Cavaliers conquer rivals
Cavaliers winger Sam Vularika scores the first of his three tries at Lansdowne Park today. Photo Peter Jones.
The Marlborough Cavaliers opened their two-match campaign with a hard-fought victory over Tasman Pasifika at Lansdowne Park this afternoon.
The local side, initiated this season to give senior A players more game time post their club competition, prevailed 22-12 in a free-flowing encounter.
Tasman Pasifika, fresh off a one-point win over Nelson Country in Riwaka last weekend, began strongly, shooting out to a 7-0 lead after just three minutes.
However, the remainder of the first half belonged to the Cavaliers, and especially right winger Sam Vularika. The exciting Renwick outside back scored a hat-trick of tries, the first two courtesy of flying finishes in the right hand corner, the third, just before halftime, emanating from some slick teamwork, leaving him with a 20m dash to the line. Dylan McManaway’s conversion gave the home side a 17-7 advantage at the break.
In the second spell both side endeavoured to use width and enterprise to create opportunities, the Cavaliers scoring through fullback Tom Sutherland after 48 minutes, and Pasifika grabbing their second on the stroke of fulltime.
Next weekend the Cavalier face Nelson Country, also at Lansdowne Park on Saturday, as momentum to reintroduce a formalised Marlborough Red Devils programme next season intensifies, especially from the ‘grassroots rugby’ brigade.
