Premier One Game Reports - 28 March

Courtesy of NZ Herald (Campbell Burnes)

Massey 36 Northcote 0
East Coast Bays 17 Marist 6
Glenfield 25 Mahurangi 8
Western 46 Takapuna 3
North Shore 19 Silverdale 17

North Shore kicked off the defence of their premier championship, and the Buck Shelford Shield, with a tight, scrappy 19-17 win over Silverdale.

Both first fives - Tim Blundell for Shore and David McMurtrie for Silverdale - dominated the scoreboard with their boots. At 12-all, the game was anybody's, and then Shore centre Ben Stewart broke through down the sideline to score a converted try, taking the score to 19-12. Silverdale bounced back, pushing into the Shore 22 and from a ruck worked the narrow blindside for a try to flying wing Jacob Lennane-Henry. The conversion was wide, which would have tied up the match.

For North Shore, former Northland rep Whiria Meltzer ran well from fullback and No 8 Dillon Wihongi, a 2013 NZ Schools rep out of St Kentigern, had a strong game. Silverdale halfback Matt Clark distributed the ball well and veteran blindside flanker Darren Wigg was strong in the lineout and around the track.

Elsewhere, Massey swamped Northcote 36-0 at Harvey Wright Fields with six tries, including one to 2014 MAGS First XV captain, loose forward Dylan Lam, and one to wing Tevita Li, unwanted by the Blues.

The head-turning result was Western's 46-3 shellacking of Takapuna. Leading the way for the victors was Ritchie Ah Chong, with a hat-trick, North Harbour lock Michael Farmer, and new recruit from Silverdale, Matt McGahan, who scored 11 points and controlled play well.

Glenfield travelled to Mahurangi and won 25-8, while East Coast Bays had a close game against Marist, winning 17-6, with a try to 42-year-old Slade McFarland, who has extended his extraordinary senior career into a 25th season but is in good nick due to his boxing.

Western Pioneers match report, 28/03/2015 

The 2015 North Harbour club rugby season kicked off in style at Riverhead on Saturday for the On Target Drilling sponsored Western Pioneers. They defeated a young Takapuna team 46-3, scoring seven outstanding tries..
Fielding a team with eleven players who had previously played for them, the Pioneers spun the ball at every opportunity and their lightning fast wings Pita Volavola, Ritchie Ah Chong and Merv Merumeru all scored tries, plus full back Kyle Nu’uilliatia.
Ritchie showed a variety of his skills in scoring his three tries, twice using the chip ahead and re-gather to score in the corner.  Loose forward Dylan Marsters was rewarded for good backing up by scoring the last try.
New recruit Matt McGahan showed what an asset he will be to the team with his ability to direct the play, challenge the opposition's defensive line and his accurate goal kicking.  He kicked an early penalty and converted four of the tries.
The one concerning aspect to the game was what appeared to be a serious injury to captain Jimmy Tuiviati early in the game. However his young replacement Samson Fualalo in his first premier game stepped up to the mark impressively.
Michael Farmer reigned supreme at line out time, regularly stealing opposition ball and assuming the captaincy when Jimmy departed.
Takapuna never gave up, and for a period in each half hammered at the Pioneers line, only to be thwarted by strong defence.
Players of the day were Ritchie Ah Chong and new prop Amosa Agaseata.         
All in all a satisfactory start, with, as they say, plenty of things for coach Tu Nu'uali'itia to work on.

It was great to see the Western Pioneer's Senior First team in action after no team was fielded last year.
Takapuna were too strong, winning 32-10, but this team will only improve as more players become available and their team work improves.