CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS PRE-SEASON COMPETITION – SEMI-FINALS WRAP

Halswell Hornets and Riccarton Knights will contest the inaugural CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Pre-season Competition final next weekend after carving out impressive semi-final victories at Ngā Puna Wai on Friday night.

The Hornets, emphatic 56-4 winners against Northern Bulldogs in the opening round, shut out defending CRL premiers Linwood Keas 38-0.

Halswell led 14-0 at halftime through tries to Iraia De Goldi, Xavier Lynch and Dylan Geddis, before ramming home the advantage in the second stanza as Jacob Nyman, Matthew Black, Antonio Lemalu, Joshua Aileone and Ollie Hansen dotted down.

The Knights backed up last week’s hard-fought 18-8 win over the Keas with a 28-14 defeat of Eastern Eagles.

The Eagles, who made a strong statement in the first round with a 36-16 victory against Hornby Panthers, opened the scoring in the semi through Mita Maamaloa.

But the Knights got on the scoreboard soon after the 20-minute mark and ran in five unanswered tries to book their place in the CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Pre-season Competition decider, building a 28-6 lead before the Eagles responded with the last two four-pointers of the match.

Meanwhile, in a clash between the two clubs eliminated in the pre-season tournament’s opening round, the Panthers tuned up for the 2024 CRL Whitehead Plumbing & Gas Men’s Premiership with a 48-8 win in their clash with the Bulldogs.

CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS PRE-SEASON COMPETITION – SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
6.30pm, Friday, March 15

Semi-finals
Eastern Eagles 14-28 Riccarton Knights
Halswell Hornets 38-0 Linwood Keas

5th v 6th
Hornby Panthers 48-8 Northern Bulldogs

CRL WHITEHEAD PLUMBING & GAS PRE-SEASON COMPETITION – FINAL SCHEDULE
Day/time TBC

Final
Halswell Hornets v Riccarton Knights