Marist add intensity while minor placings still in flux

Round-robin trophy secured with one round to go, Evan Pegden reports. Anyone thinking the wheels were about to fall off Waikato premier club rugby leaders Hamilton Marist after their upset defeat at the hands of University the previous weekend were made to think again on Saturday.

Haswell Catley Trophy runaway leaders Lodge City Rentals Marist made a telling statement with a massive jump in intensity to blow away fourth-placed Bank Bar Hamilton Old Boys 37-13 on the road in Hamilton.

And with the other three top four sides, including Old Boys, all losing at the weekend that enabled Marist to secure the round-robin trophy and top seeding for the championship semifinals with one round of games to spare.

The topsy-turvy nature of the competition continued with fifth-placed Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports tipping up second-placed OTC/Freightlines Otorohanga 25-20 at Otorohanga and sixth-placed Nottingham Castle Morrinsville Sports continuing their rich vein of form to upset third-placed Shenanigans Fraser-Tech 29-15 in Morrinsville.

But while the latter result, which took Morrinsville’s unbeaten run to six matches, secured the home side both the Styvie Trophy played for between the two clubs each year and the Ron Crawford Memorial Trophy challenge trophy for the season, neither Morrinsville nor Te Awamutu can make the top four. Only the order of second, third and fourth is now at stake in the final games this Saturday.

In Cambridge, APL Direct Hautapu got some of their injured players back and made a decisive jump to seventh spot by beating the previous holders of that placing, TDO Melville, 43-12.

The excitement continued even at the bottom of the table where Homebase University had to stage another stunning home-ground fightback to beat Seafood Bazaar Te Rapa 36-29. This eventful match, which featured two red cards, was a ferocious affair at times and Marist dominated the physical clash, particularly at the breakdowns, to get on top in the first half at Fred Jones Park. Marist’s forwards, led by No 8 Bart Karalus, fellow loose forward Marty Holah and mobile lock Josh Tyrell, were outstanding in providing the forward momentum that gave their elusive backs room to attack and they led 25-3 at halftime.

On top of that, the Marist defence was at times brutal with some massive hits stopping Old Boys’ attacks in their tracks behind the advantage line and that led to a lot of errors by the home side who actually enjoyed a greater share of possession, particularly in the second spell.

The biggest setback for Old Boys came in the 34th minute after fullback Jono Malo had scored Marist’s second try off an overlap for an 18-3 lead that became 20-3 with Wharenui Hawera’s conversion.

But before that kick was taken referee Grant Stuart had to deal with a report of foul play from an assistant referee who pointed out an alleged kick to the head of Holah by Old Boys’ tighthead prop Geoff Sisterton. After much discussion a red card was shown to Sisterton and Old Boys were reduced to 14 players for the rest of the match and their previously competitive scrum was now under the pump. Just to rub it in, a Tyrell try finished off what had been a slick buildup by the Marist backs to stretch the Old Boys’ defence deep into first-half stoppage time.

The numbers temporarily evened up early in the second spell when Marist tighthead prop Lionel Wairau was yellow carded for a no-arms tackle and the hosts took advantage, forcing a 5m scrum through a charged-down clearing kick in goal, and some sharp attacking work by halfback Kylem O’Donnell led to a try in the right corner by replacement winger Isaako Peato.

Wairau returned and normal service resumed in the 68th minute when wing Joe Webber scored after centre Niko Malo had intercepted inside the red zone.

At 30-8 the scoreline looked too lopsided for an Old Boys’ comeback but when Wairau received his second yellow card for punching and therefore an automatic red card with nine minutes to go, the home team did come back with an overlap try to fullback Anthony Coffey.

But that was immediately nullified when hard-running, elusive Marist wing Josh Fa’aglu made a telling break and eventually replacement lock Mike Hapi scored for Hawera to convert. Te Awamutu’s lock-turned-flanker Chris Middleton continues to score tries.

He took his tally to a competition-best of 11 when he scored the match-winner with an intercept 45 metres out from the line 11 minutes from the end at Island Reserve.

But this was a total team effort from the visiting Te Awamutu side, in no greater evidence than their defence which had to withstand a desperate onslaught from Otorohanga in the final eight minutes of a classic local derby.

It was a see-saw battle much of the way. Te Awamutu scored the first try from a kick charge-down and battled their way to a 10-8 halftime advantage, but the home side roared into a 20-15 lead midway through the second spell after two quick tries to hooker Brad van der Heyden and winger Teruva Lumelume.

That looked to have swung the game the home side’s way until a Todd Doolan penalty goal and then Middleton’s intercept.

As well as Middleton, the Te Awamutu midfield pairing of Leon Emery and Semisi Fotu were outstanding for the winners, while halfback Dan Langlands had an outstanding day on defence for Otorohanga and skipper Anthony Wise toiled admirably all day for the home team. Morrinsville’s self-belief must be at an all-time high with this victory at Campbell Park following four wins and a draw in their previous five matches.

But they had plenty of motivation with their great roll of form, the Styvie Trophy and Ron Crawford Memorial Trophy on the line, the son of late former coach Darrin Stevenson (for whom the Styvie Trophy is named), Wiremu Stevenson, playing his blazer game and the club’s past players day all contributing.

The home side took it to Fraser-Tech from the start with a passion, beating the visitors up in all areas, the Morrinsville pack playing an outstanding game, led by prop Stevie Lowe, goal-kicking No 8 Peter Maisey and locks Stevenson and Cody Price.

Behind the pack, Chiefs halfback Brendon Leonard played his farewell home game before he heads to Italy at the end of the season and he, along with fellow backs Semisi Masirewa, Vesi Rauluni and Reggie Sikivou, were all impressive. Hautapu finally had most of their players available and it showed, even though Melville made the stronger start at Memorial Park and had the better of the opening 10 minutes.

The home side went on to score three first-half tries for a 17-0 halftime lead. The visitors again were the stronger side on resumption, dominated territory and scored two tries to get back into the game.

But then Hautapu broke out, talented young fullback Josh Gascoigne scoring a fine try and three more followed as the home team ran away with the game, finishing with seven tries to Melville’s two.

It was a complete performance by the home team with standout openside flanker Stefan Destounis and lock Sam Kilgour the pick of the forwards and second-five Tane Mita and halfback Ruan du Plooy the best of the backs.

Lock Dale Shane and fullback Jimmy Horsford were Melville’s best. At Waikato University, the home side outscored Te Rapa six tries to four and probably deserved to win their match, although victory was not secured until the final few minutes of play.

Second-five Jordan Cameron, Te Rapa’s standout player on the day, scored two first-half tries, veteran lock Marc Morunga a third, and with Cameron kicking a penalty goal and two conversions, the visiting side were well ahead 22-10 at halftime. University’s first-half points came from unconverted tries scored by No 8 Louis Rogers and wing Jake Holmes.

Te Rapa then increased their lead to 29-10 in the opening minutes of the second spell after a length of the field runaway try scored under the posts by wing Harrison Lafituanai.

The University side then got their game together and began to dominate play. Forwards Sean Nixon and Trent Parkes, along with midfield back Sam McCahon, scored tries, two of them converted by Holmes to tie the score up at 29-29 heading into the final 10 minutes of the match.

Then three minutes before the final whistle, University centre Ethan Pollock broke the deadlock, sprinting away to score the winning touchdown.

Taniwharau’s Hiwaroa Grant keeps the Tigers’ defence busy during his side’s runaway win on Saturday. Taniwharau earn a week off as top qualifier for the semifinals. Photo: Mark Taylor/Fairfax NZ