Crucial mistakes at crucial times cost Kaierau | Manawatu-Wanganui Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Manawatu-Wanganui

 Kaierau rugby coach Phillip Morris doubts whether the result would have been any different in Saturday's Wanganui premier rugby final if the weather gods had smiled, and the rain stayed away.

Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau went down 12-8 to Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist in a match in which his team made  too many errors and failed to adapt to the conditions.

Morris says Marist blocked Kaierau out  from the start, a time when Kaierau traditionally likes to slap the clamp on opponents. "We didn't get into the game for the first 20 minutes, 25 or 30 minutes. They adapted to conditions better and we made crucial mistakes at crucial times.

"We just couldn't get into it - but their defence, especially their close-in defence, was outstanding. They cut our runners down.

"In fact, I don't know whether it would have been different on a dry day - we can't make any excuses like that. We just kept making errors. I don't know if we were trying to be expansive, or not.

"Pressure. That does different things to different people. We had enough ball in the second half to win it."

Kaierau captain Denning Tyrell, yellow-carded after 65 minutes for what he described as "a little push", said his team had problems with the conditions, but also hinted the team had problems mentally coming to grips with the fact that something different might have been the sensible way to go in the rain. The Polynesian love of passing and running was not to be denied them, in other words.

"We relied on our attacking weapons, but at the end of the day, we had to play the conditions - and that was a bit hard for us," said Tyrell. "The rain affected everything, especially when you prepare for [the] day - but that's no excuse.

"We did create chances, but we couldn't finish them off. Marist were up for the challenge and they came through."

Marist's Ryan Gill was also carded after 32 minutes.