Champs Morrinsville on the move
15th June 2010 12:56PM
By EVAN PEGDEN - Waikato Times
After a late scramble to qualify for the premier division top eight from the preliminary round, Wagon Wheel Bakery Morrinsville have now knocked off the top two qualifiers, keeping both scoreless, to take an early outright lead in the Haswell Catley Trophy main round.
Morrinsville took out Shenanigans Irish Pub Fraser-Tech 18-9 at Morrinsville on Saturday when they took their chances better, a late converted try ending Tech's hopes of a consolation bonus point.
That followed Morrinsville's home win over Ron Crawford Memorial Trophy winners Hamilton Old Boys the week before.
CBD Old Boys have yet to register a win in this round after being held to a 14-14 draw on their home ground by Hamilton Marist on Saturday, leaving Marist in second spot on the table – two points behind Morrinsville.
Both Ecolab Te Awamutu Sports, who beat TDO Melville away 17-12, and APL Hautapu, who were 18-8 home winners over OTC Otorohanga at Cambridge, registered their first wins to stay in touch with the leaders.
Morrinsville Sports18
Fraser-Tech9
This match was wrapped up with about five minutes to go thanks to an 80-metre try from winger Ben Titoko, latching onto a kick through from halfback Jarred Bayliss at Campbell Park.
Andre Wilson's conversion made it 18-9 but before that it was anyone's game with the home side ahead just 11-9 after leading 8-3 at the changeover.
Lock Duncan Leask scored Morrinsville's first-half try to ensure the home side were always just ahead in a see-sawing game in wet and muddy conditions.
Fraser-Tech blew three try-scoring chances in the first half and in the end turnovers cost them dearly, with skipper and fullback Tyron Child a lone standout for the visitors.
Playing for the Styvie Cup, which honours the memory of the late Darrin Stevenson who coached Morrinsville last year and previously played and coached at Tech, the home side looked inspired as well as free of the constraints and pressures of trying to qualify for the top eight.
Having gone back to what worked for them last year, the home forwards went well led by hooker Tom Rowling up front and Alex Bradley and Brett Harrison in the loose, while in midfield Michael Hotene had a strong game and fullback Benji Olesen kicked and ran effectively.
Hamilton Old Boys14
Hamilton Marist14
Hamilton Old Boys and Hamilton Marist battled to a draw at Fred Jones Park after a lacklustre 80 minutes of rugby, writes John Holt.
Neither side was at full strength for this game and, as a result, both teams lacked combination in their play throughout the match. There was little in the way of organised attack from either side and far too often aimless kicking was the main means of advancing into opposition territory.
Old Boys started well enough with a slick overlap try in the corner to left wing Matt Kenny in just the third minute of play, but the side were then unable to convert other scoring opportunities into tries for the remainder of the match.
Marist replied with two penalty goals from first five-eighth Joe Reynolds to lead 6-5 after 20 minutes, but right on halftime Old Boys' No10 Dean Devcich kicked his first penalty goal from close range to have the red-and-blacks ahead 8-6 at the break.
Old Boys then led 11-9 for most of the second half after Reynolds and Devcich exchanged penalty goals, before Marist got the scent of a win after big winger Frank Halai used his strength and pace to crash through several Old Boys' defenders to score in the corner with nine minutes of play remaining.
However, Old Boys managed to apply enough pressure to salvage a draw when Devcich kicked his third penalty goal to tie the scores at 14-14 a short time later, and the home side were perhaps unlucky to miss out on a win when Devcich missed his final penalty shot at goal from just 28m a minute or two before the end of the match.
Old Boys No6 Johan Bardoul was the standout player for his side, winning a good amount of clean, controlled lineout ball, as well as instigating a lot of his side's driving, go-forward play when running with the ball in hand.
Marist No10 Joe Reynolds controlled play and kicked well for territory for his side and seemed to be the most adept of the various players used in that key position by his team so far this season.
Te Awamutu Sports17
Melville12
Te Awamutu won this match in the first half with a powerful forward display and first use of the wind and rain squalls at their backs.
That first 40 minutes saw the visitors to Collins Rd get out to a 17-0 half-time lead thanks to a try to hooker Simon Kay off a powerful lineout drive and one to right winger Josh Harris from a kick-and-chase from a Melville turnover in a crash tackle by Te Awamutu second-five Leon Emery.
Emery also goal-kicked accurately in the difficult conditions with three out of three, while Melville had to do without big prop Villiame Tuungufasi in the sin-bin for collapsing a maul in a game that saw 30 penalties and five free kicks blown.
Centre TK Moeke was Melville's most dangerous attacking weapon and he threatened at times in the first half before being a key man in the hosts' fightback in the final quarter after Te Awamutu halfback and captain Luke Parsons had been yellow-carded.
No8 Bronson Daniels got Melville's first try in the 25th minute from some good driving and pick-and-go work from the home pack and speedy winger Aaron Rogers got the second four minutes later from a big Melville breakout. It was all Melville at the end thanks to another Moeke/Rogers breakout and the home side, with a number of players missing due to injury and illness, hammered Te Awamutu's line in the last five minutes for no reward.
Hautapu18
Otorohanga8
There was nothing in this game at halftime with visitors Otorohanga leading 5-3 at Memorial Park thanks to an early try by prop Justin Aikman.
But the home side took control in the second half on the back of a fine forward effort, with superior scrummaging and a lot of pick-and-go play, while the visitors failed to play to the conditions and use the wind to plug the corners.
Hautapu took the lead 6-5 with a Josh Blue penalty goal, Hone Wanden got it back for Otorohanga with a dropped goal to lead 8-6 and then winger Ruamai Erueti scored the first of his two tries to put the home side into the lead for the last time at 11-8. The match was still wide open at that point but Erueti snatched an intercept and ran 50m to score to put the result beyond doubt.
The two 18-year-olds in the front row for Hautapu – prop Dan Ross and hooker Sam van der Valk – had fine all-round games on a boggy field, as did open-side flanker Mario Wernli.
Lock Nathan Loginimoce was one of Otorohanga's best but the backs didn't see a lot of ball.
RESULTS, STANDINGS
Waikato senior A: Premier Division (Haswell Catley Trophy): Hamilton Old Boys 14 (Matt Kenny try; Dean Devcich 3 pens) Hamilton Marist 14 (Frank Halai try; Joe Reynolds 3 pens). HT: 8-6. Te Awamutu Sports 17 (Simon Kay, Josh Harris tries; Leon Emery 2 cons, pen) Melville 12 (Bronson Daniels, Aaron Rogers tries; Tyler Leith con). HT 17-0 Morrinsville Sports 18 (Duncan Leask, Ben Titoko tries; Andre Wilson con, 2 pens) Fraser-Tech 9 (Sam Christie 3 pens). HT 8-3. Hautapu 18 (Ruamai Erueti 2 tries; Josh Blue con, 2 pens) Otorohanga 8 (Justin Aikman try; Hone Wanden drop).
HT 3-5. W D L F A BP Pt Morrinsville 2 0 0 42 30 0 8 Ham Marist 1 1 0 35 32 0 6 Fraser-Tech 1 0 1 35 42 1 5 Hautapu 1 0 1 36 29 1 5 Te Awamutu 1 0 1 41 38 0 5 Otorohanga 0 1 1 26 36 0 2 Melville 0 1 1 30 35 1 3 Hamilton OB 0 1 1 35 38 1 3
Points (Bonus points awarded to teams losing by seven points or less and for scoring four tries or more) Promotion-Relegation Division (NZFP Trophy): University 26 Hinuera 5, Taupiri 46 Leamington 0, Te Rapa 48 Putaruru 11, Southern United 20 United Matamata Sports 10. First Division: Frankton 18 Ohaupo 6, Pirongia 15 Raglan 5, Kereone 81 Matangi-Hillcrest 0.
