Wanganui and South Canterbury move up in Heartland

Ewen Scott’s boot at first five-eighths produced 21 points which was just as well as Mid Canterbury saw West Coast score four tries to their three. Scott’s tally lifted his points to the second to 45.

Wanganui extended Buller’s pain by claiming a 35-9 win, including four tries for the bonus point while Trinity Spooner-Neera contributed 15 points with the boot.

South Canterbury were untroubled with their trip to Masterton and scored a four-try 35-26 win over the home team.

Brandyn Laursen was only able to kick two conversions are his record effort last week for Horowhenua Kapiti, but he added a try and remains atop the individual points scoring table with 65 points in the season to date. Horowhenua Kapiti beat an improved East Coast 24-20 in Ruatoria to move to fourth on the ladder.

Heartland Rugby Championship, Week Four results:

East Coast 20 (Kris Palmer, Hone Haerewa tries; Richard Apanui 2 con, 2 pen ) Horowhenua Kapiti 24 (Scott Cameron, Antony Fox, Brandyn Laursen, Ha’amea Ahio tries; Laursen 2 con). HT: 7-7

King Country 47 (Iliesa Tavuyara, James Hemara, Zayn Tipping, Dean Church, Rob Sherson, Sam Mason, Anthony Wise tries; Tipping 3 con, 2 pen) Thames Valley 12 (Sione Hifo 2 tries; Chance Bunce con). HT: 25-0

Poverty Bay 23 (Carl Riini, Leigh Bristowe, Ethine Reeves tries; Reeves con, 2 pen) North Otago 30 (Sale Pi’i, Manulua Taiti, N Cargo tries; Ben Palmer 3 con, 3 pen). HT:

Wairarapa Bush 26 ( Andrew Makalio, So’otala Fa’aso’o 2 tries; Tim Priest con, 3 pen) South Canterbury 35 (Erenimo Tau, Miles Medlicott, Kieran Coll, Rupeni Cokonasiga tries; Jared Trevathan 3 con, 3 pen).

Wanganui 35 (Malakai Volau, Cole Baldwin, Bryn Hudson, Samu Kubunavanua tries; Trinity Spooner-Neera 3 con, 3 pen) Buller 9 (Hagen Schulte 3 pen). HT:

West Coast 26 (Francis Auwerda, Josh Costello, Nik Cumming 2 tries; Cumming 3 con) Mid Canterbury 36 (Seta Koroitamana 2, Ashton Tuck tries; Ewen Scott 3 con, 5 pen). HT: 14-23