawrie Fields.
The home side took advantage of a 12-0 halftime lead to run away with a six tries to none victory.
‘‘The boys played really well but in patches though,’’ Pukekohe coach Waka Setitaia said. ’’The good thing about this result was they kept their structures but there are still more work-ons for us.’’
Onewhero also rebounded from a last-start loss to ease to a 37-12 win over bottom of the table Papakura at Massey Park.
The home side actually led 12-10 at the break but Onewhero pulled away in the second half to ensure a one-sided score line.
Manurewa took a narrow 18-17 win over Patumahoe in Premier 2 action. Karaka completed the Premier 1 and 2 double with a win over Ardmore Marist while Onewhero, Bombay and Pukekohe also completed wins. Weymouth and Te Kohanga recorded wins in their respective Premier 3 fixtures while Patumahoe took a 25-20 win over Bombay in under 21 action.
See points table on P38