South Canterbury have started their bid for a third-straight Heartland Championship rugby title in record-setting style.
The 48-14 – eight tries to two – win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Manchester Park, Waimate, set a new record for consecutive wins of 22 in the championship, having previously drawn level with Whanganui (who set the record 2015-2017) when beating that team in the 2022 Meads Cup final.
The unbeaten run started with a win over Buller in the 2019 semifinal for the Lochore Cup and victory over West Coast in the final. The 2020 championship was cancelled because of Covid-19 after which South Canterbury has run unbeaten through the 2021 and 2022 seasons with nine and 10 wins respectively, extending it with Saturday’s win.
The opening round win left the home side with plenty of work to do, but it still showed plenty of power and pace to over-run a game, but inexperienced, Horowhenua-Kapiti outfit.
South Canterbury may have trailed 7-0 inside five minutes but by the time H-K scored again, 22 minutes into the second half, the game was over as South Canterbury had piled on 41 points.
Inaccuracies at ruck time, combined with some ordinary defensive work in the inside channels and some ill-judged passing combined to ruin several other South Canterbury attacks and allow H-K to build significant pressure at times.
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South Canterbury flanker Finlay Joyce races away to score of his side’s eight tries in a 48-14 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship win over Horowhenua Kapiti at Manchester Park in Waimate.
“We’ve got some areas to work on, we probably weren’t as accurate at the breakdown as we want to be and we’ll go away and work on that,” South Canterbury coach Nigel Walsh said after the match.
“When we stuck to our moves and ran hard, ran straight, we got go forward and were away.”
Walsh admitted “it was a bit scrappy at times but when they (SC) got their rhythm going it was pretty clear on how they wanted to go … and when we did our phases right we were on target.”
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South Canterbury centre Zach McKay wrong foots a Horowhenua Kapiti defender on his way to one his two tries in a 48-14 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship match in Waimate.
Walsh was also delighted with the performances of his new faces.
“Look at Finlay Joyce the way he caught a winger and also scored a nice try … he was running a good line, doing everything that he needed to be doing, he carried well, he jumped well in the lineout…. he ticked a few boxes.
“Peala (Matakaiongo) on the wing, Tevita (Ahikovi) at lock … those boys should be very proud with their debuts.”
Ahikovi was part of a dominant tight five that included Tokoma’ata Fakalave, Conor Anderson, Taufa Hala’ufia and Anthony Amato and a scrum that smashed H-K on several occasions, winning penalties with its power.
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South Canterbury outside back substitute Clarence Moli looks to fend off Horowhenua-Kapiti defenders during the Heartland Championship rugby match at Manchester Park in Waimate.
No 8 Siu Kakala was given freedom to range out wide, and he was at his rampaging best, capping a super 60mins with a barnstorming 50m run down the left touchline, busting several tackles to score the team’s sixth try.
A number of scoring opportunities were spurned in the backs through some slopping passing but William Wright, Sam Briggs, Paula Fifita and Zach McKay were always a threat when passes stuck.
H-K coach Aleni Feagaiga admitted it had been “a very tough day for us”.
“Quite a few of our squad are new. We had 12 that debuted in the Ranfurly Shield challenge and another four today.
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South Canterbury second five-eighth Paula Fifita looks for support as tackled by a Horowhenua-Kapiti defender in the Heartland Championship rugby match at Manchester Park in Waimate.
“So they’ve got a bit of taste about what Heartland’s about and obviously first up to come up against the defending champs and just hearing about the consecutive wins they’ve had, just shows you how strong they are.”
Feagaigai thought the H-K attack looked good “when we actually kept the ball, but it is more around the defensive side that we’ve got a bit of work to do”.
Ryan Shelford and Aaron Lahmert were tireless in the H-K pack while Oliver Paotonu and replacement back Leighton Ralph, who scored a superb individual try, found a number of holes in South Canterbury’s defensive lines, but the team failed to finish off many of the opportunities.
The home side was well tested at times, especially in the first 30 minutes and again in the third quarter.
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South Canterbury lock Anthony Amato drives forward with ball in hand in the Heartland Championship rugby match against Horowhenua Kapiti at Manchester Park in Waimate.
It took 12 minutes for the home side to draw level after H-K’s rollicking start, and it was fullback Liueli Simote that finished off a period of sustained pressure.
South Canterbury took control in the last 10mins of the first half as Fifita, Buliruarua and McKay crossed in the 28th, 33rd and 36th minutes for a 24-7 lead at the break.
McKay bagged his second 2mins after the restart before Kakula’s 53rd minute five-pointer was followed two minutes later by Joyce’s touchdown and with 25mins remaining the scoreline had blown out to 41-7.
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Ballboys for the South Canterbury v Horowhenua-Kapiti Heartland Championship rugby match in Waimate were, from left, Richie Caird, 10, Cohan Smith, 11 and Kadin Davis, 11.
H-K managed a 62nd minute consolation try to Ralph but South Canterbury replacement prop Vaka Taelega completed the trying scoring in the 69th minute and Briggs kicked his fourth conversion.
South Canterbury 48 (Lieuli Simote, Paula Fifita, Zach McKay 2, Siu Kakala, Finlay Joyce, Sireli Buliruarua, Vaka Taelega tries; Briggs 4cons); Horowhenua-Kapiti 14 (Aaron Lahmet, Leighton Ralph tries; Jack Tatu Robertsson 2cons). Halftime 24-7.
Other scores: North Otago 43, Mid-Canterbury 24; Wairarapa Bush 32, East Coast 31; Thames Valley 36, Whanganui 33; Poverty Bay 52, Buller 33; West Coast 40, King Country 9.
