Rugby: Hawke's Bay Saracens and Samoans savour titles

The Hawke's Bay Samoans rugby team celebrate a second consecutive High Commission Cup title at Park Island on Saturday. Photo/Paul Taylor

Substitute halfback Zac Donaldson was the hero as the Hawke's Bay Saracens retained their Hurricanes Development rugby competition title in Palmerston North on Saturday.

Donaldson scored a try in the final play of the game to tie the score and provide second five-eighth Tianua Poto with a comfortable conversion attempt to give the Saracens a 21-19 victory over Manawatu Development. With their win the Saracens also retained the Saracens-Evergreens Cup.

"To be fair it was probably our worst game of the season and we didn't deserve the win. But in a final situation like that you take wins any way you can get them," Saracens manager Mike Smith said.

He heaped kudos on the impact provided from the bench by the likes of Donaldson, lock Ben Parsons and loosie Ben Hamelink. Openside flanker Chris Johnston was again a workaholic.

Magpies pivot Tiaan Falcon had some memorable touches and shone with his game management and use of the wind according to Smith.

■ The Hawke's Bay Samoans retained the High Commission Cup in emphatic fashion with a 50-3 thrashing of Manawatu Samoans at Napier's Park Island on Saturday.

Head coach of the Bay side Tivaini Fomai was proud of his troops' effort as they had beaten Manawatu 15-0 the previous weekend.

"Manawatu are a strong side but our boys worked hard during the week on the areas of play which needed fixing and fronted up well today," Fomai said as his players had turns at holding the impressive silverware.

Co-captain Pouvi Fatialofa, fellow flanker Fale Matamata and No 8 Danya Tulou were a dominant cohesive trio. First five-eighth Ausage Fomai, in his final outing before leaving for Samoa for a Samoans Sevens team trial, directed the hosts backline well. Midfielders Migao Lauano and Timo Vaiusu were full of authority.

Coach Fomai said he was confident his team could complete a three-peat next year.

"We've a Hawke's Bay Samoans Barbarians team now so there is so much depth available to us," he added referring to his second team, which didn't play on Saturday because the Marton Samoans pulled out of the fixture.

■ Poor ball security let the Hawke's Bay Tuis down in their televised 20-0 Farah Palmer Cup fourth-round loss to North Harbour in Albany on Saturday.

Far too many soft turnovers were conceded and in both of their only tryscoring situations the ball was lost forward over the tryline. Tuis captain and first five-eighth Amy Williams agreed the security was a major issue and pointed out there needed to be more blowing over at the confrontation area to give the Tuis better and more secure go forward.

There were still positives for the Tuis. One was the outstanding display from promising fullback Felicity Powdrell.

Another was the high workrate of openside flanker Laurae Blake. There were also many admirable aspects of the Tuis' pick-and-go play.

Black Ferns Charmaine Smith and Rebecca Wood, playing at blindside flanker and lock respectively, were prominent for North Harbour as they recorded their first win of the season.

Lock Sophie Fisher also impressed in the Harbour pack. First five-eighth Claudia McMeekin and centre Emma Iversen were classy in the Harbour backline.