Nelson winger Ben Faingaanuku scores the match winner against Rangiora. Photo: Jonty Dine.
Nelson College enjoy 43-38 win over Rangiora High
By Jonty Dine [Nelson App]
Nelson College has shot to third on the UC Championship table with an epic 43-38 win over Rangiora High School on Saturday.
Nelson survived a stunning second half comeback and held on with 14 men to pick up its third win of the competition in a high scoring encounter.
After trailing 33-7 at half-time, Rangiora came roaring out of the gates in the second to score five tries and almost snatch victory.
Skipper Anton Segnar opened the scoring for Nelson with less than five minutes gone before Louis Carmine stormed through a hole to power over for Nelson’s second.
Segnar was superb at the breakdown proving immovable over the ball as he picked up several pilfers for the hosts.
An outstanding individual break by number 8 Josh Neilson who brushed off four feeble tackle attempts to put Rangiora on the board, but Nelson would respond immediately through Fergus Hughes.
A fourth soon followed after a scintillating break by Josh Tuerlings down the right flank who chipped ahead with the bounce finding the ever-present Mason Lund looming on the inside.
College would compound Rangiora’s woes just before the break as Daniel Dixon crashed over for the host’s fifth and a commanding 33-7 halftime lead.
The visitors would strike first after oranges as speedster Jayden Thompson skinned the covering college defence as the visitors started to click.
Nielson then crossed for his second following a beautiful wrap around with his winger to bring Rangiora right back in the contest.
They looked certain to score a third soon after only to be denied by a forward pass as the momentum has significantly swung.
After looking so efficient in the first forty, mistakes crept into college’s game as the comeback continued.
With Nielsen set for his hat-trick, the drama kept unfolding.
Tuerlings knocked the ball down in what was ruled a cynical play and he was sent to bin as Rangiora were awarded a penalty try.
College managed to keep Rangiora score-less with Tuerlings in the bin as Segnar snaffled another turnover leading to Taya Brown to score off the back of the scrum and stretch the lead back to 12.
Rangiora refused to die however, Jermaine Pepe diving over to set up a tense final five.
Nelson would seal the win as winger Ben Fainagaanuku bumped off two defenders to score the match winner.
Nelson 43 (Segnar, Carmine, Hughes, Lund, Dixon, Brown, Faingaanuku, tries, Barton 4 cons) Rangiora High School 38 (Neilson 2, Thompson, Pepe, Fungavaka, penalty try, Leatherby 4 cons)
Waimea Combined pile on the points
By Samuel Johnson [WCS]
Waimea Combined Schools played their game of the season thus far on Saturday when they played Roncalli Aoraki Combined at Waimea College.
After a heavy loss the week before, Waimea looked a different team when they took the field and right from the kick off were relentless on attack setting up camp deep in Roncalli’s half.
First points came in the 7th minute when first five and co-captain Ben Johnston sliced through the defensive before flicking the ball inside to Josh Sproul to touch down just left of the posts.
20 minutes later Johnston was at it again, cutting through another hole, this time putting Macca Springer in space to finish the job scoring in a similar spot.
Waimea went into the break 10-0 up.
Tries kept coming thick and fast in the second half with Jaxon Taikato, Kees Barnes, and Tom Lloyd all getting their names on the score sheet, with Macca Springer adding two more tries.
Year 11 player Josh Miles had a standout performance in his debut start, making great metres from darts around the ruck and was also relentless at pinching Aorakis ball from under their noses. Jaxon Taikato was also very good in his return after a niggle in his shoulder kept him out of the 22 last week.
Waimea Combined won the game 43-0. Next week they travel to Christchurch where they will play St Bede's.
MBC Falcons win one, lose one
By Peter Jones [Marlborough App]
The Marlborough Boys’ College First XV rugby team managed a win and a loss during the first two games of their so-called “Storm Week”.
The Falcons met Shirley High School in Blenheim on Tuesday last week as part of a regular interschool exchange, then played St Bede’s College in Christchurch on Saturday, both UC Championship matches. On Thursday they play old rivals Nelson College to cap a tough 10-day schedule.
MBC downed Shirley 47-25, then went down to St Bede’s 21-10.
That defeat means MBC slip to sixth on the competition ladder.
MBC head coach Matt MacDougall said neither side would have been overly-impressed with Saturday’s effort.
“It was probably our worst performance of the year … and I don’t think St Bede’s would have been too stoked with their game either, it wasn’t an attractive game.”
St Bede’s led 7-3 at halftime, then both sides picked up converted tries in the second spell to leave the game evenly-poised with 10 minutes to play. MBC were camped on the home side’s line for some time but lacked the ability to capitalize before St Bede’s grabbed an intercept try to put the issue beyond doubt.
MBC made 23 handling errors, partly due to a slippery ball, but on the bright side they improved their defensive work and kept the penalty count down.
Outstanding for the visitors was flanker William MacKenzie, who made 21 tackles and 20 clean outs, plus Te Ariki Peipi who was aggressive at the breakdown and covered prop and hooker.
Liam Duncan, at fullback, was the pick of the backs.
MBC have little time to get their game back in order, with the Nelson College clash on the immediate horizon.
“We will just have to flush this one, take what we can out of it,” said MacDougall. “We have to turn our attention back to our attack and look forward to Thursday.”
In Tuesday’s game, MBC made a stunning comeback after trailing 18-7 after the first 35 minutes.
Following a stern halftime reminder of how they should go about things, and the introduction of a few bench players, they came out firing. Within five minutes prop Tino Vakaloa had scored, then the dam burst. Two touchdowns to midfielder Tristan Taylor, plus tries to replacement lock Vili Napa’a, centre Keelan Murrell and a second five-pointer to first half scorer Duncan snatched the game away from Shirley, who seemed shell-shocked at the turnaround.
Prop Monu Moli led the recovery, his blockbusting returns from the kick off providing invaluable momentum, while MacKenzie was another standout, his tackling a feature.
Skipper Bailey O’Hagan at lock carried well, as did Taylor, Duncan and Murrell, who kicked superbly for goal, while winger Lotu Solomona showed a solid allround set of skills.
Saturday: St Bede’s College 21 MBC 10 (Keelan Murrell try, con, pen). HT: 7-3 St Bede’s
Tuesday: MBC 47 (Tristan Taylor 2, Liam Duncan 2, Tino Vakaloa,, Vili Napa’a, Keelan Murrell tries, Murrell 6 con) Shirley BHS 25. HT: 18-7 Shirley.
Other results from Saturday’s round: Waimea 43 Roncalli 0; Shirley 32 Timaru 17; Nelson 43 Rangiora 38; Christchurch BHS 108 Mid Canterbury 0; Lincoln 22 Christs College 22; St Andrew’s 26 St Thomas 14.
Standings (as at May 25): St Andrew’s 19, Christ’s College 18, Nelson College 16, CBHS 15, St Bede’s 15, MBC 11, Rangiora 11, St Thomas 10, Lincoln 9, Waimea 9, Shirley 5, Roncalli 4, Mid Canterbury 1, Timaru 0.