Wellington Pride and Development teams miss out in the rain

Both the Wellington Pride and Development teams missed out to their visitors in their matches today at a wet Jerry Collins Stadium.

In steady rain, the Wellington Pride were beaten 13-43 by Counties Manukau in the first match of the afternoon. The conditions eased off for the second contest, with the Wellington Development team losing 24-37 to Canterbury Development.

Round-ups of both matches are below.

Canterbury B (37) v Wellington Development (24)

Scoreboard: Canterbury B 37 (Caleb Makene 3, Ben Morris, Jonny Van Der Velde, Nick Hyde tries; Brook Retallick 2 con; Myles Thoroughgood pen) beat Wellington Development 24 (Matt Peni 2, Piri Paraone, Lester Maulolo tries; Pakai Turia con; Paraone con) HT: 19-12.

Video highlights: View video highlights of this match here

Report: A second half hat-trick – including two tries in two minutes – to Canterbury B left wing Caleb Makene helped the visitors sail home to a 37-24 win over Wellington Development.

Makene, out of Napier Boys’ High School and who has appeared twice in the Men's NPC for Canterbury this year, scored two clutch tries for the red and blacks early in the second half, extending the halftime lead from 19-12 to 29-12.

Makene scored his first try after an attacking lineout and a weaving run by fullback Mark Maitland, while his second came from a breakdown in Wellington’s midfield and a runaway.

Wellington came back with a period of ascendancy and were finally rewarded when big No. 8 Matt Peni powered his way over for his second try of the afternoon following a scrum turnover near Canterbury's corner flag.

Canterbury sealed the game with a 30-metre penalty to replacement Myles Thoroughgood, taking the lead out to 32-17 with 12 minutes to play.

Wellington first five-eighth Piri Paraone gave his side a flicker of home when he sliced through to set up a try in the corner to replacement Lester Maulolo, converting it from the sideline himself to close the margin to 32-24.

Makene had the final say when he ran on to a stab kick in to the in-goal by fullback Maitland and that was the contest sewn up.

Canterbury had led Wellington 19-12 at halftime, scoring their third try and the best try of the half just prior to the break, through hooker Nick Hyde who rumbled over from a textbook lineout drive in the corner.

Canterbury lost starting No. 8 Misimoa Lamosiltele to injury in the opening exchanges but his replacement Ben Morris was on hand to score the opening try of the contest. Morris ran off the shoulder of centre Poasa Waqanibau who made a nice break from a ruck 40 metres out.

Wellington No. 8 Matt Peni pounced on a Canterbury lineout error and burst away for the home side’s first try and his first of the match to make it 7-7.

In the 19th minute, Canterbury split Wellington’s defence up the middle again, that man Makene having a leading hand in it by powering through a narrow gap in broken play and linking with second five-eighth Michael Green and try-scorer Jonny Van Der Velde. The conversion by first five-eighth Brook Retallick made it 14-7.

Wellington replied with their second try, an individual stunner by flyhalf Piri Paraone, weaving through the defensive line in general play and putting his foot down to score.

The Wellington Development team play their Auckland counterparts in their final match of the year next week in Auckland.

Counties Manukau (43) v Wellington Pride (13)

Scoreboard: Counties Manukau 43 (Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali 3, Justine Lavea, Leilani Perese, penalty try tries; Hazel Tubic 4 con, pen) beat Wellington Pride 13 (Kiri Mei, Angel Uila tries; Accacia Te Iwimate pen). HT: 22-5.

Video highlights: View video highlights of this match here 

Report: A strong defensive effort, complemented by a hat-trick to Black Ferns first five-eighth Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali, powered the visiting Counties Manukau Heat side to their 30-point win over the Wellington Pride in the early game at the JCS.

Apart from a couple of periods in the middle stages of each half, the Pride often found themselves on the back foot and largely scrambling just to get out of their own territory.

As expected, the Heat’s pack took it to the Pride, while the defence of the visitors was consistently tough to crack and offered the Pride few chances.

After leading 22-5 at halftime, the Heat went further ahead in pouring rain early in the second spell when awarded a penalty try and a 7-pointer from an attacking scrum.

The Pride re-grouped and enjoyed their best period of the game, and came away with a penalty to halfback/first five-eighth Acacia Te Iwimate.

But 8-29 was as close as they got, the Heat keeping them pinned inside their own half. The resultant pressure finally saw the dam burst with flyhalf Subritzky-Nafatali running in her second and third tries in the 69th and 76th minutes.

Pride supporters were rewarded at the end when centre Monica Tagoai broke through up into the 22, leading to an attacking lineout and a try to Angel Uila on fulltime.

Early domination and an intercept and subsequent try against the run of play just before the break carried Counties Manukau to a 22-5 halftime lead.

The Heat completely dominated both possession and territory in the first 20 minutes and duly capitalised by scoring the game’s first two tries.

Both came from lineout drives, openside flanker Justine Lavea opening the scoring and fullback Hazel Tubic converting for a 7-0 lead after 10 minutes and a series of penalties inside the Pride’s 22 leading to a drive and loosehead prop Leilani Perese peeling away and scoring in the corner to make it 12-0 after 18 minutes.

It wasn’t until the 20th minute that the Pride got their hands on the ball on the other side of halfway and the 23rd minute for their first clean break, by prop Raylene Lolo.

From a second Lolo break up the middle, bumping lock Georgina Lidgard away, the Pride were awarded a penalty and kicked for the corner.

Flanker Lavea stole the Pride’s ball and halfback Yuki Ono fed flyhalf Subtritzky-Nafatali who went for the clearing kick. But her kick was charged down by Pride flanker Kiri Mei and she cleaned up the spoils and scored in the corner.

The Pride conceded a penalty 35 metres out in front and Tubic kicked it to extend the Heat’s lead to 15-5.

The Pride remained in the game, competing with the big visitor’s pack and adjusting to their flat defensive line.

But flanker Lavea intercepted a lineout and took off 40 metres up field. The Heat recycled possession and Subritzky-Nafatali was on hand to score that made it 22-5 at the oranges.