Rugby: Coastal take outright second after win against Southern

Photo by: Spinna Photography

Coastal strengthened their hold on second place in Taranaki premier club rugby with a 38-29 victory over Southern at Rahotu on Saturday.

With three rounds remaining before the playoffs, the win saw Coastal move into outright second on the ladder after overcoming a determined Southern side that refused to go away.

Coastal coach Trent Olliver said the match was a physical battle from the outset.

"With both teams throwing bodies into the collision area, I thought we were patient and executed well in the first half," he said.

That execution saw Coastal race to a healthy 26-3 halftime lead thanks to four first-half tries.

The second half was a different story, as Southern mounted a fightback.

"Southern had a never-say-die attitude in the second half and we had to battle hard right through to the 80th minute,” Olliver said.

The South Taranaki club spent long periods on attack after the break, but Coastal's defence was resolute in denying any serious comeback.

Olliver singled out hooker Te Ariki Peipi, describing him as "an absolute weapon on both sides of the ball".

He also highlighted the efforts of Beau Pari and Olly Lawson, while noting fullback David Stark was heavily involved throughout the match.

For Southern, it was their first loss of the second round after a remarkable turnaround since being thrashed by Clifton a month ago.

They were boosted by the arrival of former Blues and current Highlanders midfielder Meihana Grindlay, who came off the bench in the second half and scored a try after earlier playing for the club's development side.

Stratford-Eltham captain Harry Hansen celebrated his 50th match for the club in style, scoring a hat-trick in a 35-5 victory over Tukapa at Sanders Park.

Hansen opened the scoring in a match dominated by handling errors in damp conditions, with the sides locked at 5-5 at halftime.

The visitors took control after the break as the game opened up, with Hansen crossing twice more to complete his hat-trick and help Stratford-Eltham claim their fifth win of the season.

Competition leaders Clifton maintained their unbeaten record with a 39-19 victory over Inglewood at TET Stadium.

The win was Clifton's 11th straight of the season as they continued their march towards the playoffs, although Inglewood showed plenty of resilience to keep the visitors from running away with the contest.

Clifton crossed for six tries to three, with Josh Tate-Iwikau marking his 100th appearance for the club with a try.

In the remaining match of the weekend, Old Boys secured a 49-21 win over United at Vogeltown Park.

The home side crossed for seven tries to three, with Jacob Hawkins producing a flawless kicking display by converting all seven attempts.

Old Boys were in control throughout, building a 35-7 halftime lead before United added two late tries to reduce the deficit.

This Saturday, Tukapa host Inglewood at Sanders Park, United face Clifton at Stadium Taranaki, Old Boys take on Coastal at Vogeltown Park and Stratford-Eltham travel to Hāwera to play Southern.

The points table after 11 rounds is: Clifton 38, Coastal 25, Old Boys 23, Stratford-Eltham 21, Southern 21, Tukapa 14, Inglewood 12, United 9.