Record breaking win for Pride, Wellington Development beat Canterbury

Wellington Pride fullback Sieni Mose scores the first of 18 tries in their win over Taranaki. 

The Wellington Pride entered the record books and the Wellington Development downed their Canterbury counterparts in today’s two representative fixtures involving Wellington teams.

At Jerry Collins Stadium, the Wellington Pride slew Taranaki 118-0 to qualify top for next week’s Women’s NPC Championship semi-finals.

The Pride’s winning score surpassed the previous Women’s NPC record of 116-0 that the Auckland Storm beat North Harbour by in 1999. They scored 18 tries, which equalled the mark set by Auckland in that same match.

The Pride’s previous record win was 88-3 against Tasman a fortnight ago. Second five-eighth Amanda Rasch scored 23 points that day. Today she scored 43 points (including a hat-trick of tries), which was just two short of the individual single game try scoring record set by Kelly Brazier for Hawke’s Bay against Otago in 2012.

Other players to score two tries included left wing Ayesha Leti-L’iga, her 51st and 52nd tries this year for Ories and Wellington combined, captain and No. 8 Jackie Fereti-Patea and loosehead prop Elieta Taito on her starting debut.

The floodgates opened in the fourth minute with a break by centre Bernadette Robertson leading to the opening score to fullback Sieni Mose. First five-eighth Accaia Te Iwimate sliced through soon after to make it 14-0. Patea-Fereti crossed for her first try and it was 19-0 inside 10 minutes.

The Pride’s dominant scrum was to be a theme throughout the match, leading to the bonus point try to hooker Alicia Print after just 15 minutes.

This was the hottest start by a Wellington representative team since the Lions raced to a 28-0 NPC lead over Taranaki after 20 minutes in 2004 at Westpac Stadium. On that occasion, the Lions eased off to eventually win 74-20. The Pride had other ideas.

Further first half tries to Leti-L’iga (2), Patea-Fereti and Rasch saw them up 50-0 at halftime. This could have been more if not for some handling errors.

Prop Taito scored consecutive tries to start the second half, the first after a strong run by right wing Monica Tagoai from the second half re-start.

Midfielders Rasch (2) and Robertson scored the next three tries between them, all from first phase from scrums inside the 22.

Lock Sanita Levave scored the next try to take them to 90-0 to set the all-time Pride record for most points in a NPC match. Replacements Kiri Mei and Tyler Bentley, on debut, and Dhys Faleafaga scored the next three tries that took the score past 100, while right wing Tagoai crossed for the final try of the afternoon on fulltime.

At Sheldon Park, Christchurch, the Wellington Development side beat Canterbury B 41-19.

Wellington Development were dominant but inaccurate in the first half , with mistakes keeping Canterbury in the game and holding the visitors to a 20-7 halftime lead.

Wellington came out firing in the second half and had the game in the bag after 50 minutes after scoring three quickfire tries.

Greg Foe, Matt Peni and Luke Tau’alupe were three standouts, while first five-eighth Pakai Turia and young gun Kienan Higgins led the team well in the backs. Hooker Leni Apisai returned to the field after 16 weeks and had a high energy 25 minute cameo.

Wellington scored six tries in total, with left wing Villami Fine scoring a brace and his Petone teammate and prop Marcus Roil, right wing Malachai Unasa, fullback Andrew Wells and replacement wing Fereti Soloa each scoring one try.

Coach Jeremy Little was happy with the performance, ahead of the team’s final match next Saturday against Auckland at home.

At Lyndhurst Park, Northern United won the Tawa Invitational 7s tournament.

In the Cup final, Norths beat the Upper Hutt Rams 19-10. The Rams scored the final’s first try to lead 5-0 and went desperately close to scoring another in a handy position near the posts.

Norths held out and counter attacked, with Esi Komaisaivai scoring at the other end to lock it up at 5-5.

Norths took the lead with a break by Eli Moata’a handing off the Johnny Teleaga and a 12-5 advantage. Norths then struck again from the kick-off with the last play of the first half, Junior Time-Taotua cutting through to put them up 19-5 at halftime.

The Rams scored the only try of the second half, with Kaide McCashin crossing to close the margin to 19-10. The Rams pressed again but Norths held out and a break by burly Liki Siliga nearly led to a fourth try.

In the Plate final, it was an Isaiah Petelo led Marist St Pat’s that beat home team Tawa 24-19.
The two Cup semi-finals had seen MSP defeat the Wellington Axemen 28-17 and Norths subdue Johnsonville 24-12.

St Pat’s Silverstream won the four-team college section, also featuring St Pat’s Town, Tawa College and Wellington College, who replaced the Fijian U18s who pulled out on the tournament eve.

Silverstream defeated St Pat’s Town 31-14 in the fixture that was to be the decider.

The Tawa 7s tournament featured 12 teams all up with 24 matches running from 9.00am to late afternoon. The first leg of three of the WRFU American Ambassador’s series is next Saturday at Maoribank Park, Upper Hutt.