Key off-season recruit Sincere Harraway has replicated the form which carried former club Hornby to the 2021 title, the third leg of his treble sealing last Saturday’s 36-28 victory at Wainoni Park.
The Eagles, who were sixth in the eight-team competition last year, built a 22-6 inside the half hour and led by 20 heading into the final quarter before the Hornets set up a tense finish with three unanswered tries.
However, halfback Harraway had the final say as the Eagles joined Halswell on 10 competition points after seven rounds, four points adrift of unbeaten Linwood.
Eastern Eagles assistant coach Eddie Timo-Latu, who was head coach for four years, credited recruitment and his successor for the improved showing.
Louis Fanene, an Aranui junior who played for the Melbourne Storm and Burleigh Bears, took over this season, his first coaching gig.
“He’s been the biggest change in terms of the processes he’s brought over from when he was in Australia,” Timo-Latu said.
“He’s brought over some one-percenters for our boys to work on, which has paid dividends.”
Harraway is undoubtedly a welcome arrival, though Jimmy and Jesse Wihongi (ex Papanui) and rugby converts Carlos Te Rupe-Jones and Walter Huata have also added value.
“The new players have complemented the team we’ve had in place for the last 3-4 years,” Timo-Latu.
The Eagles now face Celebrations Lions on Saturday, while Halswell, who hold second on points differential, should boost that margin against winless Papanui.
The Tigers had to default for a second time this campaign, meaning fifth-placed Hornby are well rested before their second clash of the season with Hornby, who won the first grand final rematch 30-10 in April.
Linwood extended their impressive season with a 32-12 win over the Northern Bulldogs; Riccarton, who travel to the Bulldogs this weekend, beat Celebration Lions 30-18.
Football: Ferrymead Bays take on Chatham Cup holders
Ryan Stanley was denied a hat-trick but the Ferrymead Bays striker still had the satisfaction of ending Christchurch United’s unbeaten season with the winner in a dramatic Chatham Cup second round upset.
Stanley scored in extra time to cap a 3-2 win which also featured an own goal and red card for Christchurch United goalkeeper Scott Morris and a late equaliser from teammate Daniel Maclennan.
“It was an entertaining game,” said understated Ferrymead Bays coach Alan Walker.
Maclennan had barely drawn United level at 2-2 in the 89th minute before Morris was sent off for deliberate handball outside the area at Ferrymead Park on Friday night.
“The drama of it was he went to kick the ball out of his hand and he kicked it up Ryan Stanley’s backside. The ball bounced loose, Ryan was going for it and he (Morris) knocked it away from him,” Walker said.
United coach Paul Ifill had to fill in between the posts for the remainder of regulation before Eddie Ashton was brought on as a substitute for extra time.
Morris was credited with an own goal in the 81st minute after Stanley’s strike struck a post and ricocheted into the net off the shot stopper.
Stanley was able to celebrate his brace in the 97th-minute when he slotted a Chris Murphy cross home from close range.
While the win ranked as an upset, Walker wasn’t fazed pre-match, noting Ferrymead Bays pushed leaders United close in the Southern League before losing 3-2 in early April.
“That game was most probably a 50-50. We’d gone okay against them previously. Tactically we set up well (on Friday) and the lads played exceptional,” Walker said.
Ferrymead Bays, who are fifth in the Southern League, have no scope to rest on their laurels as they face another giant-killing assignment in Saturday’s 10th round schedule.
They take on reigning Mainland Football premiership winners and Chatham Cup holders Cashmere Technical, who ticked off both their assignments over the long weekend.
They thrashed Nelson Suburbs 4-1 in a Covid-19 catch-up game on Saturday before keeping their Chatham Cup defence alive on Monday with a 3-1 win eliminating Selwyn United from the domestic knock out competition.
“We end up with them and United back-to-back and in another couple of weeks we end up with United again. It’s a tough run of fixtures, but when you’re doing okay it’s not a bad thing,” Walker said.
The other local Chatham Cup tie between Coastal Spirit and Parklands United was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols.
Coastal Spirit are back into action with an ominous Southern League clash with a United side in rebound mode at Linfield Park.
Rugby: New Brighton look to solidify second spot
While rugby’s focus is understandably on the Super Rugby Pacific semi-final between the Crusaders and Chiefs at Orangetheory Stadium tomorrow night, the Christchurch Metro Cup competition resumes on Saturday after a weekend off.
Leaders Sydenham, who suffered their first defeat in the previous round to Christchurch, seek to get back on track against perennial title threats Lincoln University in the schedule’s eye-catching encounter.
New Brighton’s impressive start to the campaign is set to continue when they seek to solidify second spot against last year’s runners-up Burnside, the only club without a win this season.
Champions Marist Albion and High School Old Boys make up the top four and they will seek to preserve that status when playing Shirley and Christchurch respectively.
Marist Albion were pipped 30-29 by New Brighton in their last outing while HSOB was involved in the first draw of the season, a 17-17 stalemate with Linwood on May 28.
Weekend match-ups
Christchurch Metro Premier Rugby ninth round fixtures (all Saturday 2.45pm): Shirley v Marist Albion, Burwood Park; Sumner v University of Canterbury, St Leonards Square; Belfast v Linwood, Sheldon Park; Burnside v New Brighton, Burnside Park; Sydenham v Lincoln University, Sydenham Park; HSOB v Christchurch, Bob Deans Field.
Southern League round 10 fixtures: Green Island v Nelson Suburbs, Sunnyvale, Saturday 12.30pm; Cashmere Technical v Ferrymead Bays, Garrick Memorial Park, Saturday 2.45pm; Selwyn United v Nomads United, Foster Park, Saturday 2.45pm; Coastal Spirit v Christchurch United, Linfield Park, Saturday 2.45pm; Mosgiel AFC v Dunedin City Royals, Memorial 1, Saturday 2.45pm.
Canterbury Rugby League Premiership eighth round fixtures (all Saturday 2.45pm): Celebration Lions v Eastern Eagles, Cuthberts Green; Halswell Hornets v Papanui Tigers, Halswell Domain; Hornby Panthers v Linwood Keas, Leslie Park; Northern Bulldogs v Riccarton Knights, Murphy Park.
