Blues beaten in opener

The Central premier rugby team made a stuttering start to their 2026 Tasman Trophy campaign at Lansdowne Park today, going down 25-12 to Marist.

Inaccuracies at set piece time and in their backline play cost the Blues dearly, although they showed plenty of fight against a side expected to be among the Trophy favourites this season.

The match was playing on Lansdowne Park number three, with the number one field still out of bounds due to minor repairs after damage sustained from the recent softball tournament.

Marist made a blazing start, two early tries to lock and skipper Tom Thornalley following lineout drives and close-range attacks leaving them trailing 12-0 after 13 minutes.

However, the Blues worked their way back into the match, winger Eric Lawson squeezing in at the corner to reduce the margin halfway through the first spell.

With playmakers Cooper Grant and Luke Kilworth pulling the right strings Marist struck again before oranges. This time Tom Thornalley turned provider, putting his brother, lively halfback Will Thornalley, over under the posts after breaking through the midfield.

Grant’s conversion attempt hit the post but his side deservedly took a 17-5 lead into the break.

Marist immediately came out and laid siege to the Central line, however stout defence kept them at bay, forcing them to bank three points after a string of penalties, through the boot of Grant.

Down 5-20, the home side came to life, scoring the try of the match. After a series of attacks on the flanks, and some superb support play, replacement Cody Weir found Quinn Harrison-Jones on his elbow, the prop surging over the line to give the local supporters hope.

Fullback Mondre van Heerden converted and the Blues had a sniff.

However, any thoughts of a late comeback were thwarted soon after when replacement winger Filimoni Kama dotted down after kicking ahead and winning the race.

Central coach Quentin MacDonald rued a game of lost opportunities.

“We just didn’t respect the ball the way we should have … we were in their 22, attacking well but we were a bit more frantic than we should have been so we turned over possession too many times.

“It is a start, but our mistakes kind of killed our momentum too often, that was the disappointing thing. What we did as a team was OK, but individually we let ourselves down.”

He is 100 percent sure that the team has the goods to go well in the Trophy competition.

“Hopefully we have put a stake in the ground today and we can build from there and just get better. We play Kahurangi away next week so we just need to be better.”

Backline operators Koloa Fotu, Nigel Satherley and Jake Pacey, plus Lawson and halfback Ruairidh Swan, showed plenty of flair and endeavour while, up front, Harrison-Jones, hookers Callum Nimmo and replacement Manu Leiataua, lock Luke Martella, loosies Peyton Yakas, Jack Kelly and Ben Finau had their moments on both attack and defence.

In Nelson, Nelson downed Stoke 41-14.