Nordstrom relishes time at club level

BAYWIDE CLUB RUGBY
Zion Nordstrom could quite as easily have been on the wrong side of a 38-3 margin at Blake Park on Saturday.
The 27-year-old midfielder moved to Rotorua this year with wife Kaleb, ending a long stint with the Hautapu club in Cambridge. He initially linked with Rotoiti but former Hautapu teammate - and now Mount Maunganui coach - Marty Bourke had other ideas.
"I was considering playing local but Marty asked really nicely!" Nordstrom grinned. "It was also pretty tempting to come and play another season with some of my mates - I've played a bit with Ted Tauroa and Luke Katene back in the Waikato."
Rotoiti could have used Nordstrom's solidity at second-five on Saturday and to rub further salt into the Lakesiders' wounds, he also poached an intercept late in the game to inflate a lop-sided score.
The visitors needed cool heads, trailing 10-3 with a decent breeze at their backs 10 mins into the second half, especially when they blew a golden scoring chance following a slick break by wing Elijah Wilson-Haira.
 Mount's million-dollar backline cut loose soon after, Lance MacDonald stepping his way over, Grant McQuoid collecting a slick chip and chase, Nordstrom intercepting, then halfback Chad Tuoro completing the rout.
"It's good for us to know we can play at a high level against good opposition," Nordstrom said. "It does wonders for team confidence with some big games coming up, though the scoreboard didn't reflect things and probably got away on Rotoiti in the end."
The fifth of six rugby-playing, Mormon-raised brothers, Nordstrom spent the 2006 season on the fringes of the champion Waikato NPC side, then headed for a season in Germany under former Matamata College coaching legend George Simpkins. He's finishing university papers at the moment and has his hands full with the birth of his second daughter but has managed to slip along to some Steamers training sessions and is playing for the Western Bay subunion side.
Nordstrom's arrival in the province this year adds to the extraordinary midfield depth accumulating in the province but at the moment, he's just relishing his time at club level.
"I'm feeling my age - every season there are guys running around who seem faster and more skilled - but I'm having a lot of fun. It's also good playing with Cory [Aporo] and Dan [Waenga] and the other rep players - it's pretty easy to play around them. You can't buy experience like that."
Waenga converted all five tries on Saturday and added a penalty in a win that inches Mount closer to the top of the Baywide ladder.
They are just three points behind second-placed Rotoiti now, having inflicted the Central bay side's only two losses of the season. Tauranga Sports remain in front on 48 points after prevailing 41-26 at Te Teko.
Wing Jason Karauria scored two late tries and kicked unerringly for a 26-point haul. He's now scored 65 points in three weeks, rocketing up the list of top point-scorers in the Baywide competition.
Whakarewarewa scored the biggest win of the competition so far, demolishing Whakatane Marist 96-17, with Trent Vatselias collecting 23 points and Doug Edwards and Chris van der Vlugt scoring three tries each.
Rangataua scored an important 24-15 win over Opotiki, lifting them equal with Whakarewarewa on 27 points, with slick backs Timoti Gardiner, Alex Jessop and Adam McGarvey all scoring.
Te Puke first-five Nick McCashin kicked his way to 100 points for the season in his side's 24-7 win over Te Puna on Friday night, second to Rangataua's John Ririnui on the point scoring tally.
In division one, Rangiuru beat Ngongotaha 27-14 while Waikite maintained their title charge with a 36-18 victory over Ruatoki.
Paroa and Greerton Marist drew 19-all and Kahukura edged Reporoa 9-7.