Southland Spartans get one over Otago
SOUTHLAND’S fringe Stags players got a confidence boost yesterday with the Spartans’ 4438 victory over the Otago Sassenachs at Rugby Park in Invercargill.
The SpartansSassenachs fixture is traditionally used as preseason SouthlandOtago showdown in the leadup to the Mitre 10 Cup season.
However, yesterday’s game was effectively Southland B v Otago B and the Southland Spartans banked the victory in an entertaining contest featuring 12 tries.
Big Spartans No 8 Lio Tosi opened the scoring after just two minutes before the two teams traded shots in terms of tries.
Tosi, Jordie Bungard, Lisala Halaleva, and Alatini Vaihu all scored firsthalf tries for the Spartans, while Christian Lio Willie, Tom Yarrell, and Legin Felix Hotham crossed for the Sassenachs.
The Spartans held a 2419 halftime lead and pushed it out to 3119 when centre Caleb Young latched on to an intercept inside the first minute of the second half and scored.
Again, the Sassenachs remained in touch through a Conor McLeod try before the Spartans poached another intercept try, this time through wing Bryce Morgan.
Ricky Jackson and Jack McHugh scored to reduce it to 4138 with 10 minutes to play.
A Toka Sopoaga penalty extended Southland’s lead to 4438 with a minute to play and then the Sassenachs mounted one final attack to try snatch victory but came up short.
The victory positions the Ben McHugh and Mal Dermodycoached Southland B team well as they set their sights on a big campaign. It will include games against Otago Country, Canterbury B, Tasman B and Otago B.
In the curtainraiser, Southland Country beat Southland under19 297.
Southland Country has games coming up against Otago Country and Canterbury Country, while the under19 team is preparing for the national under19 tournament.