Top tries mark season openers

Titikaveka, Avatiu and the Ngatangiia premier grades all registered wins in the first week of the CITC 2010 rugby 15s season.

The Titikaveka Bulldogs team kicked-off their season in style with a well deserved 32-14 win against the Takuvaine Warriors at the Titikaveka field.

With the halftime score at 10-7 in favour of the Titikaveka, the Bulldogs with their sprinkling of young players seemed to out enthuse the Warriors especially towards the latter part of the match.

Some fantastic tries were scored in the second half of this match by the Bulldogs including a 40m solo effort by number 8 Lloyd ‘Bacon’ Matapo, a ‘quick throw in’ and try to speedy winger Jerry Matapo and also a well rehearsed blindside move resulting in a try to right winger Ben Sexton some nice touches all resulting in points for the home team.

Although the Warriors tried hard throughout this match resulting in a late converted try to new lock Marty Wills, the Warriors were unable to keep pace with Bulldogs.

Best for the Bulldogs were energetic 20-year-old halfback and new signing Tepou Taana, workhorse lock Robert Matapo and lively young fullback Bill Tangapiri.

Best for the Warriors were hard-working lock Marty Wills, first five-eighths Mataio Lui and loose forward Travel ‘King’ Tou.

Congratulations to the Bulldogs as host venue especially the DJ who became more prominent, improving the atmospherics immensely as the A-grade game progressed!

In other senior A grade matches played in the weekend the Ngatangiia Dragons won a bruising encounter with the Arorangi Cowboys 12-10.

The Fijian centre duo of Sailosi and Usa dotting down for the Ngatangiia host club.

The halftime score was 5-3 to the Dragons with Arorangi tries coming from Spoon Marsters while ‘the boot’ David Wichman added the extra points.

At the swamp, the Avatiu Eels were comprehensive 44-7 winners against the Tupapa Panthers team.

Stars for Eels were loose forward and captain Clive Nicholas, Number 8 Teokotai Tuaivi and Bruce Goldsworthy who also scored a hat-trick of tries.

Best for the Panthers were forwards Eddie Herman and Pokoina Turua and teenage cousins Caleb and Tatuava Tatuava.

This Friday and Saturday Avatiu will host the Arorangi Cowboys, Takuvaine host Ngatangiia-Matavera and Tupapa will host Titikaveka. - R&M

More photos page10

Week one full results: Titikaveka vs Takuvaine (Titikaveka scores first) Senior A grade 32 - 14, Senior B grade-11 - 10, Under 19 grade17 - 26, Under 16 grade 24 - 7, Under 13 grade 10 - 20, Avatiu-Nikao vs Tupapa-Maraerenga (Avatiu-Nikao scores first), Senior A grade 44 - 7, Senior B grade Avatiu won by default, Under 19 grade 5 - 21, Under 16 grade-Avatiu won by default, Under 13 grade 12 - 12, Ngatangiia-Matavera - Arorangi (Ngatangiia-Matavera scores first), Senior A grade-12 - 10, Senior B grade-6 - 48, Under 19 grade-84 - 0, Under 16 grade-0 - 17, Under 13 grade 15 - 0.