Kia Toa in need of win for shot at the playoffs

Kia Toa need to get their second round going if they want a chance of reaching the playoffs.

The double blues are nine points outside the top four so will need to kickstart things against Freyberg at Bill Brown Park today.

They have been too inconsistent to fully test the top teams.

Freyberg beat up on Kia Toa in the second half in their first-round clash, which Freyberg won 36-19, and if Freyberg do the double, Kias would be in dire straits.

That result has been Freyberg’s only win this year.

The match between top-four sides Feilding and College Old Boys at Johnston Park should be a close battle.

College won 38-19 in the first round where Feilding was missing a few troops due to injury.

Defending champions Feilding have a few men back but will need to be on their game against COB, who will be hurting after their 24-5 loss to Old Boys-Marist last week.

Te Kawau will be out to avoid a repeat of their first-round result against Varsity when they host the students at Rongotea.

Varsity won 76-10 in the first round as Te Kawau were severely undermanned through injuries and unavailabilities.

They were also in the middle of four games in 14 days, having to play Covd-19 catchup games.

Te Kawau were improved in their loss to Feilding last week, where they trailed 32-31 late in the game before Yellows pulled away to win 44-31, and will need to front again.

Varsity are coming off a 29-10 win over Kia Toa.

This weekend is the last round of the Super Rugby under-20 competition, which has pulled players out of club rugby.

The women’s competition has been split into a top four and bottom three, which should help avoid the one-sided results of the first round, with the points resetting.

In the top four, Kia Toa host Old Boys-Marist at Bill Brown Park.

OB-Marist had been looking like contenders early in the season, but were brought back to earth in a 51-15 loss to Kia Toa in the first round.

Kia Toa are unbeaten and it looks like they will take some stopping this year.

Feilding Old Boys-Ōroua head to Pahīatua to play Bush, where Bush will be looking to show they belong in the top four.

FOB-Ōroua won 34-19 in the first round

In the bottom three Wairarapa Wahine host Ashhurst Pohangina in Masterton.

Meanwhile, Manawatū Turbos coach Peter Russell has named a 30-man Manawatū Evergreens squad to play Hawke’s Bay in their first preseason game of the year at Pahīatua on June 6, with most players selected out of club rugby.

Today’s draw:

Men, 2.45pm: Feilding v COB, Johnston Park; Te Kawau v Varsity, Rongotea; Kia Toa v Freyberg, Bill Brown Park; OB-Marist bye.

Women: Top four: Bush v FOBroua, Pahīatua, 12.45pm; Kia Toa v OB-Marist, Bill Brown Park, 12.45pm. Bottom three: Wairarapa Wahine v Ashhurst Pohangina, Masterton, 1pm; Whanganui Metro bye.

Standings: Varsity 30, OB-Marist 26, Feilding 24, COB 20, Kia Toa 11, Te Kawau 11, Freyberg 6.

Manawatū Evergreens: Joe Gavigan, Darius Mafile’o, Leif Schwencke, Ben Strang, Bryn Gordon, Ropate Rinakama, Sean Paranihi, Micaiah Torrance-Read, Ofa Tauatevalu, Sam Liebezeit, Johnny Galloway, Julian Goerke, Declan McCormack, Elyjah Crosswell, Jason Myers, Logan E Henry, Bryn Wilson, Aidan Champion, Kody Edwards, Stewart Cruden, Te Atawhai Mason, Sam Clarke, Kegan Christian-Goss, Taniela Filimone, Faleseu Tauailoto, Moape Rokosuka, Eseroma Nabuka, Drew Wild, Adam Boult, Logan WT Henry.