New Feilding Stags side knock over Kia Ora Warriors in club league clash stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
He said he hoped for third time lucky in this year’s final. Lock Micaiah Torrance-Read, who missed the semifinal with an Achilles problem, could be back for the final. COB coach Bryan Matenga said it was disappointing to miss out, but Varsity were clinical. He said they didn’t execute their game plan in a poor first half, but he was proud of his side falling just short. Varsity were slow to start and after conceding two early tries, one a 50-metre intercept by COB flanker Elyjah Crosswell, looked off the pace. But Varsity wing TamaToa Ropati scored an intercept try of his own before half-time to swing the match in Varsity’s favour, as they took a 13-12 lead into the break.
Feilding will be missing Maraku, as well as loosie TK Howden who is with the New Zealand under-20s, and prop Tietie Tuimauga, who is in the Samoa team to play the Māori All Blacks. Dangerous fullback Drew Wild is back in the side though and even with the three key losses, coach Nathan Williams was confident he had enough depth in the rest of the team. He said it had taken them years to build the experienced core of players who had helped them win the last two championships. “We’re experienced in one-off games and knockout games. We’ve got clarity around our game plan and how we want to play against them.”