Fast Fijian flattens Freyberg
Turbos prospect causes havoc against poor choices and weak kicking
Kia Toa 35
goal-
Varsity 30 Feilding 25 Feilding Yellows proved they have worthy claims to a top- four spot by having the wood on Varsity for 68 minutes at Johnston Park on Saturday and posting the biggest score against Varsity this season.
Freyberg 7
When Kia Toa centre Newton Tudreu cut Freyberg up at Colquhoun Park on Saturday, onlookers could see why he has been whisked into the Manawatu Turbos.
The 20- year- old was a 100m runner at Nadi Christian School in Fiji before coming to New Zealand last year.
He has two more years of study at International Pacific College where he is doing an international degree majoring in the environment.
Tudreu ( pronounced Toondreoo) represented Nadi under- 20s from the Airport club and was picked for the Fiji under- 20 rugby league team.
‘‘ I didn’t get to play for them because I came to New Zealand,’’ he said. ‘‘ I am just training here and working hard.’’
On Saturday he scored a try and was kicking conversions from the sideline, slotting all five.
‘‘ That was my first time kicking,’’ he said.
While Freys flung out woolly passes from which Kias scored three times, Kia Toa’s speed of pass and the acceleration of Tudreu and Tevita Taufu’i through the plentiful gaps caused havoc.
Freyberg’s poor kicking game didn’t help either, and their choice to kick instead of holding the ball.
Kias had more tries ruled out through marginal forward passes and they could have used unmarked men more often.
Lock Dan Squire soared in the lineouts before hooker Bryn Templeman’s knee failed him, and their depth showed.
Missing the suspended Fraser Stone and Jamie Makene, they had a new prop from Ponsonby, Ese Kaufusi, to step in.
Tonga Folau put in booming tackles and Jason Binstead, a Manawatu sevens player, was sprightly at fullback.
Freyberg looked as if they had come off the bye and were stuck in their own half for much of the game. Their most energetic were secondfive Viliami Fakava, prop Michael Lockwood, wing Justyn Wiperi and halfback Scott Haumaha.
( Jarreau Puohotaua, Tevita Taufu’i, Newton Tudreu, Jason Binstead, Atutahi Henare, tries; Tudreu 5 con) ( Junior Tunufai try; Lewis Marshall con) HT 21- 0. They had the audacity to out- score the scarfies four tries to three and as they did in beating Kia Toa, around the fringes didn’t give Varsity any space with men like Chris Willoughby, Luke Clarke and Crete Cribb tackling aggressively.
They started with a bang; after
30 seconds they spotted Brad Carr dashing 90m to score from an intercept off halfback Jamie Booth.
Carr said it was the fastest try he had ever scored.
Feilding led 20- 16 with 12 minutes to go before Varsity scored two tries, one when captain Hamish Northcott, closed down until then, scored after a missed tackle, and they led 30- 20.
Feilding’s fourth try came with two minutes left and after that Varsity imprisoned Feilding in their half.
Another Feilding try came after an abortive dropped goal by Mike Papps.
It was a good day to get Varsity because they were without most of their Turbos, James Oliver and Nehe Milner- Skudder were injured on Tuesday night and Callum Gibbins was concussed last week while Clayton Stewart had a hip injury.
Varsity coach Jeremy Hapeta heaped praise on Yellows, despite his team having 60 per cent of possession.
‘‘ They competed very well, were very physical, especially at the breakdown. It was a good test of character for our boys.’’ P 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 9 8 W 9 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 D 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 L 0 1 3 4 5 4 5 8 8
Varsity 30
( Doug Juszczyk, tries; Nick Birch
( Junior Carr, Halo
Feilding
COB 79
F 342 450 357 268 181 222 121 99 96 3 Sonny Waqatairewa ( COB) No 8 2 Brad Truesdale ( COB) 2nd5 1 Wiremu Cottrell ( COB) prop
FEILDING v VARSITY
3 Rob Foreman ( Varsity) hooker 2 Nathan George ( Feilding) 1st5 1 Nick Birchfield ( Varsity) 1st5
FREYBERG v KIA TOA
3 Newton Tudreu ( Kia Toa) centre 2 Tevita Taufu’i ( Kia Toa) 2nd5 1 Michael Lockwood ( Frey) prop
25
FOB- Oroua 0,
A 113 105 122 215 218 160 313 490 397
BEST AND FAIREST
COLLEGE OB v FOB- OROUA
NEXT SATURDAY’S GAMES
Pts 41 39 30 25 20 19 12 5 1 Freyberg v College Old Boys, Colquhoun Park; Te Kawau v Kia Toa, Rongotea; Varsity v OBMarist, Massey University; FOB- Oroua v Feilding, Kimbolton. College Old Boys 79
FOB- Oroua 0 The gloss was taken off this romp for COB by their gifted young firstfive Otere Black being laid out by an alleged punch.
That it happened when the was 60- 0 made it worse.
In their first- round encounter, COB scored eight tries to one at Kimbolton. This time it was 13 tries to zip but COB, who again started their bench players, led only 5- 0 until 30 minutes into the game. They had been inaccurate until then, and the Stags didn’t stop trying.
But once COB strung together three or four phases, they were able to break the Stags’ defence and by halftime the game was gone at 31- 0. Budding Turbos wing Willie Paia’aua was back to his 2012 form with four tries, and No 8 Sonny Waqatairewa had a powerhouse game. Turbo Matenga Baker played a full game for the Bs and had 20 minutes in his senior debut this season. He will be needed next week with the in- form Brad Truesdale to shift to No 10. The Stags’ best were hooker Tim Bailey and lock William Butters.
score At Arena Manawatu: ( Willie Paia’aua 4, Brad Truesdale 2, Wiremu Cottrell, Johnny Galloway, Sonny Waqatairewa, Otere Black, Tim Bryson, Lani Kaiwai, Matenga Baker, tries; Black 5, Truesdale 2, cons) HT 31- 0.