Heartland Championship semi final match reports

We take a look at the first round of finals matches from this year's competition, which has added significance because some of these teams will be promoted into Division one for the upcoming domestic revamp.

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Let’s look at the matches!

WANGANUI V MID CANTERBURY

Wanganui and Mid Canterbury are confirmed as the power bases of Heartland championship rugby, with Wanganui's 48-13 win over Poverty Bay today setting up a repeat of last year's Meads Cup final next Saturday.

But while Mid Canterbury had to battle for their semifinal win over South Canterbury, defending champions Wanganui scored a point-a-minute in the second half to dispose of what had initially been a brave Poverty Bay challenge.

Wanganui thrashed the same opponents 56-0 last week but Poverty Bay arrived with five changes and a whole new attitude which they took into the first half, trailing just 8-6 at the break.

They could have led if the usually-accurate boost of Scott Leighton hadn't missed two close shots.

However, signs the floodgates would open came a minute before the break when teenager Fijian Waisake Rautunideuba finished off a counter-attack from 65 metres out.

The hosts came out in the second half revived and revitalized and Rautunideuba had his second after 8min, No 8 Lasa Ulukuta had another 4min later and then fullback Fraser Middleton -- on crutches four days before -- finished off a marvelous try from 60m.

The game was as good as over before Cameron Crowely, Rautnideuba and replacement lock Nick Cranston finished it off with tries, while Poverty Bay finally cracked the home defence through Juston Allen in the 73rd minute.
Leighton , who was yellow-carded for a foul late in the first half, No 8 Tevita Maka, prop Josh Maynard and centre Wade Owen were among the visitors' best.

But after Wanganui got the twitches out of their system, Ratunideuba, centre Aseali Tikoirotuma, Middleton and Crowley fed off great chances created by the likes of Leon Mason and Steelie Koro inside.

Flanker Peter Rowe, his No 6 mate Fraser Hammond, locks Jon Smyth and David Gower were all prominent performers up front for a Wanganui side who must now turn around their recent 23-14 round robin loss to Mid Canterbury.

Wanganui 48 (Waisake Ratunideuba 3, Fraser Middleton, Cameron Crowley, Lasa Ulukuta, Nick Cranston tries; Denning Tyrell 3 pen, con; Ricky Alabaster con) Poverty Bay 13 (Juston Allen try; Scott Leighton pen, con; Kahu Tamahena dropped goal). Halftime: 8-6.

WEST COAST V BULLER

West Coast defied expectations by handing fierce Heartland championship rivals Buller an old fashioned 53-22 hiding in their Lochore Cup semifinal today.

Home town hooker Rowan O'Gorman had the game of his life at Greymouth's Rugby Park, with a hattrick of tries, spearheading the charge in front of a 1500-strong crowd -- the biggest of the season.

In-form winger Luke Hughes ticked over the first points of the game, scoring under the sticks after nice link play from Tere Wycliff and Josh Cornish.

Buller first five-eighth Nathan Thompson knocked over a penalty in reply but second five-eighth Jared Cropper provided the response with a nice inside step and try to take the score to 14-3 with Cornish's second conversion.
O'Gorman had his first of three tries from a nifty blindside draw and pass maneouvre with his captain James Ferguson in the right corner.

Cornish slotted a drop goal before No 8 Wycliff dotted down off a grubber kick through the defensive line.
Lock Ben Coman took one back for Buller, Thompson converting, but at 31-10 at halftime the game was all but over.

Two tries to O'Gorman, as well as groundings by centre James Ward and lock Brad Houston rammed things home for West Coast before Matt Bonisch and Craig Moore crossed for consolation Buller tries.

Result: West Coast 53 (Rowan O'Gorman 3, Luke Hughes, Jared Cropper, Tere Wycliff, James Ward, Brad Houston tries; Josh Cornish 5 con, dropped goal) Buller 22 (Ben Coman, Matt Bonisch, Craig Moore tries; Nathan Thompson pen, 2 con). Halftime 31-10.

MID CANTERBURY V SOUTH CANTERBURY

Two second half tries to Andrew Letham helped Mid Canterbury come from behind to beat South Canterbury 19-17 in Ashburton today, and earn a home Meads Cup rugby final.

As has been the case so often this season, the boot of Mid Canterbury first-five Kieran Lindsay proved vital, with his two late penalties seeing off a valiant South Canterbury.

South Canterbury put early pressure on, testing the home side under the high ball and gaining early dominance, which was rewarded with a Kayne Wahlstrom penalty.
Lindsay equalised 30 minutes in as the game evened out and neither side gave in inch in a fast-flowing game.

It looked like being all square at the break until South Canterbury mounted a late attack on the home side's line, with Lindsay coming out of the line and missing his man, allowing Tevita Latu to score the opening try of the match. Wahlstrom converted to make it 10-3 at the break.

Stung by the late defensive lapse, Mid Canterbury started the second half strongly. A kick through from second-five Jack Umaga put his side in good position and Mid Canterbury spread the ball wide to put wing Andrew Letham in for the first of his two tries.

A missed conversion meant Mid Canterbury were still playing catch up but Christchurch import Letham continued his best game in Mid Canterbury colours with try number two in the opposite corner to give the home team the lead for the first time.

The tables kept turning though, with Latu running away for his second try for Mid Canterbury to snatch the lead back. The conversion mid-way through the half put South Canterbury out by 17-13 before Lindsay's two penalties set up a heart-pounding final few minutes.

But Mid Canterbury held on and now head to Christchurch's Rugby Park next week for their "home" final, with their usual home ground at Ashburton Showgrounds unavailable.

A second half injury to Umaga will concern the Mid Canterbury coaching staff this week, as he was strong from the start, while Letham will be hoping his hot form sticks around for next week.

Mid Canterbury 19 (Andrew Letham 2 tries; Kieran Lindsay 3 pen) South Canterbury 17 (Tevita Latu 2 tries; Kayne Wahlstrom 2 con, pen). Halftime: 3-10.

NORTH OTAGO V KING COUNTRY

A hat-trick of tries to King Country's Gabriel Wills wasn't enough to prevent North Otago from securing a narrow 31-27 win in their Lochore Cup rugby semifinal in Oamaru today.

It was Wills' second hat-trick in a week, after he crossed three times last Saturday in King Country's 60-14 win over East Coast.

Playing with a strong wind at their backs, North Otago went into the break with a handy 23-3 lead, as King Country could only muster a solitary Kane Quinlan penalty for 40 minutes of hard forward graft.

In contrast, North Otago ran in two tries, the first to influential first five-eighth Daniel Waenga in the 23rd minute and the second to halfback Jason Forrest just five minutes before halftime.

With Waenga adding three penalties and two conversions, North Otago looked comfortable with a 20-point lead going into the break.

However, King Country narrowed the gap almost immediately after play resumed, Quinlan crossing in the 43rd minute and Jared Murrell adding the extras.

Another try to Waenga 10 minutes later looked to have secured the win, but Wills had other ideas. The speedy winger crossed for a second triple, dotting down three times in the closing 18 minutes, the last two separated by barely 60 seconds.

Wills' last try, in the 74th minute, meant North Otago had to battle hard right to the final whistle to secure the win.

North Otago 31 (Daniel Waenga 2, Jason Forrest tries; Waenga 4 pen, 2 con) King Country 27 (Gabriel Wills 3, Kane Quinlan tries; Quinlan pen, Jared Murrell 2 con). Halftime: 23-3.