The top two teams of the Tasman Tanning Senior competition won their home semifinals, but not without a titanic struggle in the township and under the mountain on Saturday.

The Forest 360 Marist Knights confirmed back-to-backs grand final appearances after slogging their way to a 14-0 win over 2025’s great improvers McCrea Scanning Counties at Spriggens Park.

There was unlikely to have been an occupied household left in Kaiwhaiki as a big travelling pack of supporters made the trek into town to cheer on their side.

But after buildup from the pack, the Knights finally broke the deadlock when lock Noah Pa’a was driven over to score entering the second quarter, converted by fullback Joey Devine.

In muddy conditions, the Knights tried to attack out of their own half, but struggled to keep possession, while Counties looked to build momentum yet came unstuck themselves.

The decisive moment came just before halftime when the home side got some traction to attack towards the line, and then out-wide Devine held onto a long pass off his bootlaces to run in for a try he converted.

In the second half, the Knights missed one penalty kick, but kept Counties away from their tryline, the visitors rueing a lot of dropped ball on the far fringes, to get back to Cooks Gardens.

Going with them and still undefeated are McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, but only just, as they ended Direct Connect Marist Celtic’s 50th anniversary season with a try near fulltime snatching an 18-13 win.

The home side led 10-3 at halftime at Rochfort Park, with their Northern subunion rep winger Cullen Cross having scored a try, converted by fullback Chrissy Winter who also added a penalty.

Celtic first-five Wineti McDonnell kicked Celtic’s first half points, and then the 2022-23 champions began their comeback, with prop Jeremy Seal scoring a converted try.

Winter and McDonnell traded penalties for 13-13 with the clock ticking down, before Cross scored his double to send his team to their first WRFU finals day since 2022.

Semifinal Results, July 4th-5th

Tasman Tanning Premier 

Byford’s Readimix Taihape 20 (Teihana Brown, Cyrus Tasi tries; Chad Whale 2 pen, 2 con) bt Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist 6 (Daniel Kauika 2 pen). HT: 3-3.

Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau 22 (Adam Boult 2 tries, penalty try; Ethan Robinson pen, con) bt Waverley Harvesting Border 18 (Jeff Dorset, Ekenasio Fiso tries; Tyrone Albert 2 pen, con). HT: 10-7 Border.

Tasman Tanning Senior

Spriggens Park: Forest 360 Marist Knights bt McCrea Scanning Counties 14-0. HT: 14-0.

Rochfort Park: McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu bt Direct Connect Marist Celtic 18-13. HT: 10-3.

Tasman Tanning Women

Cooks Gardens: AGC Training Marist Clovers bt Hunterville 95-12.

Memorial Park: Byfords Construction Taihape bt Silks Audit Rātana 15-12.
 

By Jared Smith