Wairarapa-Bush get the better of Mid Canterbury

Farriers Wairarapa Bush got the better of home town favourites Mid Canterbury in Ashburton to bag four crucial championship points in Heartland rugby on Saturday.

In an ill-disciplined match the visitors scored three tries to two in the 26-16 round three victory.

The result bumps Farriers Wairarapa Bush up to the top half of the table, a position they will likely consolidate this weekend when they host the Swampfoxes of Thames Valley in Masterton.
Farriers Wairarapa Bush {5th v 10th} Thames Valley

Six yellow cards were dished out in the match, three to each team.

Mid Canterbury opened the scoring with first-five Jarred Percival crossing for a try under the posts,before becoming the first of the day’s yellow card recipients just minutes later.

He was soon joined in the sin-bin by Wairarapa Bush captain Eddie Cranston, before Cranston’s teammate Cameron Hayton crossed for a try which tied things up at 8-8 heading into the break, but that was shortly followed by another sin-binning – this time Wairarapa Bush’s Andrew Smith.

A Wairarapa Bush penalty on halftime gave the visitors a 10-8 lead, but Mid Canterbury started the second half strongly and winger Seta Koroitamana dotted down to put the home side back in front 16-10.

When referee Nick Webster sent Wairarapa-Bush hooker Abe Haira to the bin it looked to be curtains for the visitors. But any advantage that Mid Canterbury were going to have was soon wiped out when they lost their halfback Will MacKenzie to a yellow card.

This seemed to spark Wairarapa Bush who took it to the Mid Canterbury defence and were rewarded with a penalty try, which was followed by the day’s sixth sin-binning – this time Mid Canterbury’s Koroitamana.

Wairarapa Bush made the most of having an extra man and extended their lead with a try to halfback John Ika under the posts, and the conversion took it out to 26-16.

MATCH:
Mid Canterbury 16 (Jarred Percival, Seta Koroitamana tries; Percival 2 con)
Wairarapa Bush 26 (Cameron Hayton, John Ika tries; penalty try; Tim Priest 1 pen, 2 con)

Past Results against our next opponents Thames Valley:

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