CRL ROUND 7 CLUB WRAP: RESULT REVERSALS IN CRL WHITHEAD PLUMBING & GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP
For the second week in a row in the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership, three teams gained revenge for early-season losses – with Halswell Hornets, Riccarton Knights and Eastern Eagles all carving out crucial Round 7 home victories.
The Eagles claimed a huge scalp in notching their first win of the season, following up last week’s come-from-behind draw at Riccarton with a 24-14 upset of defending champs Hornby Panthers at Wainoni Park.
The Panthers opened the scoring but the Eagles fought back to lead 12-10 at halftime, before scoring two tries to one in the second stanza.
The Hornets have make back-to-back statements, outlasting ladder-leading Linwood Keas 19-14 at Halswell Domain after grabbing an away win over the Panthers last week.
The hosts were on their heels early thanks to a Sakiusa Lomanikaya double for the Keas, but the Hornets rallied with three unanswered tries to Nicholas Evans, Jacob Nyman and Antonio Lemalu. Jerome Taefu’s try cut the deficit to five points and made for a tense last 20 minutes but the Hornets held on.
The Knights avenged their Round 2 loss in Greymouth with a 21-12 victory over the Greyhounds at Crosbie Park.
Riccarton led 13-4 at halftime, before Jorden Forsyth’s second try and another to Brogan Jackson trimmed the gap to just one point. Late tries to Matt Hollis and Tristan Griffith put the Knights out of reach.
The CRL ISC Sports Canterbury Cup fixtures set the tone for the top-grade results, with the Hornets inflicting the Keas’ first loss of the season 30-26, the Eagles putting the Panthers away 32-10 and Papanui Tigers overwhelming the Greyhounds 40-10.
In CRL Division One, Celebration Lions continued their dominant, unbeaten start to the year with a 64-10 rout of Eastern Eagles. Burnham Chevaliers, Shirley Hawks and Riccarton Knights also chalked up high-scoring victories.
Round 3 of the CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership consisted of a Ngā Puna Wai triple-header on Sunday, kicking off with Woolston Rams’ 24-4 defeat of Eastern Eagles with veteran trio Shade McGregor-Pakau, Fleur Barker and Cassie Siataga among the tryscorers.
Hornby Panthers powered to a 60-0 win over competition newcomers Shirley Hawks in the second game, while Linwood Keas edged out defending champs Sydenham Swans 20-16 in the last encounter of the afternoon.
CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING AND GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 7 RESULTS
Halswell Hornets 19 (Nicholas Evans, Antonio Lemalu, Jacob Nyman tries; Nyman 3 goals; Nyman field goal) defeated Linwood Keas 14 (Sakiusa Lomanikaya 2, Jerome Taefu tries; Daniel Hartley goal) at Halswell Domain
Riccarton Knights 21 (Matariri Halbert-Pere, Sidney Tagicakibau, Matt Hollis, Tristan Griffith tries: Jimmy Rangiawha 2 goals; Rangiawha field goal) defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 12 (Jorden Forsyth 2, Brogan Jackson tries) at Crosbie Park
Eastern Eagles 24 (Peneli Peneli, Sivaimauga Elia Lui, Rawiri Ruri, Joseph Beazley tries; Uale Peneli 4 goals) defeated Hornby Panthers 14 (Palaamo Mata, Champ Betham, Bono Napota tries; Muipu goal) at Wainoni Park
CRL ISC SPORTS CANTERBURY CUP – ROUND 7 RESULTS
Halswell Hornets 30 defeated Linwood Keas 26 at Halswell Domain
Papanui Tigers 40 defeated Greymouth Greyhounds 10 at Crosbie Park
Eastern Eagles 32 defeated Hornby Panthers 10 at Wainoni Park
CRL DIVISION ONE – ROUND 7 RESULTS
Celebration Lions 64 defeated Eastern Eagles 10 at Cuthberts Green
Burnham Chevaliers 36 defeated Halswell Hornets 30 at Coronation Park
Shirley Hawks 34 defeated Addington Magpies 22 at Macfarlane Park
Riccarton Knights 38 defeated Northern Bulldogs 18 at Crosbie Park
CRL BARTERCARD WOMEN’S PREMIERHSIP – ROUND 3 RESULTS
Woolston Rams 24 defeated Eastern Eagles 4 at Ngā Puna Wai
Hornby Panthers 60 defeated Shirley Hawks 0 at Ngā Puna Wai
Linwood Keas 20 defeated Sydenham Swans 16 at Ngā Puna Wai
Photo credit: Abraham Atherton Photography
