Bragging rights for the Whanganui Metro derby remain with Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau, after they pulled away from a fading Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist, 40-18 on Saturday.

The keenly anticipated Tasman Tanning Premier fixture on Old Timers Day at Spriggens Park appeared to be heading for a cliffhanger finish at 25-18 entering the final quarter, with Marist having repelled Kaierau’s latest attack with a penalty to clear their territory.

In the past couple of games, Kaierau had started well with solid structure in-and-around the set-piece and smart kicking game, only to lose shape with fatigue and mounting infringements.

But Marist still have a lot of players adjusting to the lift from Senior to Premier rugby, and individual
mistakes with loose passes, mounting penalties, and crucial touch finders instead falling to Kaierau’s outside backs took a toll.

From that next missed line kick in about the 60 th minute, two of Kaierau’s outstanding game-breakers combined to send Marist into a tailspin from which they could not recover.

Fullback Peceli Malanicagi made a scything run back upfield, in-and-away from a slow cover defence, and when back amongst his forwards found fellow Steelform Whanganui representative Raymond Salu to dot down for his second try.

Salu, showing the conditioning he had built-up by the time he played the 2023 Heartland competition, made massive inroads on the carry, taking the first-five position on attacking lineouts, and played to the 80th minute after coming off for a brief spell either side of halftime to tape a gash to his leg.

Without the injured Sheldon Pakinga, Kaierau first-five Ethan Robinson kicked well in general play and was able to land a couple of difficult goals into the wind after he and Marist halfback Daniel Kauika previously both had trouble in the conditions.

Marist’s kicking inaccuracy continued when looking for the sideline, allowing Kaierau to stay on attack and keep their shape, with Malanicagi laying on another try assist to go with the kick-chase score he claimed earlier in the half.

Before they dropped off the pace, Marist had gone blow-for-blow with Kaierau – No8 Atriane Marino capping good play with a barge over try, while skipper Lake Ah Chong toiled hard and the recruited outside backs CJ Stowers and Carliwyne Riddles created breakout opportunities.

The side did miss injured midfielder Josaia Bogileka, and while team continuity is there, coach Steelie Koro acknowledged at key moments, individuals made costly mistakes.

“Today it showed with some key players out, the young ones struggled a bit around those areas.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to get the players to do - is work on those things that’s part of their role in the team.

“If you’re a kicker, get out there and do some kicks. If you’re a hooker, get out and throw some balls around. If you’re a loosie, tackle your jackals.

“Those little micro-skills the boys are not doing outside of the trainings, and it makes it difficult, if you’re making too many one per cent errors, to come back.”

Kaierau coach Danny Tamehana was pleased that following another strong start, again scoring inside of five minutes, this time his team maintained cohesion.

“Something we talked about is trying to finish strong and stay in those moments, trust in the structure that they put in place – the boys – actually have faith and just play it out and see what happens.”

Kaierau did lose two players to the sinbin – halfback Eben Claassen caught without a mouthguard and veteran prop Lasa Ulukuta, once again returning from the Pirates club, making a high tackle – but both incidents were isolated as overall the visitors kept a much lower penalty count than previous weeks.

“Not allowing those [professional fouls] to creep up, just one after another happened in the past, so actually wasn’t too bad, said Tamehana.

The coach also praised Salu, who is showcasing more stamina than at the same time last season.

“Everyone knows what he’s like as a rep player; he’s just going to bring more value the more fitter he is, really happy with that.”

Salu wasn’t the only prop to show a bit of toe as after Kaierau attacked Marist’s line early, prop Ratu Sevanaia Vudiniabola collected their clearing kick and dashed to the far side, linking up with winger Blake Eves and then receiving the pass back inside to score.

Marist replied through a Kauika penalty in the 16th minute, but Robinson slotted one of his own shortly afterwards for 8-3 in the 19th minute.

Claassen wanted a chat with the referee revealed a missing mouthguard and a yellow card, and Marist took advantage as from a rolling maul, Marino took off through the fringe to score to level the scores.

But dropped ball at the kickoff had Kaierau straight back on the attack, with skipper Doug Horrocks and Salu leading the charge, and then Robinson combined with Malanicagi to put Eves over in the corner – scoring in his first Premier game since 2015.

A forward pass on the break again put Marist back on defence, and after a succession of pick-and-go by the forwards, Salu was at first-receiver and powered through for a converted try near halftime.

Ulukuta had come on for Salu’s injury just before the break, but the incumbent Whanganui prop was soon jogging back on just after the break for the first scrum with Ulukuta back behind the posts.

Again, Marist took advantage of the overlap as Ah Chong combined with fellow lock Ben O’Leary to
break the advantage line, and after Stowers went at the corner flag and ran into tacklers, his flick pass back was claimed by reserve Connor O’Leary to drive in for his first Premier try.

Still with 14, Kaierau struck back after flanker Mairangi Tamehana made a good run, and then Malanicagi flashed after a chip-kick to collect it and score.

Marist wouldn’t go away, as after forcing a turnover, the ball went to representative hooker Alesana Tofa, who charged down the far touchline and offloaded for winger Rusiate Baleidreketi to score at 25-18 in the 59th minute.

The game seemed headed for a grandstand finish, especially when Marist stopped Kaierau’s next good raid at their line and got the penalty to go into the attacking half.

But missing touch and tired players not chasing gave Malanicagi the chance and that’s all he needed – charging through the centre of the field and then back out to the wing, where he found his forwards and Salu was there to gratefully take the pass and jog in the try.

Going into the wind, Robinson hit a low flat conversion and at 32-18 with 12 minutes left, Marist looked stung.

Even losing Claassen to a knee injury didn’t slow Kaierau, Tamehana becoming a tall halfback, and when Robinson was caught in a high tackle, he carefully bent his penalty kick in the breeze to curl it through the uprights for a 15-point buffer with nine minutes left.

Kaierau then rubbed it in when Marist missed touch again, and when Kaierau got a ruck penalty - Robinson threw the long pass to Malanicagi, who again tore through the defence to reach the tryline, finding reserve Zane Robinson in support to score under the cover defence.

By Jared Smith

Kaierau 40 (R Salu 2, R Vudiniabola, B Eves, P Malanicagi, Z Robinson tries; E Robinson 2 pen, 2 con) bt Marist 18 (A Marino, C O’Leary, R Baleidreketi tries; D Kauika pen). HT: 20-8.