Freyberg tip up Te Kawau
Freyberg earned instant respect by not only journeying to Rongotea but tipping up favourites Te Kawau in club rugby yet again.
Te Kawau had been favoured after holding Old Boys-Marist (OBM) close in round one, until a late try by the men from Milson on Saturday saw them home 32-27.
Freyberg won the same game last year.
They’ll revert to being underdogs this week at Colquhoun Park against high-flying College Old Boys, who routed newcomers Linton Army 92-12 at the weekend.
In the other competitive clash, OBM rattled back from 22-7 down to beat Feilding 24-22, with Yellows missing a sitter of a conversion which would’ve got them to 24.
A brave but outgunned and outweighed Feilding Old Boys-Ōroua (FOBO) succumbed to Varsity 69-0 in 22C heat at Massey University.
FOBO had won the past two senior second competitions but many of those players haven’t fronted this season.
Meanwhile, teams might lose players to the Hurricane Hunters side this Saturday, Freyberg with hooker Raymond Tuputupu and prop Joe Gavigan (coming back from a broken thumb) and COB the Bason brothers, Vernon and Mosese.
Jordi Viljoen played his last game before he returns to the Hurrricanes as a backup halfback.
Freyberg coach Potene Paewai said his men will have to improve on what they did on Saturday, even if it was a rare opening-day win.
“It has been a good hunting ground for us out at Rongotea,” he said.
They were bigger than Te Kawau in a game where there was never an obvious winner especially after an even first half.
With a lot of young players, Te Kawau stuck to attacking from everywhere.
Like Feilding, they missed a goalkick from in front.
Freys deserved the win by scoring their sixth try in the 77th minute.
Their trojans were Tuputupu, flanker Michael Halatuituia and fullback Tai Rolls-Paewai.
Wing Tipene Norman was red-carded for a dangerous aerial tackle.
Te Kawau’s standouts were centre Darren Falaniko, loose men Dominic Broadhead and Te Atuarere Albert.
This week against Linton they will encounter their half dozen soldiers from a year ago.
OB-Marist took the lead 24-22 over
Feilding with only four minutes left after lifting their game in the final quarter.
First-five Liam O’Connor exerted control for much of that time with his kicking as Feilding finally fell away in the forwards.
The talk on the sideline was the return of OBM loose forward Rhys Pedersen from retirement only a week ago, and he lifted his side.
The Yellows had the better of the first half to lead 17-7 at the break.
They were constantly challenging with Turbos centre Kyle Brown making two electric bursts in his second spell and aspiring Turbo Caleb Leef starring at first-five.
Lock Kepa Bryce and No 8 Hayden Stratford also shone.
OBM will regret the ball they spilled in the first half but had defended well
Potene Paewai Freyberg coach
to stay within 10 points.
Their other heroes were No 8 Matene Ruawai and Alec Odell in the lineouts.
Manawatū midfield back James Tofa celebrated his 50th game for COB with four tries while the 80-point margin over Linton Army said enough.
Winger Joeli Rauca loved all the ball he saw for three tries and veteran Manawatū player Andre Taylor scored two as COB ran in 14 tries.
With the scrum on top, first-five Rihari Jobe slotted the ball into the corners and kicked 11 conversions.
Vernon Bason turned over a mountain of ball at the breakdown.
Others starring were Viljoen and flanker Jared Selwood.
Fireball Turbos hooker Leif
Schwencke scored both Linton tries against his previous club.
The soldiers kept at it early on but fell off tackles and lacked composure.
Army duty meant Linton had eight changes but some soldiers were released from the bush to play.
Varsity’s size and athleticism was too much for the FOB-Ōroua Stags, notably lock Matt Masoe on the stampede.
The students still only got to 26-0 at halftime before they clapped on the points in the final stanza to add 43, with too much pace and the scrum reeling the Stags back.
Both lineouts were messy and FOBO kept missing touch.
Varsity standouts were flankers Fabien Paletua-Kiri and Cody Borlase, halfback Bryn Wilson and centre Mativa Fonua.
FOBO stuck to their tackling to deny Varsity many tries, particularly loose men Dre Sherwill and Luke Whale and wing Makesi Tulemau.
First-five Dane Whale leaves to play for Marton next week to chase his 100th game for Whanganui and will be replaced by the experienced Paora Rakatau.
Freyberg 32 (Nehemia Mataora 2, Michael Halatuituia, Tipene Norman, Raymond Tuputupu, Apelu Tautele, tries; Carson Hepi con) TeKawau27 Ethan Woodmass 2, Tadhg O’Connor, Darren Falaniko, Kopere Tanoa, tries Falaniko con) HT: 12-10.
OB-Marist 24 (Tamati Ruawai 2, Ben Harris, Chris Cairns, tries; Liam O’Connor 2 con) Feilding 22 (Jack Delaney, Jack Leonard, Caleb Leef, Jimmy Harrison, tries; Delany con) HT: 7-17.
College OB 92 (James Tofa 4, Joeli Rauca 3, Andre Taylor 2, Jared Selwood 2, Jordi Viljoen, Blair Hodgson, Mosese Bason, tries; Rihari Jobe 11 con) Linton Army 12 (Leif Schwencke 2 tries; Wharewaiata Rolls con) HT: 45-5.
Varsity 69 (George Jacobs 2, Fabien Paletua-Kiri 2, Reece Brosnan 2, Dylan Hall, Bryn Wilson, Mativa Fonua, Sam Coles, Oliver Cole, tries; Logan Henry 7 con)
FOB-Ōroua 0 HT: 26-0