Rugby: Saracens run out of steam

ALACK of depth and firepower off the bench let the Hawke's Bay Saracens rugby team down on Saturday.

"We ran out of steam, and while there are no excuses we didn't have the same depth of our opposition because we didn't get any Magpies this week," Saracens manager Mike Smith said after his team's 54-26 loss to Wellington Development in their final outing of the season in Wellington.

This loss sees the Saracens finish third in the Hurricanes Development competition. Smith pointed out the three or four Magpies they usually had each game weren't available because of the Magpies high injury tally after Thursday night's Ranfurly Shield defence against Auckland.

The Saracens led 26-15 at halftime but in the second half Wellington were too strong with the likes of Hurricane and Napier Boys' High School product Sam McNicol and former Lions first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili providing classy impact off the pine.

Co-captains lock Everard Reid and and No8 Andrew Gardner were tireless workers in the Saracens pack and their scrum worked well in the first half.

Star Timu, who had stints at centre and fullback, joined second five-eighth Cole Eru and first five-eighth Tianua Poto as the best of the Saracens backs.

Poor fitness levels were again evident as the winless Hawke's Bay Tuis finished their NPC campaign with a 58-8 loss to Manawatu in Palmerston North on Saturday.

"We did well to trail 17-8 at halftime. But when Manawatu increased the tempo in the second half we had nothing to match them," Tuis manager Blair Heasley said.

Openside flanker Laurae Blake, No8 Kat Brown and promising hooker Forne Burkin impressed with their never-say-die approach in the Tui's pack. The experienced halfback-first five-eighth combination of Gemma Woods and Sylvia Bockman, who scored a try and kicked a penalty, had memorable moments in the visiting backline.

Magpie Mason Emerson displayed his class at fullback and centre as the Hawke's Bay under-19s opened their national tournament in Taupo with an 18-14 win against Bay of Plenty yesterday. His backline was served well by the halfback-first five-eighth pair of Tim Scia Scia and Jack Wakeling. The Bay's front row of props Sean Morrison and Mason Kean and hooker Max Fryatt functioned well and flankers Kaleb Whakataka and George Macpherson were destructive and constructive at the appropriate times.

Bay manager Cyril Whitburn said his troops were rusty in the first half but fought back well in the second after trailing 14-10 at the interval.

The Hawke's Bay under-14s completed an unbeaten season with their third consecutive victory, 36-19, against Manawatu in Palmerston North on Saturday.

Winger Reece Akuhata scored three of the Bay's six tries.

Prop Jack Beattie and No8 Connor Wadley were others to impress in the polished team effort from the visitors.

The Hawke's Bay under-16s teams play their first games at their Hurricanes tournament in Levin today. Hawke's Bay play Poverty Bay and the Hawke's Bay Development team take on Wellington Development.