Top 4 decided for Stuff Tasman Trophy semi-finals

By Nick Jeffrey [Stuff]

Defending champion Marist saved one of its best performances of the Stuff Tasman Trophy club rugby competition for when it needed it the most, defeating rival Wanderers 33-20 on Saturday in what amounted to a virtual play-in game to earn a semi-final berth this weekend.

They will face off against the form team of the competition, Central, which cruised into the post-season in top sport after a thumping 85-7 win over Stoke while Kahurangi and Renwick will square up for a second consecutive week in the other semi-final, after Kahurangi ground out an 11-7 victory in Motueka on Saturday.

Marist coach Shawn Begg is happy his club has put itself in position to defend last year’s competition title.

“We’ve been fortunate to be in a position in recent years where we’ve been in position to make semi-finals so to sneak in the back door this year is something different for us. We haven’t really clicked yet which is exciting, and we did some really good things on Saturday so we do feel we are coming together at the right time,” Begg said.

“Wanderers is a tough side, and they didn’t go away. After we scored four tries, our job was to make sure they didn’t get two bonus points from the game, so to get the job done and achieve what we set out to do is very pleasing,” he said.

However, Begg is under no illusions as to the challenge Central presents in Saturday’s semi-final.

“There is a reason they are top of the table. They are the form team of the competition and will be a great challenge for us but it’s a one-off game and we will be up for it,” Begg said.

Even after racking up eighty points on Saturday, Central coach Quentin MacDonald doesn’t believe over-confidence will be a problem for his side this weekend.

“Having been in a battle with Marist just a week ago, we know what we are in for a battle on Saturday. Sometimes after you roll into the semis with a win like we had on Saturday you can be a little complacent. We remember how sore we were after that physical Marist game and know it’s do-or-die, but we go in healthy and with the right amount of confidence,” MacDonald said.

The proud Marlborough man also recognises what it means to have two Marlborough clubs in the Stuff Tasman Trophy semi-finals this season.

“A Marlborough club has only ever won the combined competition once, and that was in the days before they played finals, so to have Renwick and ourselves in there and for us to be able to host a semi-final on Lansdowne Park is pretty special,” he said.

By contrast to Central’s massive score line, Kahurangi and Renwick battled out a tight arm wrestle on Saturday with Kahurangi coach Brendon Smith believing his side learnt some key lessons ahead of Saturday’s return fixture.

“Renwick was hungry. They scrambled and defending well, and we lacked composure at times and just couldn’t get into our flow. We sat down after the game and had a really honest review, and we know we can learn a lot from the energy they brought to the game,” Smith said.

Nelson defaulted to Waitohi in the other game scheduled for Saturday.

This Saturday’s Stuff Tasman Trophy semi-finals both kick-off at 2:30pm with Central and Marist playing on Lansdowne Park and Kaurangi hosting Rewick at Cooks Reserve.

In The Car Company Nelson Bays Division Two action on Saturday Marist scored a crucial 28-21 win over Wanderers to stay in the hunt for the top four with one week remaining. Waimea Old Boys Colts upset Riwaka 26-24, Huia outlasted Takaka 27-20 while Collingwood ground out a 17-0 win over Nelson and Waimea Old Boys beat the Valley Stags 42-15.

In the Motorworld Marlborough Division Two games, Waitohi closed the gap on competition leader Central to a solitary point following its 26-23 win in their top-of-the-table battle on Saturday, Marlborough Boys College all but wrapped up the top four, three rounds out from finals with its 38-3 defeat of Renwick, Awatere beat Moutere 38-17 and Pelorus took care of Harlequins 38-17.

POINTS TABLES:

Stuff Tasman Trophy Men (End of Round Robin): Central 36, Kahurangi 34, Renwick 25, Marist 25, Wanderers 24, Stoke 22, Waitohi 2, Waimea Old Boys 1, Nelson -10.

The Car Company Nelson Bays Division 2 (One Round Remaining): Stoke 42, Wanderers 33, Riwaka 33, Huia 33, Marist 31, Takaka 25, Waimea Old Boys Colts 24, Valley Stags 11, Waimea Old Boys 10, Collingwood 10, Nelson 1.

Motorworld Marlborough Division 2 (Three Rounds Remaining): Central 42, Waitohi 41, Awatere 38, Marlborough Boys College 36, Renwick 21, Pelorus 17, Moutere 15, Harlequins 1.