CLUB RUGBY - Marists' rising stars vie to catch eye of selectors

A clique of ambitious Marist rugby players will be pushing their case for recognition from the Northland rugby selectors by claiming first round honours in the Joe Morgan Memorial club rugby competition next week.
Marist are leading the competition despite getting turned over 23-20 by Wellsford in an upset result on Saturday and are now poised to march away with first round honours and underline their status as the championship heavyweights.
But the club won't be satisfied just to pick up silverware as a number of the premier side have opted out of club rugby in and around Auckland to plug for spots in the Northland team this season.
Leading the charge are halfback Kaino Kaino and hooker Seaosi Tuatao, two of a large contingent of new Marist recruits who travel north each week to turn out for the Kensington Park-based club.
Those two players were to the fore as Marist marched through the early stages of the competition, Tuatao's accuracy at lineout throwing particularly important.
Marist seem assured of taking out the first round, a feat that will see them rewarded by competition sponsors Lion Red in a fashion you might expect. But their status as top dogs come the business end of the season is still far from certain. Wellsford managed to unsettle Marist with a series of forward charges but mainly won the game through some slick backline work midway through the second spell. It was no coincidence that Wellsford's victory was registered when Rene Ranger was in the playing side either.
But that wasn't the only intriguing result of the weekend.
While Mid Northern did as expected and thrashed promoted Old Boys 88-0, and Mid Western proved their rapid improvements with a 22-8 win over Waipu, there were two epic battles at Hikurangi and Kamo.
Hikurangi snuck home 29-28 over the Western Sharks and Kamo caused a boilover with a 18-17 victory over Hora Hora.
The Sharks were desperately unlucky in their game against Hikurangi, a fired-up forward pack sitting Hikurangi on their haunches in the first half then hammering out a decent lead in the second.
But Hikurangi played well, their backline smarts getting them back in the hunt in the second half, led by Henry Foy. Hikurangi were also boosted by the return of Eric Abraham.
Kamo were down 10-0 to Hora Hora and looking vulnerable as the visiting side used a hefty forward pack and some slick backline passing to keep Kamo on the backfoot. Warren Dunn scored early for Hora Hora and soon after rampant flanker Rukuwai Waata dotted down as well.
But Kamo replied with two long-range counter-attacking touchdowns, both of them sparked - and one scored - by livewire Kamo centre Hunia Kingi.
Kingi stepped past two defenders on the halfway line and created the opening for McKenzie to finally score just before halftime then Kingi got the second himself midway through the second half with a withering 40m solo run to the tryline.
The crux of the game came down to the goal kickers though, and in that department Kamo's Matt Buckley stepped up.
• Next week: Waipu vs Marist; Wellsford vs Western Sharks; Kamo vs Hikurangi; Hora Hora vs Whg Old Boys; Mid Northern vs Mid Western.