Buchan herds Bush Pigs to nailbiter win
TALENTED centre Josh Buchan played a starring role as the Southern Bush Pigs defended their lightweight title on Saturday.
The team formerly known as the Carisbrook Bush Pigs went back to back in the New Zealand Under85kg Club Cup with an entertaining 2119 win over the Auckland University Debt Collectors in Hamilton.
As the fans drifted in to prepare for the test between the All Blacks and Pumas, they were treated to a bit of a thriller, albeit in slippery and briefly extremely wet conditions.
Both teams threw the ball around — as is generally the case with lightweight rugby — but there was also plenty of bonejarring action in the tight.
The Bush Pigs often looked like the better team, and they led by five at halftime, but they trailed by a point with six minutes to go.
Enter Buchan, who had been the best player on the park, always making yards with the ball and putting in crunching tackles.
He had already scored 13 points and he added three more to get the Dunedin club within a sniff of victory.
The Bush Pigs tried to run the clock down but turned the ball over, and there were some serious nerves as the Aucklanders strung together 23 phases, and entered deep into Southern territory, before making a mistake.
Cue the wild celebrations from the Bush Pigs.
They had conceded the opening try but Buchan scored under the posts, and winger Tom Rance sealed a 1510 halftime lead when he finished in style past three defenders on the right side.
Buchan and Debt Collectors winger James Brosnahan spent much of the second half in a kicking duel, and it was Buchan who had the final say.
The Bush Pigs were also well served by fullback Mackenzie Haugh — remarkably, this was his third major trophy of the year, having won the Dunedin premier banner with the Southern Magpies and the Otago Rugby League championship with the South Pacific Raiders — and energetic halfback Devon OlliverBell.
Up front, hooker Morgan Jones was magnificent and flanker Mat McCutcheon showed all his physicality and guile.