Kiwi Cruise to top
Kiwi sealed victory in the Muir Trophy competition and top spot on the accumulated points ladder with an emphatic 89-26 victory over South Westland.
Kiwi, unbeaten in the five Muir Trophy matches, raced in 13 tries and Todd Struthers converted 11 of them to take his personal tally to 121 points, against South Westland.
Player-coach Troy Tauwhare said it was a complete team effort but Struthers had made a big contribution from fullback, his counter-attacking skills leading to several tries.
“It was our most complete performance. A full 80-minute eff ort and all the 50-50 passes stuck for a change.” South Westland coach Grant Mathieson was unavailable for comment.
Kiwi 89 (T Struthers, K Otimi 2, D Tauwhare, J Ferguson 3, L Winter, M Olson, T Scadden, D Thompson, S McClure 2 tries; Struthers 11, McClure 1 cons)
South Westland 26.
Ill-discipline on Saturday cost Blaketown a right royal chance of finishing as top qualifier for West Coast Rugby’s Taylorville-Wallsend Cup semi-finals.The seagulls outscored Marist three tries to one but, with the referee finding fault with the black jerseys, Marist halfback Hugo Torres kicked five penalties and a conversion to guide his team to a 22-19 victory and take his personal points tally to 133.
The results mean that the semi-finals will be a repeat of Saturday’s games, with Kiwi playing South Westland, and Marist meeting Blaketown.If Marist took all their many chances on Saturday, the winning margin would have been much greater, but Blaketown did enough to prove that they are capable of turning the tables next week, the bulked up scrum, in particular holding its own for once.
Gordon Iafeta, Alan Monk, Adam Torrance and Brad Houston were busy in the black pack, while fullback Robert Thompson ran with the purpose of old and halfback Nik Davy used his kicking game to good effect to keep the greens at bay.Prop Greg Crampton, followed closely by hooker Ben Campbell, had a storming game for Marist and Welsh second-fi ve Brad Lewellen again pressed his case for a West Coast jersey with a classy display.
Marist made much of the early running and squandered several scoring chances, but Blaketown took all theirs to lead 14-3 at the break.At half-time the penalty count was 4-2 in favour of the greens, but it was 14-4 at the finish. Two late penalties to Blaketown (Marist had already received nine more by this point) allowed the seasiders to draw level on the scoreboard, but another to the greens gave Torres a kick right in front, which he gratefully accepted to put his side in front.
The game began with a minute’s silence for Liam Richardson, his former Blaketown team-mates wearing armbands as a mark of respect.Blaketown mounted a long and passionate attack from the kick-off , which was nullified when Nik Davy elected to kick ahead when Marist’s defence was on the verge of crumbling.
The kick gifted Marist possession and soon the greens were hammering at the Blaketown line, Maleli Mudu and Isei Lewaqai crossing but having tries ruled out. Torres also missed a penalty and a field goal before the blacks swung back on attack and a short pass from Torrance almost put Nik Cumming over.
Robert Thompson scored soon after from a quick tap. Phil Thompson converted but Torres closed the gap to 7-3 with his first successful penalty of the match. With time almost up, Blaketown only had enough time for one more play before the break but they made it count, reclaiming the ball which Rob Thompson, Houston and Brogan Watt carried to the line before Torrance barged over from close quarters. Phil Thompson converted to give the blacks a 14-3 lead at the break.
Marist ignored an early penalty chance in the second half, opting instead for a scrum from which Josh Costello went close before Mudu went over and Torres converted — 14-10.Three Torres penalties took the score to 19-14 but Blaketown drew level with a late try to bustling wing Brogan Jackson after Nick Cumming and Regan Stanton (showing good hands) had worked him clear.
Phil Thomson missed the difficult conversion, which would have put his team, in front but Marist re-gathered the ball from the kick-off and won another penalty which, despite the insults and obscenities tossed at him from a boorish section of the crowd, Torres guided between the posts — 22 -19.
Marist 22 (M Mudu try, H Torres 5 pens, con)
Blaketown 19 (R Thompson, A Torrance, B Jackson tries; P Thompson 2 cons).
Wests piled on the points in the first half and then hung on grimly as Grey Valley wheeled on the heavy artillery in the second spell to their game.
Wests coach Dicey Davidson said lock Bazza Slaven was their man of the match, while fellow forwards Nick Monk and Lee Davidson toiled well in the tight.
Centre Elijah Matalomani was the best of the backs along with Geoff Garland, who added some oomph when he came on.
Veteran lock Peter Nicholls was Grey Valley’s player of the day, while Nick Makea controlled play well from first-five.
Valley coach Ben Ferguson said his side leaked too many easy points in the fi rst half but won the second stanza 15-3.
Wests 32 (M Cook, M Slaven, N Smith, M Johnson, L Ross tries; Ross 2 cons, pen)
Grey Valley 20 (B Morley, K McCleod, P Nicholls 2, tries).
