Harlequins finally lift cup

STU PIDDINGTON July 25, 2024

Harlequins are Hamersley Cup champions for the first time after an enthralling 35-33 win over a courageous Celtic side at Ashbury Park on Saturday.

It is the Harlies’ first senior rugby title in 15 years. They have been largely untouchable throughout the season with 13 wins from 14 games, including a 50-10 trouncing of Celtic in the season opener.

There was plenty of delight as 38-year-old Harlequins captain Telusa Latu lifted the silverware on their home ground, in his 146th and final game, after a hard-fought battle where Celtic would just not give up.

Celtic got away to the perfect start, with prop Garret Casey burrowing over for a try after 12 minutes, and first five Hayden Kerr converting.

But then a 10-minute burst from Harlequins saw them score four tries to lead 24-7, and a rout looked on as the Pacific Island influence in their side made it look like festival rugby — with the ball being given plenty of air — rather than a club final.

The first came from a Celtic error at the restart which gifted Harlequins the ball, and a bust by second five Paula Fifita saw prop Taufa Halaufia score. First five Liueli Simote added the extras to tie the game 7-all.

Two minutes later Harlequins were in the lead after several offloads saw openside Maloni Uhi score.

Left wing Samiuela Ahokovi then bolted 60m to the corner after a wide pass gave him some room, leaving defenders in his wake.

Another Celtic fumble gifted fullback Filimoehala Sioeli the ball and he ran 50-plus metres untouched to score.

At 24-7 a one-sided game looked on.

But Celtic dug deep and fullback Jarred Mannex scored an excellent try, albeit with a touch of luck with the bounce of the ball.

There was then a great run from Celtic left wing Peala Matakaiongo, who bounced off several would-be tacklers before off-loading to replacement lock Alofiali Livato, who scored to make it 24-19 at halftime.

Harlequins immediately stretched their lead after the break with a try to wing Lisiate Folau and Simote added a penalty to put Harlequins ahead 32-19.

Some brave defending from Celtic halfback Willie Wright stopped Harlequins going further ahead when he got under Harlequins replacement hooker Apitoni Tola to hold up the ball over the line, when a try would have surely spelled an end to the contest.

Celtic No 8 Conor Anderson then got his side back in the game midway through the second half with a try from close range, and Kerr’s conversion had the margin down to six points — and with Harlequins prop Taufa Halaufia binned for an indiscretion.

Simote, who had an indifferent day from the kicking tee, then landed a crucial penalty for Harlequins, which meant Celtic would need to score twice in the final 20 minutes.

In the final 10 minutes Celtic threw everything at Harlequins. Referee Jackson Henshaw finally lost patience with the Harlequins illegal defence and sent loose forward Siu Kakala to the bin with eight minutes left to play.

Celtic kept the pressure on and were rewarded with a penalty try from a dominant scrum to close the gap to two points, with two minutes left to play.

But Harlequins held on for a memorable victory in front of a delighted home crowd.

As the fulltime whistle blew players from both teams fell to their knees in either exhaustion or prayer.

It was one of the most entertaining club rugby finals in the past decade, with both sides showing plenty of skill and intent.

Harlequins coach Colin Cameron was delighted for his team.

‘‘They showed plenty of guts when it mattered, and I am rapt for them.

‘‘It was a great way for Telusa and Paula to finish [retire].

‘‘Credit to Celtic, as they played exceptionally well.’’

Cameron admitted he was very nervous at the end, as a long-range penalty could have had Celtic stealing the game.

‘‘In the end, it was great for the boys to win, and [we] will no doubt be celebrating with some kava.’’

The title was also special for Cameron who was also in charge, along with Gareth Burgess, when Harlequins won their last title in 2008.

For Harlequins the midfield pairing of Fifita and Lote Fakatou were excellent on defence and attack, while openside Uhi made an impact as a ball carrier, as did the speedster Ahokovi.

Celtic’s best were veteran Wright, who directed play well, and Mannex on attack, while Anderson had a strong game and Livato had a big impact when he came on.

Joy, and relief, for Harlequins as they take Hamersley Cup

Chris Tobin July 22, 2024

After a gap of 15 seasons, Harlequins have taken out the South Canterbury senior rugby club championship and Hamersley Cup beating a tenacious Celtic team, 35-33 at Ashbury Park on Saturday.

Pent-up feelings over that long absence from any silverware of note were unleashed at the end of the match when Harlequins supporters, and children, flooded onto the ground to share the moment.

The joy was mixed with relief since in the dying stages the outcome hung on a knife edge.

Celtic, the clear underdogs after losing heavily to the Harlequins both times this season, looked capable of an upset of massive proportions.

Parked in front of the Harlequins goalposts in the final minutes, after a flurry of penalties in their favour, Celtic opted for scrum after scrum but could not penetrate the desperate Harlequins defence.

“They don’t want us to win!” a Harlequins supporter wailed fearful the match could be lost.

However, the Harlequins held their line and took the victory.

The closeness at the end came after periods in the first half when the ‘Harlies’ threatened to break out, looking as though they could rattle on an advantage of 20 or more points and waltz away to a comfortable victory.

Yet, time and again Celtic clawed their way back.

This was due to Harlequins’ powerful forwards never being able to gain ascendancy over the Celtic pack. In fact, in the dying minutes, the Harlequins’ forwards were being hassled and outplayed.

The only noticeable difference between the two teams was that Harlequins had more firepower in the backs, especially out wide.

The ‘Harlies’ were all steam power in the forwards and athleticism in the backs. Celtic were just guts and tenacity both forwards and backs, helped immeasurably by the guile and tactical astuteness of halfback, Willie Wright.

In the early minutes, Celtic held territorial advantage and were rewarded with a bullocking Celtic try near the posts by prop Garret Casey that was converted by first five-eighth, Hayden Kerr.

Harlequins struck back immediately after a Willie Wright kick was charged down and prop Taufa Hala’ufia scored. Leneli Simote converted and it was 7-all.

Three minutes later, Harlequins extended their lead after a series of off-loads among the backs and flanker Maloni Uni took the final pass to score, which Simote converted.

Three minutes later, Harlequins’ flying “try king”, Samiuela Ahokovi sliced through the Celtic defence and sprinted 60m to score in the try of the day.

With the score 19-7, Celtic looked battered, struggling to contain the rampant Harlequins backs. Three minutes later, their woes continued after the ball was fumbled.

Harlequins fullback Filimoehala Sioelli pounced and sprinted to score. That made it 24-7 with Celtic supporters now fearing a possible hiding and perhaps thinking of sending someone to Craigie Avenue to pop the many green and red balloons put up outside the Celtic clubrooms.

Yet four minutes, later Celtic fullback Jarred Mannix followed up a clever grubber kick and scored, which Kerr converted and the score was 24-14.

Celtic’s Alofiali Liva came on as a replacement and had hardly time to adjust to his surroundings when he had the ball and made a storming run down the touchline to score.

The try went unconverted but at halftime with the score 24-19 Celtic were back in the match.

After the resumption, when a Celtic penalty kick failed to find touch, from the resulting play Harlequins wing Lisiate Folou scored, and not long after Simote slotted a penalty to make the score 32-19.

Yet back Celtic came, again, taking up residence near the Harlequins line.

After a series of scrums, Celtic No 8 Conor Anderson scored to the displeasure of Harlequins prop Hala’ufia who was given a yellow card.

Murmurs of concern rumbled among Harlies’ supporters, relieved by Simote landing a penalty yet exacerbated when Siu Kakala was sinbinned.

Growing tired of handing out a barrage of penalties in front of Harlequins’ posts, referee Jackson Henshaw then awarded Celtic a penalty try.

With the score 35-33 what had looked impossible for Celtic looked possible.

Yet Harlequins, a team that had averaged 50 points a match in the round robin, held on.

When Henshaw blew his whistle for fulltime, as the celebrations began on the sidelines, on the field more than half the Harlies team dropped on a muddied knee to offer up a prayer of thanks - and relief.

It was a time of celebration in Fairlie also, as Mackenzie downed Pleasant Point 71-5 to take the Ian Scott Memorial Cup.

In other matches on Saturday, Harlequins beat Mackenzie 37-25 in the senior B Wood Cup final, and Pleasant Point defeated Waimate 39-15 to win the Glover Cup.

- The Timaru Herald

Harlequins and Celtic make it an all ‘town’ rugby final

Chris Tobin July 16, 2024

The final of the South Canterbury senior rugby competition for the Hamersley Cup will be contested on Saturday by the two Timaru clubs: Harlequins and Celtic.

It will be another chapter in a long and historic “town” rivalry that stretches back over a century to the days of Star and Zingari, the clubs from which Harlequins were formed.

Harlequins had to get past Temuka on Saturday to secure their place in the final. After sweeping through the round robin like a tornado this season, Harlequins went into the match as the overwhelming favourites against the defending champions.

However, Temuka played up to their club’s proud tradition.

The first half was touch and go: Temuka was ahead 6-3, all penalty kicks, with only five minutes remaining until the break.

Then, within the space of five minutes, the game changed dramatically.

Harlequins scored twice with tries to first five-eighths Liueli Simote and flanker Maioni Uhi, one of which Simote converted. This made the score 15-6 to Harlequins.

Five minutes into the second half, Uhi again scored for the Harlequins. Simote chimed in with the conversion, making it 22-6.

Natui Saumani Su’a attempts to penetrate the Harlequins’ defence for Temuka.AIMAN AMERUL MUNER / The Timaru Herald

Harlequins seemed to be cruising until the 63rd minute, when Natui Saumani Su’a scored for Temuka. It was converted by Faalele Iosua, and the Magpies were back in the game.

This seemed paricularly to be so after two Harlequins players, Lisiate Folau and Paula Fifita, were sin-binned, at 63 minutes and 67 minutes respectively.

However, there was no further scoring and Harlequins booked their place in the final with a 22-13 victory, a score far closer than that of their last outing against Temuka when they won 48-15.

The match was held on neutral territory at Geraldine’s Raukapuka Reserve – just why has been a matter of conjecture on social media. Attempts by The Timaru Herald to find out the reason from the South Canterbury Rugby Union have been unsuccessful.

In the other semifinal, Celtic met Waimate at their Rockdale Rd ground.

The match was still in the settling phase when Celtic’s Sean Rhodes was yellow-carded, and Waimate took advantage. Benjamin Dyson scored with the try converted by Theo Davidson, who added a penalty kick soon after.

This put Waimate ahead 10-0 after only 12 minutes.

Hayden Kerr responded for Celtic with two penalty kicks.

After 32 minutes, Celtic’s Daniel Leautuli received a yellow card, his second in two weeks.

However, right on halftime, Peala Matakaioga scored for Celtic with the try converted by Kerr. This put them in front for the first time, 13-10.

After the resumption, Celtic continued this drive with tries to Conor Anderson and Jarred Mannex, both converted by Kerr to make it 27-10.

Yet another yellow card popped their balloon, with Alofialii Liva on the receiving end.

Henry Bryce and Thomas Scott scored twice for Waimate, both tries converted by Davidson.

With 17 minutes left to play, it was game on: Celtic was just ahead, 27-24.

The Celts held on and breathed a sigh of relief after two Kerr penalty kicks secured a 33-24 win.

So it will be an all-Timaru rugby final, with Harlequins favoured.

In their two clashes this season, Harlequins have beaten Celtic comfortably 50-10 and 43-24.

Giving Celtic some heart, however, would be the knowledge they beat Temuka on the two occasions the teams met this season – and Harlequins were made to fight hard to hold off the Magpies in the semifinal.

Discipline could be crucial. Neither team would want to repeat the yellow cards (Celtic 3, Harlequins 2) handed out in the semifinals.

In the lower-tier competition for the Ian Scott Memorial Cup, Mackenzie beat Old Boys 69-10, and Pleasant Point downed Geraldine 35-14, making it a Mackenzie-Pleasant Point final on Saturday.

Mackenzie must be favoured in the final. They had a horror start to the season with four straight losses but picked up and became definite prospects for the top four.

Pleasant Point had a fluctuating round robin, suffering a severe Harlequins thrashing, but they beat Mackenzie at the start of the season 27-20.

In their most recent clash, Mackenzie won 50-7.

- The Timaru Herald