Rd 1 Crown Lift Trucks Sharman Cup match reports

Rd 1 Crown Lift Trucks Sharman Cup match reports
April 21, 2018

A wrap of the action from Round 1 of the 2018 Crown Lift Trucks Sharman Cup.

Franklin 16 Manurewa 16
The Crown Lift Trucks Sharman Cup’s newest team got off to a strong start, securing a draw against second-division heavyweights Manurewa. Played at Colin Lawrie Park in Pukekohe, the match drew a large crowd, as the Franklin Storm - made up of players from the Tuakau, Waiuku and Pukekohe clubs - took a lead into the break and held on for an eventual 16-all draw.

Papatoetoe 10 New Lynn 62
The New Lynn Stags gave new head coach Dave McDermott a dream debut, easing past Papatoetoe 62-10 at Kohuora Park. At fullback Patrick Unasa caused chaos on the ball, while in the pack Samu Vaega scored a pair of tries for the Stags.

Ellerslie 4 Bay Roskill 18
Last year’s beaten grand finalists made a fast start to 2018, overcoming Ellerslie on the road. Former New Zealand Warrior and Kiwi international Ben Henry was a standout for the Vikings, bringing strong defence to the halves and troubling the Eagles with his kicking game. Ellerslie never managed to get going in attack, showing plenty of signs of early-season rust.

Manukau 28 Pakuranga 16
A fast start set Manukau up for an opening-round victory at Moyle Park. Fullback Patrick Hufuanga was a standout for the Magpies, who had to hold off a late charge from Pakuranga, which saw the east Aucklanders score twice in the final 20 minutes and claw their way back into the contest.

Otara 34 Ponsonby 32
The Otara Scorpions made an emphatic Round 1 statement, downing pre-season favourites the Ponsonby Ponies at Ngati Otara Park. Behind 18-0 after just 20 minutes, the Scorpions fought back to take the lead early in the second half and eventually secure the win. Halfback Madison Laiman did much of the damage for the Scorpions, scoring a double and kicking a number of conversions which made all the difference come full-time.

Waitemata 16 Mt Wellington 24
After a brief exodus from Premiership football, Mt Wellington made a winning return in the shape of an eight-point victory over last year’s Sharman Cup plate runners-up, Waitemata. Skipper Taylor Smith was a strong performer in the middle of the park for the Warriors, getting through a mountain of work and earning Man of the Match honours.

Hibiscus Coast 16 Te Atatu 30
The Te Atatu Roosters made a strong start to life back in the second division, having been relegated from the top flight at the end of last year, travelling away to Stanmore Bay and picking up a comfortable win. The Roosters took a 14-12 lead into the break, overcoming the Raiders in the final 20 minutes thanks to superior fitness. Lock forward Conal Bevan was a strong performer for the west Auckland side.

ENDS

© Scoop Media