Wins for most Wellington teams on Saturday

Above: Left wing Jacob Walmsley scored a first half hat-trick for the Centurions U18s against the Wairarapa-Bush U18s at Porirua Park

Updated: There were several good wins on Saturday for Wellington representative teams in inter-provincial matches.

The Wellington U18s won the Hurricanes Region U18 tournament today, beating Hawke's Bay U18 27-3 in their title decider at Palmerston North. The Wellington U18s won five tries to nil. The Wellington Centurions U18s beat Wairarapa-Bush U18 42-14 at Porirua Park.

The Wellington Development side beat the Hawke's Bay Saracens (Development side) 37-34 in Napier.

The Wellington Pride went down to Counties Manukau Heat 37-23 in their Women's NPC sixth round match at Pukekohe.

The Pride trailed 13-20 at halftime, but crossed for a converted try 10 minutes into the second half to lock the game up at 20-20. However, the home side pulled clear over the next period of play and held on over the fourth quarter to take the victory.

The Pride have their bye next week, before returning home to play their final two matches in October.

The Wellington Samoans defeated Manawatu Development 42-24 at Porirua Park.

There was no shortage of scoring action in the two games at Porirua Park, with 128 points and 18 tries scored across both matches.

Superior size and physicality were also the two themes that marked the winning teams out in these games, with the Centurions having too much of both in overwhelming the Wairarapa Bush visitors in the the early game 48-14 and the Wellington Samoans laying on some big hits and some blockbusting runs in their 42-24 win over the Manawatu Development side.

Fresh from beating the Hawke's Bay Saracens last Saturday, the Samoans charged out of the blocks to score three tries and lead 25-0 after 18 minutes.

Right wing Joyner Key opened the try scoring in the 4th minute, followed by tries to openside flanker Josh Hunt in the 13th minute and fullback Tau Mamea five minutes later. Key also kicked two penalties and Manawatu were staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

The sting went out of the Samoans long enough for Manawatu to regroup and cross for a pair of tries, to first five-eighth Clayton Stewart, re-gathering his chip and chase, and left wing Maleli Sau, finishing off a bruising raid up field that was taken out of the Samoans' copybook.

The Samoans had the final say of the first half with Mamea crossing for his second try and Key kicking his third penalty and they turned into a breeze leading 35-12.

Manawatu won the early exchanges of the second half, left wing Sau scoring his second try after a forwards drive and clever cross kick out to his wing.

The game lost much of its structure from that point on, Manawatu having the better of the territory but unable to do much with it. In fact, their fourth and final try of the contest that closed it up to 35-24 and that was scored by Sau again was started 60 metres out and instigated from broken play.

The Samoans closed out the match with a try on fulltime to first five-eighth Dudley Parsons, after a break by second five-eighth-fullback Isaiah Petelo and midfield replacement Konelio Feaunati.

Whereas the action in the Samoans-Manawatu game started from the get-go, it took 20 minutes for the Centurions to post the first points of their match against Wairarapa-Bush U18s.

Handling errors and poor passing was the story of the match up to that point, before the Centurions won the ball off the top of an attacking lineout on the far side and second five-eighth Samoa Momoemausu cut through to make it 7-0.

Two minutes later, the Centurions launched from a lineout on the grandstand touch and left wing Jacob Walmsley sliced through in centre field for a soft try.

The Centurions' ball running forwards were getting into their stride, and one of their number, blindside flanker Tukia Purcell scored in the corner.

Loosehead prop Paasi Fine and No. 8 Folau Vea carved up through the middle and left wing Walmsley was on hand in support to score his second try, before Walmsely followed up a grubber kick off a scrum by halfback Kaide McCashin to score his hat trick before halftime.

The Centurions extended their halftime lead to 41-0, but Wairarapa Bush fought back over the remainder of the match and No. 8 and captain Andrew Hull burst through to score their first try.

The Centurions sealed the game with their final try of the afternoon to centre Fredrich Keil, scoring off another scrum, before Hull scored his second try towards the end.??? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Scoreboard:

Wellington Development 37 beat Hawke's Bay Saracens 34

Wellington Samoans 42 (Tau Mamea 2, Josh Hunt, Dudley Parsons, Joyner Key tries; Key 3 pen, 4 con) beat Manawatu Development 24 (Maleli Sau 3, Clayton Stewart tries; Stewart 2 con). HT: 35-12

Wellington U18s 27 beat Hawke's Bay U18s 3

Wellington Pride 23 lost to Counties Manukau 37

Wellington 18 Centurions 48 (Jacob Walmsley 3, Fredrich Keil, Folau Vea, Tukia Purcell, Paasi Fine tries; Ale Mathew Peni 2 con, Paul Bickle con, Kaide McCashin con) beat Wairarapa Bush U18s 14 (Andrew Hull 2 tries, Josh Pepperell 2 con). HT: 27-0

Wellington U13s 55 beat East Coast U13 0