Prelude to rugby semi-final

WHS 1st XV will take on fully committed Metro men.

The Wanganui High School 1st XV has slipped to third on the Manawatu McDonalds Colts division rugby championship table after a 27-13 loss to reigning champions Massey White at the weekend.

The other Wanganui side, St Johns Club Metro, now sits second on points behind the unbeaten Massey White.

The Wanganui derby clash between WHS and Metro this Saturday will determine the semi-final match-ups the following week.

However, the most likely scenario is a semi-final between Metro and WHS with championship leaders Massey White playing likely fourth-placed Old Boys Marist Colts.

On paper at least WHS would have to be favourites against Metro this weekend after beating the division debutants earlier in round robin play.

Metro is also without one of its star players, fullback Terangatira Waitokia, who has been called into the Wanganui Steelform Heartland squad to play Taranaki B this weekend and possibly make the team to play the Ranfurly Shied against Waikato in a fortnight.

Darryl Malcolm, who co-coaches Metro alongside Carl Gibson, said losing Waitokia to Heartland duties left his side exposed.

"It's really great Te (Waitokia) got selected and we back him 100 percent, but we will miss him," Malcolm said.

"But really we have achieved our goal and more. In our first season in this division we aimed to finish in the Top 6 and we've made that and more. We are in the Top 4 and in the semi-finals and that's down to the guys in our squad and their commitment to the team."

Standings with one round to go before the semi-finals:
Massey White 16, Metro 13, WHS 12, Dolphins 5, Marist colts 4, Massey Ag -4.
Final round robin draw: Massey White vs Dolphins, Metro vs WHS, Marist Colts vs Massey Ag.

(Wanganui Chronicle 27/7/16)