CRL Finals Week 2 Wrap: Knights stun Keas, snatch grand final berth with late try
Riccarton Knights have set up a Pat Smith Trophy Challenge showdown with Eastern Eagles on CRL Snap Fitness Grand Final Day, upsetting Massetti Cup winners and defending champs Linwood Keas in a pulsating CRL Whitehead Plumbing and Gas preliminary final.
The Knights snatched a 24-22 victory via a late try and conversion at Linwood Park, sending the benchmark team of 2026 tumbling out of the playoffs in straight sets.
Aiming to bounce back from the previous week’s major semi defeat to the Eagles, the Keas – who had won their previous three matches against the Knights by 24-plus margins, including last year’s grand final – opened the scoring with an early try to winger Julius Mumuta.
But the Knights took a 12-6 lead after tries to Ihaka Abraham and Caleb Reweti, and reclaimed an 18-12 advantage when Jesse Wihongi crossed.
The Keas went into halftime with a 22-18 lead, however, with Domanyc Fidow-Kele going over before Mumuta completed his hat-trick just before the break.
The second half was marked by a long impasse – and the Keas looked set to reach their 11th premiership decider in 12 years with no change to the halftime scoreline.
But in the dying minutes, hooker Justin Lynch – a veteran of more than 200 games for Riccarton – scored the leveller and Jimmy Wihongi calmly slotted the winning conversion.
A drought-breaking premiership triumph looms for one club next Sunday on CRL Snap Fitness Grand Final Day, with the Knights last taking out the title in 2004 and the Eagles chasing the Pat Smith Trophy for the first time since Eastern Suburbs’ 1979-81 grand final threepeat.
Saturday’s CRL Sidekick Chartered Accountants Canterbury Cup Conference League semi-finals delivered a pair of epic encounters that will see Linwood Keas’ and Eastern Eagles’ Premier Reserves teams contest the grand final.
The table-topping Keas needed extra-time to overcome Halswell Hornets 18-14 at Linwood Park.
The rivals were locked 4-all at halftime and 14-all at the end of 80 minutes, before habitual match-winner Penitito Ilalio produced an incredible chip-and-chase effort in extra-time to snatch the grand final spot for Linwood after almost 100 minutes of action.
The Eagles, two-time defending Canterbury Cup champs, had to dig deep to subdue gallant CRL Division One leaders Northern Bulldogs at Murphy Park.
The visitors raced to a 10-0 lead but were pegged back, with the Jed Lawrie-coached Bulldogs taking a 12-10 halftime lead.
Northern’s outstanding goal-line resistance kept them in the game until the latter stages, but Eastern’s relentless pressure eventually told on the scoreboard to prevail in a physical and absorbing clash.
Hornby Panthers and Linwood Keas will square off in the 2026 CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership grand final after the pair carved out convincing semi-final victories on Sunday.
The table-topping Panthers powered to a 46-6 win over fourth-placed Eastern Eagles, going on with the job after building a 16-0 halftime advantage at Leslie Park.
Tyler Limmer scored a try in each half for Hornby.
The Keas officially ended Sydenham Swans’ two-year reign via a 36-6 result at Linwood Park. The match was evenly poised at 6-all after 20 minutes, but tries to Isabella Williams and Malaika Lilii-Tiwa gave Linwood a handy 16-6 advantage at the break.
The Keas ran in four unanswered tries in the second stanza to reach their second straight grand final.
CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING AND GAS MEN’S PREMIERSHIP – PRELIMINARY FINAL RESULT
Riccarton Knights 24 (Ihaka Abraham, Caleb Reweti, Jesse Wihongi, Justin Lynch tries; Jimmy Wihongi 4 goals) defeated Linwood Keas 22 (Julius Mumuta 3, Domanyc Fidow-Kele tries; Thomas Ruwhiu 3 goals) at Linwood Park
CRL SIDEKICK CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS CANTERBURY CUP CONFERENCE LEAGUE – SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Linwood Keas (Prem Res) 18 defeated Halswell Hornets (Prem Res) 14 Linwood Park (extra-time)
Eastern Eagles (Prem Res) 22 defeated Northern Bulldogs (Div One) 12 at Murphy Park
CRL HAPPY HIRE WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP – SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Linwood Keas 36 defeated Sydenham Swans 6 at Linwood Park
Hornby Panthers 46 defeated Eastern Eagles 6 at Leslie Park
Photo Credit (Keas v Eagles): Abraham Atherton Photography
