Rugby clubs turn on hospitality for club days

Two Marlborough rugby clubs celebrated club days today, both playing a succession of games involving both junior and senior sides at their respective headquarters.

At Lansdowne Park, Harlequins hosted eight age grade games, followed by a senior A game, featuring the club’s flagship side.

Meanwhile, at Picton’s Endeavour Park, eight junior Waitohi sides also did battle with various visiting club sides, the day culminating in a senior A match.

Waitohi came out best in the senior stakes, beating Moutere 51-10 in a match which the home side dominated from the outset. The unbeaten Tohis have now strung together five consecutive victories and are shaping as the team to beat in the senior A ranks.

Harlequins have showed glimpses of form but have been hamstrung with injuries of late. Today they were left ruing a poor opening 40-minute effort in their 38-26 loss to Awatere on the main ground.

The Tussocks came to town with purpose and made their intentions clear with a comprehensive first half showing after which they led 31-5. They began the second spell in similar fashion, scoring almost from the kick-off to create a 33-point margin.

However, Harlequins were not going down without a fight on their club day and owned most of the second spell, scoring 21 unanswered points, but ultimately found the deficit too large to overhaul.

The third senior A game was also played at Lansdowne, Central beating Pelorus 31-0 on Lansdowne Park number three.

The late match at Lansdowne was a Tasman Trophy premier clash, involving Central and Waimea Old Boys.

It was a must-win encounter for the Blues, who went into the match sitting just outside the top four placings in the Trophy standings with two rounds to play.

Unfortunately for the local supporters this was Waimea’s day, the visitors getting up 34-13 in a fluctuating encounter.

The game was relatively even, the visitors leading by 15-13 eight minutes into the second 40, before Waimea midfielder Sam Briggs seized the moment, scoring a hat-trick of tries in a 19-minute second half burst to shut the home side out.

Briggs, first five Campbell Parata and experienced fullback James Lash were instrumental in guiding the visiting team’s fortunes, while young locks Sam Neal and Wayden Smith, winger Senetenari Ponesi, plus No 8 Jesse MacDonald stood out for the Blues.

Next week Central host Nelson in the final round, needing a win and other results going their way to proceed to the semis.

Meanwhile, the Marlborough Boys College First XV have put a difficult week behind them to score a hard-fought 31-24 win over the highly-rated St Thomas of Canterbury First XV in Christchurch today.

The Miles Toyota premiership match was a pivotal encounter for the Falcons.

They scored five tries to their rivals’ three, Josh Flynn converting three. Tryscorers were Jordyn Gardiner, Rico Nicklin, Anru Erasmus, Finn Neal and Jake Gane.

The win maintains MBC’s unbeaten start to the competition, a record which will be tested next weekend when they travel south again to play St Bede’s.