Hawke’s Bay club rugby: Napier Old Boys’ Marist claim win in greens derby - again
Lockie Varcoe in the clutch of teammates as the arm of referee Max Lancaster goes up to award Varcoe's match-winning try for Napier Old Boys' Marist in Saturday's Maddison Trophy twin-city greens derby at Park Island. Photo / Doug Laing
Hawke’s Bay premier rugby first-round winners Napier Old Boys’ Marist snatched a crucial 33-29 championship-round win over Hastings Rugby and Sports as Maddison Trophy rugby stepped up a notch on Saturday.
Pushing Hastings Rugby and Sports (HRS) off the top perch in a competition in which all eight sides had at least one loss in the first three matches, Napier Old Boys’ Marist’s (NOBM) win at Park Island’s Tremain Field, with a week off since an important win over Havelock North, reclaimed a share of the lead. A loss would have seen them outside the top four.
Joining them at the top are Napier Pirate, who scored 14 tries in a 92-19 win over Bridge Pā at neighbouring MacRae Field, and titleholders Taradale, with 12 tries in an 85-7 club-day win over MAC at Tareha Recreation Reserve.
Havelock North, in second place starting the day, slipped out of the top four with a 38-28 home loss to Napier Tech Old Boys, with each side claiming four-try bonus points.
NOBM had beaten Hastings 29-19 in their Nash Cup match in Hastings earlier in the season and have won six and drawn one in the last seven greens derbies since Hastings last won in the matches in April 2023.
But NOBM coach Ellery Wilson knew it was still going to be tough – especially when he had to pull on the shirt again.
But it was a timely trot, ahead of a club-day reunion next week of the club’s 2016 championship-winning team.
“I’m the only one still playing premier rugby,” he said.
It wasn’t the best for Hastings coach Jason Long, either, losing hooker JJ Iosefo and No 8 Perez Malo through injury in the opening minutes.
He said it affected the way he would manage the substitutions, impacting particularly on lock Max Gomez, who played-on with an injury, and became Hastings’ Player of the Day.
With about 20 minutes to go, NOBM led 21-19, but HRS claimed the lead with a penalty to first five-eighths Oscar Sowman who, in scoring 14 points and extending his total for the season to 141, then opened it up to 29-21 by converting his side’s fourth try, scored by flanker Louie Uregai.
NOBM came back with two more tries, the last to lock Lockie Varcoe, converted by first five Jonty Stewart, whose 13 points took him to 133 for the season.
Hastings swept back onto attack but were denied by a captain’s-knock and match-saving turnover claimed by Will Tremain on NOBM’s own line.
“It was a really gutsy effort,” Long said of his side’s performance
“They played-out the full 80 minutes, just not shutting the game out,” he said, appreciating the now acute need to win to keep alive the hope of winning the trophy for the first time since 2020.
Among the spectators was former Magpies halfback Connor McLeod, who had trained pre-season with his club but was called-away as back-up in the Highlanders Super Rugby squad.
Tech player-coach Elijah Martin, in his 10th premier season playing for the club, was more than rapt with the result at Havelock North, coming from 11 points behind at about halftime.
No 8 Donovan Mataira’s work with ball in hand stood out, while teenage halfback Oliver Beale’s arrival off the bench in the second half was key in picking up the pace.
“We knew we had to pull something out of the bag,” Martin said.
Once Tech had claimed a penalty try, a crucial turnover was made by Keanu Kereru Symes midfield inside Tech’s 22, and Martin said: “We just basically played out the clock from then”.
Features of the two big wins were first five Hunter Yarrall’s 11 conversions for Pirate, just seven weeks back from a season in Ireland and in just his fourth game for the club, and flanker Carlo Mienie’s four tries for Taradale, whose coach, Namatahi Waa, was happy with the result in the context of the season’s goal.
“We talk about building week by week, and we are,” he said. ”We are building nicely coming into those last crucial games before the playoffs.”
The women’s first round was won by MAC, when they beat Tech 57-17 at Whitmore Park, Napier, their nine tries being a big confidence booster for a defence of the championship title in the second round, starting next Saturday.
Both sides started unbeaten this season, although MAC had had a draw, but MAC were showing some dominance by the time they led 24-12 at halftime.
They then scored 33 points without reply before Tech scored their last try in the dying minutes.
Results of Hawke’s Bay Premier Maddison Trophy rugby matches on Saturday:
Napier Pirate 92 (Ewan Haire 3, Tawhiri Gifford-Kaka 2, George Hancy, Joel Russell, Eli Rore, Sheridan Rangihuna, Jehmial Ross, Drew Berg-Mclean, Grayson Ewart, Andrew Tauatevalu, Konrad Newland tries; Hunter Yarrall 11 cons) Bridge Pā 19 (Benjahmon Cowan, Hemi Waerea, Tawa Huata tries; Harris Soloman 2 cons).
Napier Old Boys’ Marist 33 (Michael Beech, Jonty Stewart, Kere Penitito, Te Kahika Thompson, Lockie Varcoe tries; Stewart 4 con) Hastings Rugby and Sports 29 (Oscar Snowman, Blake Tresidder, Caleb Horsefield, Louie Uregei tries; Sowman pen, 3 cons). HT_ 14-14.
Taradale 85 (Carlo Mienie 4, Hunter Morrison 2, Luka Kyle 2, Jason Majella Tufuga 2, Meni Manase, Billy Ropiha, Jonty Good tries; Luke Thomas 8, Joseph Jury-Senitu 2 cons), MAC 7 (Alatasi Tupou try, con).
Napier Tech Old Boys 38 (Elia Bari 2, Manaaki Aranui, Ben Te Hau, Kyle Cornelissen tries; penalty try; Adam Curran 3 cons) Havelock North 28 (Nehemiah Lauvao, Carlo Isaac, Manahi Goulton, Mokau Lambert tries; Will Cole 4 cons).
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter who first reported club rugby in Central Hawke’s Bay in 1973, and firstly reported on Maddison Trophy rugby in Napier and Hastings 1978.