Hawke's Bay club rugby finals: Taradale takes Maddison Trophy premier title

A maroon triumph as the Taradale Premier side of 2021 celebrates its club's first Maddison Trophy final win since 2009. Photo / Paul Taylor

Taradale have silverware they can celebrate their 125th year of rugby with after a big double on Saturday.

The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's club championship finals at McLean Park, Napier, culminated in the maroons beating Hastings Rugby and Sports 21-15 to win the Maddison Trophy Premier title for the first time since 2009.

Taradale had earlier won the Pat Ryan Memorial Cup Colts final, needing a 76th minute converted try to beat plucky hopefuls and Waipukurau side Central 26-25.

Opening the day, Hastings side MAC won the Senior 2 final by beating Waipawa Country United 42-32.

The MAC side after beating Waipawa Country United in the Senior 2 final. Photo / Supplied

The only club to have more than one team in the five finals, Taradale opened the festival of club rugby in the Senior 3 final on Friday night, going down 29-18 to Clive. Immediately after was the Senior 1 final in which Havelock North beat Dannevirke side Aotea 44-12.

The Maddison Trophy final was the proverbial game of two halves, the impact player being the deteriorating weather – mainly a northerly wind, with the threat of rain from a darkening sky.

Taradale took first use of it and spent almost all the first half deep in Hastings territory, scoring three tries and going to halftime up 21-0.

The tries went to left wing Majella Tufuga and then a pair to hooker Gene Syminton, putting in a possible man-of-the-match performance.

Hastings started to get back into the game with a penalty 10 minutes after halftime, but it was another 10 minutes before prop Dennis Tapusoa got Hastings' first try.

The momentum was lost with a spill of the ball at a most crucial stage and although captain Jacob Devery scored with a minute left, converted from in front with a snappy drop-kick from first five-eighths Jordan Thompson-Dunn, it was bit much to expect a miracle in the closing seconds.

When possession was lost from the kick-off, it was all over.

It had been an even match, with referee Tipene Cottrell flashing the yellow card four times, taking Hastings down to 14 players just before halftime and, and then 13 soon after the break when one from each side took the walk after a short melee deep in Hastings' territory.

A major area of Taradale's success was in its control of the lineouts, with some particularly big work from flanker Josh Eden-Whaitiri and Syminton and front-row partners Lolani Faleiva and captain Namatahi Waa.

Carswell and co-coach Tim Combs had prepared their side well, but Carswell said: "I thought we would have scored in the second half. We didn't, but we knew our defence was the best in the competition. We think it might even be the best in New Zealand."

He said that with a young side and the Colts' win, the club was in good shape for the future, especially having ended the season with the four available competition-wide Premier trophies – the new Maddison Trophy (a cup produced to consign the aged and battered silver ball original), the Nash Cup for the first-round final, the Challenge Shield (the grade's equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield), and the Black and White Shield (most competition points across Men's Colts and Women's rugby.

Then there was the Pat Ryan Memorial, won by the Colts in a match that was as much a win for Taradale as it was Colts rugby.

The end of the Colts final decided by a single point - victors Taradale at left, the vanquished, Central, at right. Photo / Doug Laing

Taradale had last won the grade in 2018, but it has been a struggle for Central in the first season for coach Hamish Carroll, which ended early with not enough players to continue.

The club rebuilt its side, and with "a bunch" back from last year stacked up the wins and went into the final nominally the favourite – the only side to beat Taradale during the competition.

Central led 15-14 at halftime, Taradale took the lead at 19-15 soon after the break and looked to be on top when No 8 Will Robinson scored with 15 minutes to go.

Taradale's sustained pressure in the last minutes resulted in the crucial try and match-winning conversion from fullback Kalani Grant from in front of the posts.

Results of Saturday's Hawke's Bay rugby club finals:

Premier (Maddison Trophy)

Taradale 21 (Gene Syminton 2, Majella Tufuga tries; Ben Truesdale 2 pen) Hastings Rugby and Sports 15 (Dennis Tapusoa, Jacob Devery tries; Connor McLeod pen; Jordan Thompson-Dunn con). Halftime: 21-0.

Senior 2 (Tom Mulligan Cup)

Mac 42 (William Ah Kiong, Faresa Leota, Vafeloa Matai, Paoleava Autagavaia, Faapaia Taumaoe, Tom Iosefo tries; Tom Iosefo, Paoleave Autagavaia pens; Autagavaia 3 cons) Waipawa Country United 32 (Adam Slobbe, Josh Wardle, Tom McKenzie tries; Dylan Scott 5 pen; Scott con). Halftime: 22-17.

Colts (Pat Ryan Memorial Trophy)
Taradale 26 (Rocky Hoffman, Kahurangi Beamsley-Allan, Phelix Bargh, Kalani Grant tries; Carlos Keefe 2, Kalani Grant cons) Central 25 (Will Robinson 2, Jan Schoeman, Tyler Kopua tries; Luca Bell pen, con). Halftime: 14-15.