Havelock North taste victory at last in Hawke’s Bay club rugby

Hastings Rugby and Sports first five-eighths Jordan Thompson-Dunn tries to break free of Taradale hooker William Fonohema in their match in Taradale. Photo / Paul Taylor

There was a kick back in the step of Havelock North coach Richard Kinnear as the once-powerhouse club of Hawke’s Bay rugby claimed their first Premier grade win in Hawke’s Bay rugby this season.

On form, the 27-22 Anderson Park victory over Napier Pirate was a surprise, with the Pirates going into the match with four wins from seven in the 11-team Nash Cup round-robin and looking to cement a place in the top six for the Maddison Trophy championship round, starting at King’s Birthday weekend.

For the Napier side that’s now a tenuous proposition with a bye next week followed by an away game against Central in Waipukurau and a match to end the round against Taradale.

Both teams have been on the path to redemption, bouncing back from relegation together in 2021.

Havelock North, once regular finalists but now without any major silverware in the last decade, made the championship semifinals last season.

Pirate, champions last in 2015, struggled to get among the victories last year despite the reputed family strength across the club.

Kinnear said he was seeing things coming together and it was “only a matter of time” before his side got a win. Flankers Cooper Flanders and Sam Smith, prop Tuaniu Tuaniu and wing Epeli Tanadroga led the way and provided the direction and defensive passion needed to satisfy the loyal followers.

But it was an ominous start for Havelock North, who had the advantage of a first-half breeze, but saw Pirate scoring twice in the first 20 minutes to lead 12-0.

Tries to fullback Tawhiri Gifford-Kara and centre Jesse Paewai helped balance the books.

The lead came with a well-earned try to Flanders soon after the break.

In a match where Pirate scored four tries to three, including two for the Pirates by Cruz Davies, it was ultimately the boot of Gifford-Kara that dominated, converting his side’s tries and landing two penalties, blocking a clean sweep by the four Napier city clubs on the day.

Unbeaten competition leaders and Nash Cup holders Napier Tech Old Boys travelled to Flaxmere to beat top-six hopefuls MAC 46-17.

Napier Old Boys Marist scored a big but crucial 81-14 win over Hastings side Tamatea at Tremain Field, Napier, and Taradale bounced back from their loss to Tech a week ago with a 35-21 home win over Hastings Rugby and Sports.

In the other match, Aotea kept their slim top-six hopes alive with a third win for the season, a 25-17 home victory in Dannevirke against Clive, who, like Tamatea, remain without a win.

Old Boys Marist and Aotea meet in Dannevirke in what could be a crucial match all round, despite the Napier side’s current third place on the ladder.

Old Boys Marist are all but safe and face Taradale a week later in their only other remaining match before the last-weekend bye, and Aotea will also face the mountain with away matches against Hastings R&S and Central in Waipukurau in the last two games.

On the rebound from the previous Saturday’s narrow loss to MAC, Old Boys Marist scored 13 tries in their win, including four to fullback Paoraian Manuel-Harman and two to centre Pedro Bezanilla, while first five-eighths Jonty Stewart claimed 21 points with a try and eight conversions, moving to 79 points for the season.

Coach Ellery Wilson was pleased that the side had landed yet another bonus point, which came with four tries in the first 25 minutes.

It was Old Boys Marist’s 10th bonus point in a record of four wins, a draw and three losses in eight games, and the most by any team in the competition.

It was a particularly memorable win for prop Terry Marsh, who was making his 200th Premier match appearance for the club.

“The boys played well, kept up the discipline, and the defence was important,” Wilson said.

Aotea was always going to be a tough opponent for the struggling Clive, with the experience of No 8 Weller Hauraki, a veteran of almost 300 matches of professional rugby league in Australia and England, former England rugby league international Rangi Chase at first five-eighths, former Highlanders Super Rugby and Magpies player Ryan Tongia on the left wing, and former Magpies halfback Isaac Paewai on the bench.

Throw in right wing Sam Jones (10 tries) and centre Hoera Stephenson among the first five players in the competition to reach 50 points for the season, and there is a good spine building.

Team manager Brian Te Huki said it’s “quite a cool feeling” for the rookies of the competition to be a respected opposition, in only their second season in Premier after an absence of more than 15 years, during which there were also no other clubs promoted.

Thus, Clive “turned up to play” despite the hour-and-a-half trip and having conceded 71 points to Central in the previous weekend’s trip to Waipukurau.

Although it was 14-0 to Aotea in the first quarter, it was 17-17 before the last of three tries (which went to prop Gene Ropoama, flanker Israel Moke, and Tongia), and the last of Stephenson’s four successful kicks for goal.

Tech maintained the momentum with seven tries, including three to Tyrone Thompson who is on a break from Super Rugby Pacific leaders the Chiefs and played his first game for Tech this season.

Tech had to work to overcome MAC, who led 12-10 into the second quarter, but two tries in the last 11 minutes of the first half and another in the first 15 minutes of the second turned the tide, with MAC left to rue their spilling the ball in some good opportunities which could have changed the game.

In the feature of other grades, three first-round trophies were decided, with Old Boys Marist winning the Jack Swain Cup for a 62-0 win over Hastings R&S in the final of the Town Pool of Division 2, Ōtāne winning the Arthur Bowman Cup in the Country Pool, and Clive winning the Arthur Brown Cup with a 22-16 win over Hastings R&S in the Colts first-round final at Farndon Park, Clive.

Results and points:

Havelock North 27 (Tawhiri Gifford-Kara, Jesse Paewai, Cooper Flanders tries; Gifford-Kara 2 penalties, 3 conversions) Napier Pirate 22 (Cruz Davies 2, Hugh Taylor, Rocky Hoffman tries; Lincoln-Blake Bowman conversion).

Napier Tech Old Boys 43 (Tyrone Thompson 3, Morgan Poi 2, Waitangi Tuisuga, Liam Udy-Johns tries; Sheridan Rangihuna penalty, 4 conversions) MAC 17 (Elia Bari, Hateni Tafolo, Vailoa Kereti tries; Joshua Coward conversion).

Napier Old Boys Marist 81 (Paoraian Manuel Harmer 4, Pedro Bazanilla 2, James Mitchell, Kere Penitito, Josh Gimblett, Matthew Monaghan, Jonty Stewart, Michael Beech, Dylan Homan tries; Stewart 8 conversions) Tamatea 14 (Rico Harris, Macenalagi Sawelio tries; Dennon Robinson-Bartlett conversion).

Taradale 35 (William Fonohema 3, Angelo Mufana 2, Majella Tufuga tries; Ezra Malo penalty, conversion) Hastings Rugby and Sports 21 (Troydyn Bird, Faleapuna Matamata, Jayden Rihia tries; Koby Deacon 3 conversions).

Aotea 25 (Ryan Tongia, Israel Moke, Gene Ropoama tries; Hoera Stephenson 2 penalties, 2 conversions) Clive 17 (Sam Wong, Petera Kahui-Ariki tries; Tianua Poto penalty, 2 conversions).

Points (matches played in brackets): Napier Tech OB (7) 34, Taradale (7) 30, Napier OBM (8) 28, Central (7) 27, Napier Pirate (8) 24, MAC (7) 21, Hastings R&S (7) 19, Aotea (7) 16, Havelock North (7) 9, Clive (8) 6, Tamatea (7) 0.

Next Saturday’s draw (home teams first, all matches at 3pm): Napier Tech OB v Central, Tamatea v Havelock North, Taradale v MAC, Aotea v Napier OBM, Clive v Hasting Rugby and Sports.

Senior 2 Country: Porangahau 24 Central 0; Waipawa Country United 36 Takapau 8; Otane a bye. Otane win the first round.

Senior 2 Town: Final - Napier OBM 62 Hastings R&S 0.

Senior 2 promotion: Bridge Pa 24 M.A.C. 5.

Senior 3: Maraenui 62 Tamatea 17, Napier Pirate beat Bridge Pa by defaults; Napier OBM 40 Flaxmere 22, Taradale 10 Clive 15.

Colts: Final - Clive 22 Hastings R&S 16; Non-competition - Napier Pirate 46 Napier OBM 14.

Women: Napier Tech OB 31 Clive 24, Hastings R&S 26 M.A.C. 10; Central a bye.