Counties campaign off to good start

Not bad for starters might be Counties Manukau's reaction after getting their second division campaign off on the right track, albeit with a few wrinkles to be ironed out before too much longer.

Counties beat Manawatu 28-19 at Pukekohe Stadium on Saturday, scoring three tries to one and were worth the victory. However, a better side than Manawatu would have given them a real shake.

On several occasions, Manawatu, shorn of several first-choice players through injury, managed to find gaps big enough to drive a bus through, but dismal passing at the critical moments repeatedly let them down.

Counties, 20-3 up at halftime with the aid of a gusty wind, worked hard in the forwards and showed some real flair in the backs.

The opening try in the second minute, after slick linking between Gus Leger, Casey Laulala and, finally, fullback Amasio Valence, was classy; strong work by rugged Kristian Ormsby, who got off a smart one-handed pass to wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, set up the second; and the third, which decided the contest, came from a pushover for lock Ramon Lindsay, just when Manawatu were starting to threaten eight minutes from the end.

Both teams leaned on good goalkickers. Former Zimbabwe international Anthony Papenfus bagged five out of seven for Manawatu and Stephen Donald, a national secondary schoolboys representative last year, was impressive with four successful attempts until leaving with a leg injury in the final quarter.

At 25-12, Counties seemed safe, then Papenfus banged a drop goal against an upright, Sivivatu picked up the rebound, slipped, was forced back over the tryline, lost the ball and Aaron Palmer pounced.

Quinton Sanft's subsequent penalty made certain of the win for Counties, but Manawatu would have taken a bonus point had Papenfus kicked his fifth penalty, from 38m in front with the final act of the game. He pushed it left.

"We always knew it was going to be really hard and physical, and that's how it turned out," a relieved Counties coach Bruce Robertson said.

At least Counties are off the mark, and now the players have an idea what they are in for over the next six weeks.

"There were a lot of nerves. Now we know what we face. It's not going to be a walk in the park," Robertson added.

In other opening-day second division games, defending champions Hawkes Bay went to Blenheim and cleaned out Marlborough 28-13; Nelson Bays were too good for Mid Canterbury, winning 30-12 in Nelson; and East Coast travelled to Paeroa and beat Thames Valley 19-15.

In Blenheim, Hawkes Bay were 21-3 up at halftime, and got another seven-pointer two minutes after the restart to seal the win.

East Coast had to do the job with 14 men for 60 minutes, after captain Horace Lewis was sent off for stamping on a touch judge's report.

In the third division, King Country went to Masterton and took the points in a 26-11 win over Wairarapa-Bush, first five-eighths Roger Warren bagging 16 points; Horowhenua-Kapiti beat last season's champions South Canterbury 38-6 in Levin; Buller tipped over Wanganui 23-18 in Westport; and Poverty Bay beat West Coast 19-15 in Greymouth.