Wellington Pride and Samoans teams win Jerry Collins Stadium matches

Ayesha Ayesha Leti-L'iga sets sail to score the second of her two tries today against Canterbury.

There were two matches at Jerry Collins Stadium today and 139 points scored in both, resulting in wins to the Wellington Pride and the Wellington Samoans.

The Wellington Pride beat Canterbury 43-38 in the first match and the Wellington Samoans defeated the Wellington Maori 36-22 in the second.

After losing their first match last weekend to Hawke’s Bay, the Wellington Pride opened their Women’s NPC account in emphatic fashion with an entertaining seven tries to six win against their higher ranked crossover opposition.

The Pride led 43-24 with only a few minutes to play and were looking good for a half century, only for Canterbury to run in two consolation tries at the death which saved the defending Premiership champion’s blushes.

The Pride had led 22-12 at halftime, and it was touch and go early in the second half when Canterbury roared back to score two tries to take a 24-22 lead.

But instead of falling over at that point, the Pride quickly regrouped and hit back strongly - scoring three consecutive tries with the wind now behind them.

The blitz was started by blindside flanker Kiri Mei bursting through a ruck and dashing 20 metres to score.

This was followed by consecutive tries through right wing Monica Tagoai (her second) and lock Jackie Fereti-Patea (her second). Canterbury’s consolation tries were far too little too late.

Earlier, the Pride had made a terrific opening statement with a strong build-up in general play and prolific wing Ayesha Leti-l’iga crossing for the opening try.

A kick-off error by the Pride gave Canterbury the opportunity to get going, and they scored two near-identical tries, both to right wing Becky Davidson and both going wide from first phase from attacking scrums.

Playing into the wind, the Pride backs ran back an aimless clearing kick and counterattacked in open play and set up a second try to Leti-l’iga. The Ories left wing beat her opposite, Davidson, from a standing start and gassed fullback Olivia McGoverne.

They scored their third from a scrum on halfway, with second five-eighth Amanda Rasch making a penetrating run up the grandstand shortside and setting up a try to right wing Tagoai.

Leti-l’iga went close to scoring again from a similar break to her previous one in general play, but was cut down inside her 22 by a scrambling Kendra Cocksedge. The movement carried on and the visitors held on by a thread but were penalised out-wide. From the next play off the lineout, Fereti-Patea came up with their fourth, bonus point try.

Rampant attack turned to scrambling defence just before halftime, the Pride gallantly holding off several concerted waves. Tagoai was sinbinned right on halftime.

Canterbury cut the lead with their next two tries early in the second half, to Cocksedge and centre Grace Brooker (the first of two for her), but the next 25 minutes was all the Pride with their tails up. Fereti-Patea leading the direct charge and Joanah Ngan-Woo getting her offload game going. The bench also added plenty for the Pride.

Despite the win, the Pride made a bundle of unforced errors, so if they eliminate these they will be hard to beat over the remainder of the Farah Palmer Cup Women’s NPC competition.

In the second match that followed on Jerry Collins Stadium, the Wellington Samoans held on by a thread inside their own 22 late in the game as the Maori threw all sorts of pressure their way.

With the Samoans protecting a 29-22 lead, the Maori couldn’t break through, predominantly through a series of attacking lineouts and scrums as the Samoans discipline waivered. A grandstand finish appeared imminent, but the pressure valve was lifted and then right wing Fereti Soloa drew the killer blow when he was on hand with the assist after a teammate picked up a loose ball from a far side ruck and Soloa sprinted 65 metres to seal victory.

Earlier, the Maori had first use of the wind and took a narrow 22-19 lead into halftime. Blindside flanker Manass Wineera opened the scoring and their next three tries were all scored after lineout drives in the far corner, including one confirmed try to lock James Hansen and another to hooker Ryan Imrie. Only one of these tries was converted in the tricky conditions for the kickers.

The Samoans replied with three tries before halftime, to openside flanker James Tuiatua (two tries) and centre Tomasi Alosio.

Now with the breeze, the Samoans took the lead early in the second half with No. 8 Ben Tupuola proving unstoppable from close-range off an attacking scrum. First five-eighth Fa’atonu slotted the conversion to put them in front 26-22.

Samoans loosehead prop Mike Ioapo was sin-binned, but not before Fili added a penalty to extend their lead to 29-22.

Following this, the Maori spent a long time in the ascendancy, but were unable to penetrate the Samoans defence which was bruising at times. The closest they came was when lock Hansen was held up over the line. A 29-29 score might have been a fitting result, but Soloa had other ideas when he raced clear to seal the contest.

Up on Porirua Park 2, the Wellington Samoan U18s lost to the Wairarapa Bush U18s 24-33.

In the other Hurricanes Development Shield contest, the Centurions Development side fell to the Hawke’s Bay Saracens 25-33 at McLean Park, Napier.

In three other matches, the Wellington Community U18s beat Poverty Bay U18s 34-20 in Gisborne, the Wellington U13s beat Marlborough U14s 65-31 away and the Wellington Maori Development defeated Horowhenua-Kapiti Development 43-41 at the Hutt Recreation Ground, where a last-minute try to Laman ah Wong sealed the win.

The Wellington U19s start their Graham Mourie Cup National U19 tournament ‘top 8’ competition against Taranaki in Taupo on Sunday, kick-off 4.00pm.