Rugby: Fully fit Lafaiali'i lifts Waitakere's shield hopes

By GRAHAM REDDAWAY

Anyone with a close eye on Auckland club rugby this season would have had no difficulty in recognising the difference between Waitakere City and Pakuranga in their vital third-round clash.

Waitakere City had Leo Lafaiali'i in action and Pakuranga were missing brilliant first five-eighth James Arlidge.

Given that favourable handicap, the westerners cruised to a 29-8 victory that might have resurrected their chances of making the Gallaher Shield playoffs.

Lafaiali'i, back to full fitness, was in superb form.

He took charge of the tight forwards, especially the propping McCarthy brothers, Tupu and Sa, and whipped them into a unit that had Pakuranga on the back foot for 90 per cent of the game.

Their control enabled the Waitakere City loose trio, Sefa Lafaiali'i, James Asekona and Fiso Fiso, to gain so much confidence that by the second half they were able to shut down most of the more promising moves mounted by Pakuranga.

Arlidge, who has turned Pakuranga's fortunes this season, was in Palmerston North at the New Zealand Colts trials.

His replacement, 35-year-old veteran Paul Doubleday, showed touches of his best form, but Arlidge is a hard act to follow.

Pakuranga made far too many mistakes in every phase of the game and coach Hona Huriwai was devastated by their ineptitude.

"Sure we were missing James [Arlidge], but they thought they had the game won before they went on the field," Huriwai said.

Suburbs, with Eroni Clarke exerting a strong guiding influence at centre, took a three-point lead on the ladder with a no-nonsense 25-3 win over Grammar Carlton.

University scored three wellexecuted tries to Waitemata's two and although the westerners camped in the students' half for the last 20 minutes, the defence of Matt Pert and company was impenetrable. Varsity won 28-13.

Marist and Ponsonby scored a try apiece and played as well as the atrocious conditions at Liston Park allowed, but the formidable attacking ability of Blues loosie Finau Maka gave Ponsonby the edge and an 11-5 win.

Otahuhu, despite conceding three tries to two, overcame the difficult conditions on their home ground at Sturges Park a little better than neighbours Papatoetoe, and eked out a 21-15 win.

In the second division, Teachers Eastern, after leading 15-5 at the break, held out a spirited Tamaki comeback to win 23-17.