Sterling defence earns victory

Tenacious defence was the key to Masterton Red Star's 15-3 win over Eketahuna in their Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby match at Memorial Park on Saturday, a success which guaranteed the victors' home advantage when the same two teams meet in the semifinals next weekend.
For long periods in both the first and second halves Eketahuna camped deep in opposition territory but despite the valiant efforts of their hard-working forwards to batter their way across the goal-line, mainly through short passing rushes, they were unable to do so.
In the end all Eketahuna had to show for their territorial dominance was a first-half penalty goal to centre Fe'o while Masterton Red Star somehow managed to turn their 30 per cent of possession into a couple of well-taken tries, the first to No8 Geordie McCallum when he took a quick tap from a penalty awarded close to the Eketahuna goal-line and the second to Joseph Dahlberg-Paku after halfback Sam Parker had made the initial break.
Add a conversion and a penalty goal (from about 50m out) to Byron Karaitiana and their winning margin, at least on paper, becomes a relatively comfortable one.
It was their goal-line defence which will, however, be the lasting memory of this Masterton Red Star performance. Even when down to seven forwards for a 10-minute period in the second half after their feisty lock Tyrone McTavish was yellow carded for the second time in as many weeks they didn't flinch, tackling with an aggression which suggested their very lives depended on it and creating more than the odd crucial turnover through vigorous counter rucking.
The tackle rate of all three of their loose forwards, McCallum, Chris Senior and Jordan Sutherland, was mind boggling for Masterton Red Star and if they weren't first out of the trenches locks Jake Bubb and Tyrone McTavish and hooker Tim Grooby were quick to put their shoulder to the wheel. The backs too weren't afraid to get involved in the hard stuff with Parker at halfback and Karaitiana and converted prop Mike Chrishoou in the five-eighths also contributing.
Eketahuna will have been frustrated by their inability to penetrate the Masterton Red Star defence but with an eye to next weekend's semifinal they will have been heartened by the regular supply of quality ball attained by their forwards, who clearly had the edge in the set pieces and impressed with their unity in other facets as well.
Front rowers Jesse Williams and Jake Tipene were seen at their rampaging best on numerous occasions as were locks Brandon Young and Dan Griffin and No8 Joss Tua-Davidson and if they are as effective again in the semi-final you'd have to think their efforts would bring greater rewards on the scoreboard there ... enough even perhaps to reverse this particular result.
In the backs Eketahuna were missing two or three familiar faces and, understandably, were content to play second fiddle to their forwards in conditions which were always going to make attacking play through the outside backs an unlikely prospect anyway. Second-five Chris Terry did, however, make a couple of useful bursts and was always solid on defence.
An interesting aside to the match was the red carding by referee Chris Jefferies of long time Masterton Red Star physio ''Mac'' McEwen after the latter had offered Jefferies some ''advice'' from the sideline.
The other premier division semifinal next weekend will see Carterton up against East Coast at Carterton and both teams warmed up for that encounter with wins on Saturday.
Carterton ran in six tries in beating a plucky Pioneer 38-5. Mike Harmon, Lee Ewe, Lance Stevenson ( 2), Jono Hurley and M Harrison were the Carterton try scorers and Hurley added four conversions. Jareth Fox scored the Pioneer try.
East Coast had a convincing 29-5 victory over Greytown. Halfback Matt O'Connor scored two of the East Coast tries with others going to Nick Olson and J Greig. Olson kicked two conversions and one penalty and Sam Mitchell one conversion.
Marist, who would have qualified for the premier division semis but for the loss of 14 competition points for a breach of the player transfer rules, staved off a brave Martinborough challenge 18-5. Api Matenga and James Goodger scored their tries and Nathan Couch kicked two penalties and a conversion. W Ireland scored a try for Martinborough.
Gladstone and Puketoi fought out a 5-5 draw, with Lawrence Bambry touching down for Puketoi and Joseva Naivalu likewise for Gladstone.