Wairarapa grind down opposition

WAIRARAPA BUSH 16 MID CANTERBURY 9

Wairarapa Bush proved too strong for gritty Mid Canterbury yesterday, winning a dour match at Masterton.

Poverty Bay and Wairarapa Bush will now meet in the final at Gisborne on Saturday. If Hawke's Bay win, as they are expected to, in their second division semifinal against Counties Manukau today, three east coast of North Island teams will be involved the lower division finals.

Mid Canterbury opened the scoring at Masterton with a Matt Dunlea penalty but a Patrick Rimene penalty evened things up at 3-3 before the only try of the match was scored.

The Bush forwards set up a rolling maul just inside the Mid Canterbury 22m and drove all the way to the line, where prop Logan Ili was awarded the try.

The second spell was a dour affair, a Patrick Rimene penalty being the sole scoring action.

Locks Stu Smith, Dan Joblin and Sam Henderson were prominent for Wairarapa Bush, while captain and No 8 Clark McLeod was the standout Mid Canterbury player.

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