Memorable 50th for Hastings Rugby and Sports hooker
It's fair to suggest Hawke's Bay Magpies hooker Jacob Devery will remember his 50th match for Hastings Rugby and Sports for the rest of his life.
Devery was a key figure in a cohesive and dominant Auto Super Shoppe Hastings pack as the hosts upset previously unbeaten competition leaders Taradale Rugby and Sports 35-10 in a sixth round Maddison Trophy clash at Elwood Park today.
Fullback Jayden Rihia scored a hattrick for Devery and winger Mason Emerson scored two tries. Hurricanes squad member Danny Toala was outstanding at centre in a backline which was well served by the halfback-first five-eighth combination of Connor McLeod and Jordan Thompson-Dunn.
Openside flanker Fale Matamata had a massive workrate in the winning pack.
Taradale co-coach Tim Combs agreed it wasn't the display lock Angelo Mufana deserved in his 100th outing for the visitors.
"Hats off to Hastings for their work at the breakdown and collision areas. We couldn't get any momentum but it's better to have a loss like that now than later in the season," Combs explained.
Busy No 8 Iakopo Mapu was the best of the visitors.
Scorers:
Hastings Rugby and Sports 35 (Jayden Rihia 3, Mason Emerson 2, Neria Fomai tries; Connor McLeod pen, con), Taradale 10 (Majella Tufuga try; Cameron Robinson pen, con). HT: 20-10.
CENTRAL 25 PIRATE 13
Northfuels Central gave fullback Karl Lepelaars and substitute halfback Tom Beachen winning 100ths with this Tamatea Park victory.
Magpies prop Joel Hintz captained the visiting pack with aplomb. In-form No 8 Finau Nimatasau again impressed with his powerful carries and defensive workrate.
Hooker Max Fryatt and lock Tomo Fogarty were others to shine in the Central engine room. Winger Nick White made the most of his opportunities in the winning backline.
Central's win took some of the gloss off Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 134th birthday celebrations. Damien Scott, who had stints at lock and flanker, was outstanding for the hosts. Prop Kelsey Miller was busy in his first start of the season and winger Ben Lewis was the pick of the Pirate backs.
Scorers:
Central 25 (Max Fryatt, Tomo Fogarty, Jason Cutbush, Finau Nimatasau tries; Brayden Hardwidge con; Ruan De Lang pen), Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports 13 (Damien Scott, Al Momoisea tries; Zion Clarke pen). HT: 13-5.
CLIVE 60 TAMATEA 25
Tamatea used two sets of father-son combinations in this Bill Mathewson Park defeat.
Former Magpies winger Jason Robinson has been a regular starter with sons Ash and Dennon in the backline this season. Today Tre Barber started on the left wing after returning from a basketball stint in the United States and his father, 46-year-old Hastings District Council councillor Bayden Barber, took the field as a subsitute flanker four years after he last turned out for the side.
Fellow flanker Sheridan Kite, hooker Ngaiwi Hepi and centre Dennon Robinson all impressed in a gutsy team effort from the hosts.
Busy No 8 Liam Udy-Johns was Andrew Clark Tremains Clive Rugby and Sports player-of-the-match. Lock Donovan Mataira was also full of authority in the Clive pack.
Centre Nick Biss was enterprising in the Clive backline.
Scorers:
Clive 60 (Jonah Lowe 2, Liam Udy-Johns 2, Sam Wong 2, Nick Biss, Jesse Tuhua, Sebastian Visinia, Sakopo Ofa tries; Biss 4, Udy-Johns cons), Tamatea 25 (Tane Cooper, Tre Barber, Sheridan Kite tries; Ash Robinson 2 pens, 2 cons). HT: 38-6.
NOBM 43 MAC 34
Enviro Clean and Restoration MAC had the better of the first 60 minutes of this Flaxmere Park loss.
"MAC played the better footy for the first 60 minutes. We were rewarded for our patience and ability to up the tempo in the last 15 minutes," WIT Trust Napier Old Boys Marist coach Craig Gowler explained.
Lock Alex Williams and prop Lee Moleli were prominent in the Green Machine's engine room. Halfback Ellery Wilson again provided quality leadership and substitute winger Josh McIntyre deserved his two tries.
MAC manager Anthony Morley agreed his troops deserved two bonus points instead of one. Centre Alatasi Tupou grabbed a hattrick during the first 20 minutes. Magpies fist five-eighth Lincoln McClutchie was enterprising at fullback.
Props Paula Latu and Kianu Kereru-Symes, hooker Damarus Hokianga and flankers Tupou Afungia and Willy Benson provided plenty grunt to the host pack.
Scorers:
Napier Old Boys Marist 43 (Dominic Devine 2, Josh McIntyre 2, Liam Edwards, Patrick Teddy, Pouvi Fatialofa tries; Bain Champion 4 cons), MAC 34 (Alatasi Tupou 3, Jackson Waerea, Fa'alemiga Selesele, Lincoln McClutchie tries; McClutchie 2 cons). HT: MAC 29-17.
TECH 17 HAVELOCK 15
Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical gave prop Perrin Manuel and substitute forward Tauese Fatialofa winning 50ths with this club day victory at Whitmore Park.
Manuel and blindside flanker Trent Boswell-Wakefield led the Texans pack by example. Second five-eighth Ted Walters was again the kingpin in the winning backline.
Progressive Meats Havelock North manager Richard Kinnear said while his troops displayed improvement on the previous week's loss to Central their discipline lapses were frustrating.
Hooker Matt Phillips and loosie Albert Hemopo were both sinbinned and the Texans scored on both occasions. Midfielders Jesse and Kalin Paewai shone with their defensive work and No 8 Willie McGoon was busy in the visiting pack.
Scorers:
Napier Technical 17 (Tere Joel, Perrin Manuel, Conan Houkamau tries; Marty Watson con), Havelock North 15 (Jesse Paewai, Joe Walding-Karaitiana tries; Adam Blake con; Trinity Spooner-Neera pen). HT: 12-5.
