CRL 2024: ROUND 8 CLUB WRAP
Linwood Keas and Riccarton Knights have made a break on the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership field with Round 8 victories, while Hornby Panthers snapped a losing streak via a vital derby win.
The Keas and Knights finished the weekend on 12 competition points, four clear of Halswell Hornets, with Eastern Eagles and the Panthers one point further back.
Linwood surged to top spot on for-and-against courtesy of a convincing 36-4 victory over Greymouth Greyhounds at Papanui Domain.
The defending champs led 24-0 at halftime before the Greyhounds – who were coming off a historic maiden premiership win in Round 7 – crossed first after the break through Zebadiah Thompson. But any thoughts of a fightback were put to bed by tries to centre Matthew Logopati and prop George Faaiva.
Image credit: Abraham Atherton Photography
Riccarton earned a sixth straight win in a 22-20 nail-biter against Eastern Eagles at Wainoni Park. The home side led 10-6 at halftime, but the Knights rallied to a 22-14 advantage as second-rower Sidney Tagicakibau and centre Tristan Griffith continued their purple tryscoring patch.
Eagles front-rower D’Angelo Siu-Tauti dotted down to set up a grandstand finish, but the Knights did enough to close out another crucial result.
Hornby arrested a three-game slide and defied Halswell’s Club Day factor with a gritty 20-14 westside derby W.
The Hornets took the early ascendancy with winger Jared Sherwin and halfback Jacob Nyman scoring the opening two tries. But Asafo Gali put the Panthers on the board before halftime and Christian Fetu grabbed the first two tries of the second stanza.
Joshua Aileone closed the gap to just two points with 10 minutes to go, before a late Tauvale Tauvale try sealed a much-needed victory for the Panthers.
Eastern Eagles regained the outright CRL ISC Sports Canterbury Cup lead with a 38-22 win over Riccarton Knights, with second-placed Hornby Panthers stumbling 30-28 to Halswell Hornets.
Last-placed defending champs Linwood Keas revived their semi-final hopes with a 22-16 defeat of Papanui Tigers.
In Division One, Northern Bulldogs flexed their attacking muscle with a 40-14 victory over Shirley Hawks in Kaiapoi, while Burnham Chevaliers leapfrogged the Hornets with a 42-20 win at Halswell Domain and Ashburton Barbarians powered to a 38-6 win on the road against the Tigers.
A stunning seven-try performance from Maya-Lin Mataele spearheaded Sydenham Swans’ 62-18 defeat of Addington Magpies at Ngā Puna Wai.
The centre scored four of the Swans’ first five tries, before adding another three after the break. To their credit, the Magpies went try-for-try with the 2022-23 runners-up in the second stanza as Burnee Woon-Haami and Bayli Rapira finished with two four-pointers each.
Dejah Tuliau collected a hat-trick as Linwood Keas won their eastside derby at home against Eastern Eagles, while Burnham Chevaliers held on 30-28 in a thriller against Woolston Rams – with a Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox treble not quite enough for the hosts at Woolston Park.
CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – MASSETTI CUP ROUND 8 RESULTS
Linwood Keas 36 (Maoluma Sakaria, Chanel Feala, Jaydyn Hoeta, Elisara Vaifale, Matthew Logopati, George Faaiva tries; Daniel Hartley 6 goals) defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 4 (Zebadiah Thompson try) at Papanui Domain
Riccarton Knights 22 (Rangitane Thompson, Sidney Tagicakibau, Jamieson Ilalio, Tristan Griffith tries; Jimmy Rangiawha 3 goals) defeated Eastern Eagles 20 (Noah Saukuru, Taniela Leka, Maby Pulega, D’Angelo Siu-Tauti tries; Taniela Leka 2 goals) at Wainoni Park
Hornby Panthers 20 (Christian Fetu 2, Asafo Gali, Tauvale Tauvale tries; Tyrone Hill 2 goals) defeated Halswell Hornets 14 (Jared Sherwin, Jacob Nyman, Joshua Aileone tries; Nyman goal) at Halswell Domain
CRL ISC SPORTS CANTERBURY CUP – PREMIER RESERVES ROUND 8 RESULTS
Linwood Keas 22 defeated Papanui Tigers 16 at Papanui Domain
Eastern Eagles 38 defeated Riccarton Knights 22 at Wainoni Park
Halswell Hornets 30 defeated Hornby Panthers 28 at Halswell Domain
CRL DIVISION ONE – ROUND 8 RESULTS
Burnham Chevaliers 42 defeated Halswell Hornets 20 at Halswell Domain
Northern Bulldogs 40 defeated Shirley Hawks 14 at Murphy Park
Ashburton Barbarians 38 defeated Papanui Tigers 6 at Papanui Domain
CRL BARTERCARD WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 4 RESULTS
Sydenham Swans 62 (Maya-Lin Mataele 7, Justine Blatt-Janmaat, Theresa MacPherson, Gemma Attwood, Janaya Mata, Kyla Lynch-Brown tries; Blatt-Janmaat 5, Mata, Kupi Tuitama goals) defeated Addington Magpies 18 (Burnee Woon-Haami 2, Bayli Rapira 2 tries; Rapira goal) at Ngā Puna Wai
Burnham Chevaliers 30 (Shasa Isaacs 2, Chelsea Cadwallader 2, Alana Tobia, Nicola Mugford, Sherrane Maui tires; Cadwaller goal) defeated Woolston Rams 28 (Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox 3, Kate Robinson, McKenzie Nahona tries; Leannan Brennan 4 goals) at Woolston Park
Linwood Keas 62 (Dejah Tuliau 3, Lialanie Muamua 2, Madison Barclay 2, Hannah Parsons, Terauoriwa Harding, Nicole Purdom, Lupe Manu tries; Harding 8, Talosaga Alatasi Manu goals) defeated Eastern Eagles 0 at Linwood Park
VIEW ALL DRAWS, RESULTS AND STANDINGS HERE
Main image credit: Abraham Atherton Photography
