Heavy defeat for Tasman women
06-Aug-2007
 
By Wayne Martin - The NelsonMail

The Tasman women's rugby team experienced some harsh premier league realities after a heavy 56-0 loss to Manawatu on Saturday.


The wet and slippery conditions at Trafalgar Park accentuated Tasman's problems as a bigger and more efficient Manawatu side constantly preyed on the home team's errors.

Manawatu finished the game with 10 tries, scoring five in each half as it went to the break 29-0 ahead. First five-eighth Selica Winiata converted only three of them, but still played a significant role in the match with two tries and a slick combination with halfback Kristina Sue.

Four of Manawatu's first half tries came from turnovers or through Tasman's inability to control the ball on the wet turf. But Manawatu also created several well-constructed tries as good support play, hard running and some effective ball-handling saw the score continue to mount.

Manawatu finished bottom of last year's six-team national premier competition - providing Tasman with a sobering reminder of the standards required to even reach that level, let alone compete at it.

There were positive aspects to Tasman's performance with lock Rhonda Snowden winning some clean lineout ball and No 8 and captain Angela Cotton maintaining a high workrate throughout.

Flankers Hannah Neale and Faith Maikuku complemented Cotton's defensive output, but there was simply too much of it to do as Manawatu continued to apply the pressure.

Besides Winiata, halfback Sue and fullback Jen James each scored twice, with Winiata and Sue controlling much of the play and bustling No 8 Emma Aldworth also prominent in promoting the ball.

Manawatu's forwards showed admirable control in the conditions and had too much cohesion for a smaller but willing set of Tasman forwards.


MANAWATU 56 (Selica Winiata 2, Jen James 2, Kristina Sue 2, Shann Porima, Kelly McFeeters, Whanda Leota, Charltte Arnopp-Scanlon tries, Winiata 3 cons)

TASMAN 0. Ht 29-0.

 

 

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