Taranaki finished runner-up in the New Zealand under-26 intercentre challenge in Wellington on Sunday.
In the third edition of the event, Taranaki has now had a first, a second and a third in the eight-team tournament.
The Taranaki side of Briar Atkinson, Camron Horo, Nathan Goodin, Joel Chard and Luca Dobson excelled during section play, winning 12 games from 14, to finish top seeds.
However, they found Canterbury too hot to handle in the final.
Canterbury took both morning rubbers, in the pairs and triples, and then rounded out the contest by taking the fours, too. Atkinson’s 21-8 singles win had given Taranaki some hope of a turn-around but it was not to be.
Atkinson finished with three singles wins from four games, to finish top of the players in four-bowl discipline.
Her and Horo, with four wins from five, were the best pairs combination on show, as were the four of Chard, Dobson, Goodin and Horo. They won three out of four.
This weekend, at Paritutu, Taranaki will take on Waikato for the Ron Buchan Trophy. Three rounds will be played on Saturday, from 9am, with a further two rounds on Sunday, from 8.30am.
Both selectors have named larger squads, with nine players involved each round, of which three are required to be of eight-year-and-under experience. Men’s selector, John Gray, has the luxury of bringing in both Darren Goodin and Adam Collins, after they were unavailable for last month’s Whanganui fixture.
Kurt Smith has also been included. Smith was recently announced as the Para men’s player for the New Zealand side that will take part in a newly established World Cup which is being held in Malaysia in November.
Women’s selector, Chris Commane, has, as earmarked, introduced Rhonda Adams, Maree Gadsby, Trish Howard and Briar Atkinson, after a swag of younger players were used against the Whanganui.
Men’s team: Craig De Faria, Bruce Colgan, Kelly Hill, Darren Goodin, Dean Elgar, Adam Collins, Camron Horo, Bart Robertson, Daryl Read, Kurt Smith, Nathan Goodin, Simon Rowe and Gavin Benton.
Women’s team: Rhonda Adams, Maree Gadsby, Trish Howard, Briar Atkinson, Alethea Rowlands, Vivienne Hall, Rita Davey, Amanda Crehan, Alesha Quay, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Jasmine Merrick and Judy Crawford.
Meanwhile, Paritutu’s Don Christensen and Cheryll Sharrock are Taranaki’s last hope of medalling in the national champion-of-champions series when they contest the mixed pairs in Tauranga from this Friday.
All of the past eight Taranaki entries have missed out on the semifinals, with just two of the teams qualifying for post section – Fitzroy’s Paul Spurdle, Simon Rowe, Chris Campny and John Gray (fours) and Paritutu’s Kurt Smith and Daryl Read (pairs).