Southern back on top
COCHAMPION University has moved up the Dunedin premier rugby standings to fifth.
The students made a slow start to the season with backtoback losses. But a convincing 3810 win over Taieri at Peter Johnstone Park on Thursday afternoon is yet more evidence they are now on the right trajectory.
Southern is back on top of the standings thanks to a 4519 victory over winless AlhambraUnion at the North Ground.
Magpies outside back Mackenzie Haugh starred with three tries.
Kaikorai prevailed 6639 against ZingariRichmond in a tryfest at Bishopscourt to move into third place, while fourthplaced Green Island beat Dunedin 276 at Kettle Park.
Harbour had the bye.
Who says the fatties can’t win you games?
University’s front row squeezed the life out of Taieri’s scrum in an awesome display of raw power.
Not sure who deserves the most credit — loosehead Kilipati Lea or the equally impressive tighthead Angus Williams.
It helps when you have locks like Josh Hill and Ben Reidy leaning in as well.
The end result was total scrum domination. Add some flair from dangerous fullback Taylor Haugh and the game quickly slipped away from the home team.
Haugh set up the first try. He ran the ball back from broken play and jigged his way past a couple of defenders.
Hill was on hand to take the offload and made a strong run as well. Several phases later, No 8 Sean Withy crashed over. He played well in his senior debut for the club.
The next try was all about that scrum. University marched Taieri 10m downfield before pouncing and scoring in the left corner to lead 143 at halftime.
Haugh weaved his way to the line on an angled 20m run to extend the lead to 243.
The contest was more or less over. It became about whether University could get the fourtry bonus point, and it did, when captain Jack McHugh intercepted the ball and ran 60m down the left wing.
McHugh was impressive. So, too, was Haugh. But the stars were Lea and Williams, while Josh Casey was the most threatening of the Taieri players.
Southern ....................................... 45
AlhambraUnion ........................... 19
Mackenzie Haugh’s pace proved too much to handle at the North Ground.
The right winger scored a hat trick of tries and set up two more as Southern beat AlhambraUnion 4519.
He was on the board after five
minutes, running 60m off an intercept to take a 70 lead.
It took Southern another 20 minutes to strike again, but when it did, it quickly piled on a further two.
Dominic Clapcott regathered his own grubber behind the defence and linked with Paul Tupai to make it 140.
Haugh got on the outside to set up Owen Draper minutes later, before brilliantly pulling in a chip down the wing to score his own try.
Levi Emery got the host team on the board immediately after halftime, but Haugh used his pace to hit back straight away.
He broke the line and chipped ahead to allow Tupai to bag his second.
AlhambraUnion battled with two yellow cards in the second half and the Southern forwards asserted their dominance.
However, AlhambraUnion managed to cross through Kevin Vaeluaga, the lock stealing a lineout and scoring after a strong buildup.
Southern again hit straight back, though. Caleb Grace scored from a lineout drive, before Haugh won a foot race on a kick and chase to snatch
his third.
Kaikorai ........................................ 66 ZingariRichmond ........................ 39
This game had it all — three penalty tries, sin binnings, golden oldie scrums and over 100 points.
ZingariRichmond midfielder Shae Tucker showed great commitment. He flew in from Auckland, arriving 30 minutes before kickoff.
Initially, the match was oneway traffic. Kaikorai jumped out to a 170 lead after just 11 minutes in a period of play that included the awarding of the first of three penalty tries — two of which were from scrum penalties.
With ZingariRichmond’s scrum in all sorts of disarray, golden oldie scrums were introduced early in the second half.
But what the Colours lacked at the set piece, they made up for in heart and mobility.
They woke up to turn the tables on the home side and take a 2017 just minutes from halftime.
But they let the home side off the hook with a second penalty try. Then, from the restart, Kaikorai swept back upfield to score and take a 3120 lead at halftime.
The call for golden oldie scrums made way for a scoring blitz with both sides featuring in a helterskelter affair, providing an addition to an entertaining game of rugby.
Kaikorai was well served by its tight
five, where Sidney Fidow, Masaki Miorikawa and Petelo Sinamoni featured.
The work from ZingariRichmond halfback Devin Redfern was impressive behind a pack under pressure.
Green Island ................................ 27 Dunedin .......................................... 6
This game was closer than the score suggests.
Dunedin had the better of most of the first half. It held a 63 lead with 10 minutes to go, and its scrum and lineout were much improved from the previous Saturday.
The Sharks should have scored on the 20minute mark. They pounded away at the line but a crucial knockon allowed Green Island to escape.
It was a turning point. Green Island scored twice to take a rather flattering 176 lead at the break.
Finn Strawbridge bagged the first try when he broke the line from a turnover and scampered 70m.
The second came after a line break by lock Woody Kirkwood. Flanker Jesse Va’afusuaga crashed over.
Green Island controlled the match and struck late from yet another Dunedin turnover. Kirkwood surged 15m to score.
The defence from both sides, in the main, was outstanding and made for an absorbing spectacle.
Strawbridge and midfielder Ray Nu’u were the difference in the backline. They were sharp and did everything at pace.
No 8 Dylan Nel was the standout up front and was well supported by locks Kirkwood and Josh Hayward.
For Dunedin, prop Cam Burrows and locks Mark GrieveDunn and Keegan Anderson got through a power of work. The Dunedin backs were disappointing and the kicking was aimless.
Halfback Devon OliverBell was the only highlight with his lightning clearance and indefatigable energy.