Marist wins back-to-back titles for first time
BACKTOBACK Galbraith Shield titles — it is something the proud Marist club can now lay claim to.
On Saturday afternoon at Rugby Park in Invercargill, Marist cemented its place as the current powerhouse of Southland club rugby.
It did it through a commanding 3813 win over PiratesOld Boys in the 2018 decider.
The class of 2018 created history by being the first Marist team to make it backtoback Galbraith Shield titles in the club’s 98year existence.
While PiratesOld Boys threatened at times to spoil the party, the reality was Marist was a class above.
Captain and first fiveeighth Scott Eade set the tone after just two minutes when he landed a 48m penalty.
Just three minutes later, centre Will Murray brushed through some disappointing PiratesOld Boys defence to make it 80.
The opening exchanges were onesided but PiratesOld Boys rolled the dice on numerous occasions with short chip kicks inside its own half.
On one particular occasion, it paid off when fullback Josh Buchan chipped and regathered and took off down the field.
In turn, Marist was penalised and first fiveeighth Greg Dyer was able to kick the points to make it 83.
Despite backpedalling for the majority of the game, remarkably PiratesOld Boys was able to hit the lead 108 in the 18th minute when Dyer latched on to an intercept pass and scooted close to 70m to score.
It was the sole time PiratesOld Boys led in the final and it lasted only a matter of a couple of minutes.
Eade landed his second penalty in the 20th minute to make it 1110 before halfback Jacob Carmichael scored with six minutes to play in the first half which made it 1810 at the break.
PiratesOld Boys remained in touch with a Dyer penalty 13 minutes into the second half but Marist’s dominance eventually took its toll.
Much like the week before in the 410 semifinal win over Blues, Marist was ruthless in the later stages of the game running three tries in the final 20 minutes to ice the win.
The first was an intercept try to sharp winger Morgan, followed by Murray’s second, and it was finished by replacement back Javaan Fa’amoeIoane with four minutes to play.
Eade said to notch up a first for Marist was a special feeling.
‘‘Obviously, last year it was the monkey off the back. This year is just a stoked happy feeling to do something special by going back to back,’’ Eade said.
‘‘We’ve got a special group of guys. The core of us has been together for four or five years so to be able to do two in a row is bloody awesome.’’
Coach Marty Smith echoed those thoughts.
‘‘It is huge, not just for myself as a coach but for the whole club. It has never been done before, to go back to back is huge,’’ Smith said.