Hard luck team picks up clutch of bonus points

Eketahuna can fairly claim to be the hard luck team in this season's Wairarapa-Bush premier division competition.

They have won only one their five matches but have picked up a bonus point in each of the other four for finishing within seven points of the winning side.

After beating Marist 34-16 in their opening match Eketahuna lost 10-11 to Gladstone, 22-27 to Puketoi, 10-15 to Greytown and, just last weekend, 28-29 to Carterton.

All told, they have picked up seven bonus points, at least two more than any of the other seven premier division sides.

Another feature of the Eketahuna effort is that ace flanker Johan Van Vliet has scored a try in each of the games, except against Greytown, where he scored two, giving him six for the season to date.

Pioneer have opened up an eight-point gap at the head of the premier division points table but that hardly tells a true story. They have won all six of their matches and also unbeaten is Bush Sports, who have won four from four.

However, unlike Pioneer, Bush Sports have had a bye and they also had their match with Puketoi deferred to a later date.

The premier division points table is: Pioneer 28, East Coast 21, Bush Sports 20, Martinborough 18, Gladstone 14, Carterton 14, Eketahuna 11, Puketoi 6, Rams 6, Greytown 5 and Marist 2. Teams yet to have a bye are Pioneer, Gladstone, Rams and Marist.

Tuhirangi are the only team yet to taste defeat in the senior reserves series.

They chalked up their fifth successive win last Saturday with a 44-0 defeat of Rams to take their points tally to 24.

Then follow Pioneer on 21, Bush Sports 16, Gladmarist 15, Greytown 12, Rams 11, Martinborough 10, Carterton 5, Eketahuna 4 and East Coast 1.

The Ruamahanga Colts chalked up their first win in the Manawatu colts competition when they beat a strong Dannevirke side 22-0 last weekend.

Dannevirke had a number of Hawke's Bay age group players in their side but Ruamahanga rose to the challenge, with their forwards attaining enough quality possession for their backs to shine.

Colt Pureau, Hemi Walker, Andrew Kauika and Joe Dahlberg-Paku scored tries and Walker also added a conversion.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes, in conjunction with Tranzit, have organised a supporters' bus from Wairarapa to Super 15 matches being played at Westpac Stadium.