COB prevail against Varsity in high-scoring opening round
College Old Boys outlasted Varsity in a rematch of last year’s Hankins Shield final in the opening round of the season, winning a back-and-forth battle 53-46 at the Arena on Good Friday.
In hard-working lock Jared Goodson’s 100th match, COB weathered Varsity’s early raids and rallied back every time the students scored, with both teams scoring some exciting long-range tries.
COB were on top at the breakdown early and sparked attacks through men like halfback Jordi Viljoen, centre James Tofa and wing Joeli Rauca, while Varsity made too many mistakes, including passes to no-one and not clearing their line.
But Varsity steadied and it took two tries late in the first half for COB to grab a 31-25 lead at the break.
They fell behind 39-34 midway through the second half, but found space out wide and ran in three tries, one of which came from an intercept, to retake the lead, then held out late Varsity attacks.
Hurricane Viljoen scored two tries of his own and had a hand in others, while Rauca, who also scored a double, was hard to contain.
For Varsity, second-five Logan Henry was a threat with ball in hand and try-scoring hooker Dylan Hall had a good game.
Lock Sam Dyer was busy and No 8 Julian Goerke made some strong firsthalf runs.
COB had brothers Vernon and Mosese Bason both come off the bench. Their father Stephen had suited up on the bench for a cameo with his two sons but didn’t get on.
Hurricanes under-20s first-five eighth Liam O'Connor finished off a stubborn Te Kawau in Old BoysMarist’s 49-33 win in an entertaining points bonanza at the Arena.
O’Connor came on after halftime and after having a kick charged down, showed his wares with long-range kicking, a try under the sticks off flying flanker Jay Rolleston’s offload and landed all five shots at goal. He will be key for OBM this season.
Both sides had players coming to terms with senior rugby and in both defences, tackling was often optional. Te Kawau introduced nine colts players while OBM had lost a dozen men from last year.
OBM, with Rolleston rampant at speed, opened with two quick tries before Te Kawau halfback Kallum Gullery replied with two of his own.
Te Kawau kept pegging OBM back, to 29-26 and 36-33, and Te Kawau were looking more likely, only for loose passes to gift OBM runaways. OBM managed to close it down in the final 10 minutes.
Te Kawau's attacks emanated from Ethan Woodmass, Kody Edwards, Adam Boult, Tadhg O’Connor and Te Atuarere Albert. Again hooker Chris Cairns never stopped taking the ball up for OBM, nor did Rolleston and lock Riley Kinloch.
Feilding Yellows proved they will be a force to be reckoned with in a dominant 52-10 win over Feilding Old BoysŌroua at Johnston Park.
The Stags, playing their first senior one game in two years, were outmuscled and outflanked, but hung in valiantly in what threatened to be a much larger scoreline in front of the large derby-day crowd.
Yellows controlled the forward exchanges, with the front row of Jack Fleury, Ricky Cribb and Liam Hill causing havoc on the FOB-Ōroua scrum.
Flanker Mike Tuiala and midfielder Caleb Leef were others to stand out, with the former bagging two tries and the latter picking up a try and five conversions.
Kyle Brown, who threatened all game, finally had a chance to cut loose in the second half and did not disappoint with a 50-metre solo effort.
Dane Whale and Makesi Semisi Tulemau gave the FOB-Ōroua fans something to cheer about with tries in the first and second half, respectively.
First-five Paora Rakatau, Whale and fullback Sam Wells were the standouts for FOB-Ōroua.
A first-half Kia Toa romp left Linton Army shellshocked at the army camp on Thursday night.
Linton relied on a second-half redemption to salvage a four-try bonus point from the 45-22 loss.
That second half revival, led by Tejay Oliver, Troy Sherriff, Hunter Andersen and Kare Komene, was enough to prove Linton’s senior one credentials and will have opposition wary, with a number of frontliners absent.
But there were some worrying signs early as the military men turned on a nervous first half packed with basic errors in their first senior one game since 2019.
Kia Toa had a strong wind at their backs and turned on an attacking clinic to lead 33-0 at the break.
Kias wore the green-and-white Manawatū Evergreens jerseys as they are still waiting for their new kit to arrive after their clubrooms and uniforms were destroyed by fire in February.
They launched a persistent stream of attacking raids on the Linton defence. Prop Ben Schuster, wing Pena Va’a and No 8 Trent Reti were all particularly tough to contain.
But for all the promise Kia Toa showed, fitness will be a concern as they ran out of puff in the second half.
Linton finally built some continuity on attack in the second half and the gaps started to open. They won the second half 22-12.
Wing Levani Rova shone when he was given opportunities and is one to watch this season.
Scorers:
COB 53 (Leo Tanginoa 2, Joeli Rauca 2, Jordi Viljoen 2, James Tofa tries; Rihari Jobe 6 con, 2 pen) Varsity 46 (Dylan Hall 2, Scott Davidson 2, Logan Henry, Mativa Fonua, Reuben Nelley tries; Henry 4 con, pen) HT: 31-25.
OB-Marist 49 (Chris Cairns, Riley Kinloch, Hayden Hill, Liam O'Connor, Tyson Savai'i, Matene Ruawai, tries; Sam Stewart pen, 2 con; O'Connor 3 con, 2 pen) Te Kawau 33 (Kallum Gullery 2, Ethan Woodmass 2, Tadhg O'Connor, tries; Kody Edwards con; Kopere Tanoa 3 con) HT: 22-12.
Feilding 52 (Mike Tuiala 2, Ricky Cribb, Caleb Leef, Kyle Brown, Jack Delaney, Sam Hunter, Hayden Stratford tries; Leef 5 con, Delaney con) FOB-Ōroua
(Dane Whale, Makesi Semisi Tulemau tries) HT: 24-5.
Kia Toa 45 (Pena Va’a 2, Ajae Hanson 2, Ben Schuster, Tui Lene, Malua Mauola tries; Alex Boblea 3 con, Jakob RauhihiCollis 2 con) Linton Army 22 (Jeremy David, Hunter Andersen, Kare Komene, Levani Rova tries; Donald Hira con) HT: 33-0.