Rugby: Waitemata sevens ruse wins the day

Waitemata played sevens-type rugby with 15 players and won their vital match against Marist 11-5 in Auckland club rugby - but only because they duped their opposition into adopting the same style.

Waitemata had international sevens star Amasio Raoma running at second five-eighth and New Zealand touch-football representative Tila Toailoa at fullback.

Between them they conjured up almost every fancy move the sevens game boasts, but invariably - and despite long periods of domination - tries went begging in the face of a strong Marist defence.

But the problem for Marist was their penchant for trying to emulate Waitemata's fancy passing.

Apart from one strike at the Waitemata line that brought the first try of the match, to Steve Brophy, the flourish did not work for either side.

Waitemata coach Kevin Lewis, who in August moves to the Netherlands as the coach at the Rotterdam Rugby Club, said that in pre-game talks he had drilled into his side the need to play the game according to the book.

"But they were guilty of playing sevens and touch rugby."

Marist coach Ivan Tasi agreed.

"We were sucked in by the Waitemata style."

Waitemata's win confirmed they will play the second round of the Gallaher Shield competition, but Marist are up against it.

They will have to beat University next weekend to stay in the top division.

The bottom-placed pair - Tamaki (beaten 13-23 by Ponsonby) and Teachers Eastern (downed 10-29 to University) - meet, with the winner staying up should Marist lose.

In other matches, Suburbs cleaned out Waitakere City 37-5 and Otahuhu had the measure of Grammar Carlton, 33-14.