• Tui empty tanks in 40th anniversary clash

Tui empty tanks in 40th anniversary clash

Three members of the first Hawke's Bay women's rugby team to play against Manawatu 40 years ago were at Napier's McLean Park tonight.


Liz Huata (nee Paraha), Orini Gillies (nee Karaitiana) and Fran Te Aho walked the ball out before the Big Barrel Tui took on the Manawatu Cyclones in their fifth and final Farah Palmer Cup South Zone clash of the season against the Manawatu Cyclones. While the Cyclones retained the Attenborough-McBeth Cup with a 29-12 victory the three former Bay players would have been impressed with the gutsy effort from the hosts.


Tui assistant coach Steve Woods was.


"I'm pretty proud of the girls as they definitely emptied their tanks. We had moments when we couldn't finish off and Manawatu capitalised on a couple of our mistakes too," Woods said.



Fullback Michaela Baker and centre Amelia Pasikala scored the Bay's tries. Former Black Ferns first five-eighth Krysten Cottrell, who is a former Cyclones player, kicked a conversion for the hosts who trailed 19-5 at halftime.


Woods said Wairoa College student Pasikala and Karamu High School winger Harmony Kautai made the most of their opportunities for the Tui.


"They were good on their feet and they are going to be good players for the Bay in years to come."


They benefitted from having experienced players, Cottrell and former Black Ferns halfback Emma Jensen, inside them. Jensen played 80 minutes of her 176th and final first class game.


Lock Nina Pineaha, who played 80 minutes of all five Tui games this season, again had a massive workrate for the Bay.  Fullback and captain Selica Winiata and first five-eighth Carys Dallinger were classy in the Cyclones backline.


Providing unbeaten Canterbury beat winless Tasman this weekend Manawatu will take on the winner of Sunday's match between Waikato and Auckland in next weekend's semifinals.


Scorers:
Manawatu Cyclones 29 (Selica Winiata, Rangimarie Sturmey, Kalyn Takitimu-Cook, Carys Dallinger, Alesha Williams tries; Winiata 2 cons), Hawke's Bay Tui Tui 12 (Michaela Baker, Amelia Pasikala tries; Krysten Cottrell con). HT: 19-5.