South Canterbury top, but Wanganui scrape in

Wanganui scraped in by the skin of their teeth to have the chance to defend their Meads Cup title when coming out best in a three-way tie on the points table in the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship on Saturday.

Wanganui, Mid Canterbury and West Coast all finished on 26 points but Wanganui had the highest points differential between the sides to scrape through after their 10-6 win over North Otago.

Mid Canterbury had beaten King Country 43-38 and West Coast beat Wairarapa Bush 36-26.

South Canterbury finished top four points clear after their 45-7 win over East Coast in Ruatoria and will host Wanganui next week.

Horowhenua Kapiti travelled to Westport to decide who would take second place and they beat Buller 30-26, scoring three tries to two, to claim top place and gain a home semi-final next weekend in a repeat of Saturday’s game.

In the Lochore Cup, Mid Canterbury finished top and will play Poverty Bay who beat Thames Valley 35-34, both teams finishing on 20 points.

West Coast will play North Otago in the second semi-final.

Heartland Week 8:

Buller 26 (Ellis, Ravudra tries; James Lash 2 con, 4 pen)
Horowhenua Kapiti 30 (Spencer Bishop, Scott Cameron, Willie Paia’aua tries; James So’oialo 3 con, 3 pen). HT: 12-20

East Coast 7 (Hone Haerewa try; Kris Palmer con)
South Canterbury 45 (Loni Toumohuni 3, Vatiliai Tora 2, Leone Nawalu, Glenn Sturgess tries; Willie Wright 3 con, Jared Trevathan 2 con). HT: 7-26

King Country 38 (S Wanden, Jesse Williams, Bavan Brown, Ollie Kay, Keiron Rollinson, Reece Macdonald tries; Macdonald 4 con)
Mid Canterbury 43 (Sam Finau, Willie McGoon, Tom Hanham-Carter, Angus Lindsay 2, Jarred Percival tries; Percival 5 con, pen). HT: 31-24

Thames Valley 34 (Harry Lafituanai, Josh Law, Aaron Carroll 2, Shaun Hill tries; Chris Doak 3 con, pen)
Poverty Bay 35 (Andrew Tauatevalu, Everard Reid 2, Karl McPherson, Ethine Reeves tries; Reeves 5 con). HT: 24-21

Wairarapa Bush 26 (Chris Raymond, Epeli Rayaqayaqa, Nikora Ewe, Eddie Cranston tries; Tim Priest 2 con; James Goodger con)
West Coast 36 (Brad Tauwhare 2, Troy Tauwhare, Isei Lewaqai, Logan Heath tries; Nik Cumming 2 con; Tom Reekie 2 con, pen). HT: 14-19

Wanganui 10 (Tremain Gilbert try; Nick Harding con, pen)
North Otago 6 (Josh Buchan 2 pen)