Mix of experience and youth keeps Star on the move
Star looms as a major force in the championship section of the Southland-wide division three rugby top six competition.
A hard-fought 28-23 success over Wrights Bush served to illustrate Star’s improvement on Saturday.
Star, which have the old hands to complement the team’s youthful exuberance, are backed by keen judges to go all the way this winter.
Experienced No 8 Jeremy Robinson said the team’s consist- Star 35 Woodlands 28
Marist 33 Pirates-Old Boys 24 Eastern-Northern Barbarians 41 Midlands 10 ent success owed much to a good blend of experience and youth which assisted the Waverley Park men to score four tries to two in an even clash.
‘‘We are most definitely getting better each week with the older guys mixing well with younger ones but Wrights Bush came back better in the second half today,’’ Robinson said.
Star coach Mike Mitchell said the first half was ‘‘good but the sec- ond half was more stressful’’.
He felt Star was still ‘‘slowly building’’ each week.
‘‘We’ve won six seven games.
‘‘I thought our midfielders Tim Talamahina and Chris McFaul played well today.’’
Referee Josh Hamill said the clash was keen and even between two teams that ‘‘both played fine structured rugby’’.
Wrights Bush coach Brendan
of
our
last Hamilton said poor back control and tackling in the first half handicapped his team which was ‘‘much improved’’ in the second half.
In another top tier clash, unbeaten hosts Waiau Star accounted for Northern Southlanders Balfour-Lumsden 16-8 (two tries to one).
Waiau Star felt the absence of loose forward captain Jim Dennison and some injured tight forwards but still mustered sufficient resilience to sneak through.
The talented and consistent Tuatapere team have performed each week for coach Gerry Adams who rightly maintains they have more improving to do.
Balfour-Lumsden coach Roger Sutherland said the clash was a ‘‘pretty rugged and even affair allround.’’
‘‘Our forwards gave a good account of themselves, but Waiau Star was a smart outfit, although not unbeatable,’’ Sutherland claimed.
‘‘It was a dour two tries to one affair in windless conditions with little in it.
‘‘Flanker Karl Tamou was one of our best players,’’ Adams said.
Central Pirates earned maximum points with a four-try 27-17 success over Riverton which came down from division two.
Coach Tony Perriam said Central Pirates might have commanded a slight set piece advantage but Riverton were tough with ‘‘pick and go tactics around the fringes.’’
The competitive nature of the clash was reflected by the four tries to three result.
The winning team’s backs capitalised on good front foot ball in the first half, Perriam said.
‘‘But we only had 16 players all up which didn’t help our cause.’’
Lock Jamie Cronin and pivot Daniel Perry contributed well for the winners.
Prop Dave Roberts, lock Luke Instone and evergreen loose forward Ruben Hopcroft again contributed well for Riverton, coach Steve McKay said.
Bluff coach Lou Eustace was relieved to gain a season’s first success when hosts Bluff prevailed 24-21 (four tries to two) over Pirates Old Boys in Plate competition.
‘‘It took a long time for the team to believe in itself,’’ Eustace said.
‘‘It is now up to them to play as a unit.
‘‘It was an even game with a bonus point try.
‘Flanker and captain Howard Moore and wing Jordane Wixon stood out.’’
‘‘All credit to Bluff. They did best in a tight and even game,’’ Pirates Old Boys coach Daniel Rolton observed.
The improving Woodlands team carried too many guns for Otautau 40-16.
The pack provided a solid forward platform for the backs, manager Gary McStay said.
Woodlands scored six tries and avenged their round-robin defeat by Otautau.
They will now host Saturday.
No 8 Sebastian Little and wing Bailley Dow contributed effectively for the winners.
Bluff on