Regional sports roundup
FRANCIS PARKER
The Southern region rugby competition kicked off a week early on Saturday when the Owaka Rugby Club hosted Clinton for its 125th Jubilee celebrations.
Swamp Hen Park was packed with people expecting a good battle and the teams did not disappoint, with the home side recording a 205 win.
Clinton had the wind at their backs and the lion’s share of possession for the opening stages of the game and mounted plenty of attacks on the Owaka goalline.
As has been the case in previous seasons, Owaka’s defence held strong and kept the opposition out.
Clinton plugged the corners and kept Owaka firmly entrenched in their own half.
They recycled the ball well and it took over 25 minutes to break the deadlock when first fiveeighth Alex Horn crossed in the corner to give the travelling side the lead.
The conversion was missed from the sideline.
This gave Owaka the wakeup call they needed and from the kickoff they mounted their own attacks on the Clinton line.
The Owaka forwards made metres up the middle and supplied quality ball for the backs, who looked sharp in open space.
Clinton’s defence was finally broken minutes before halftime when Owaka prop Chris Preddy crossed from close range.
The conversion was missed and the teams went into halftime with the score tied at 55.
The second spell was more in favour of the Owaka side.
They used the wind to their advantage and found space in behind the Clinton defence.
They forced Clinton into making errors and capitalised on this with second half tries to centre Chris Chittock and fullback Jeremy Gray.
Gray added a solitary conversion and a late penalty to give the home side its first competition win in three seasons.
It was an even battle at the set piece with both sides dominating for a period.
Owaka’s loose forward trio of captain Grant Sinclair, Craig McCormick and Cameron Burgess all had standout games.
They defended well, carried strongly and made a huge impact at breakdown.
Lock Rhys Evans and the midfield combination of Michael Berney and Chris Chittock all played very well.
Clinton had chances in the second half but could not crack the Owaka defence.
Lock Ross Burnet was Clinton’s best, his never say die attitude spurring his side on for the full 80 minutes.
Halfback Ben Winter had a busy game and loose forward George Blyth added spark off the bench.
TERRY O’NEILL
The grand final of the North Otago Bowling Centre Easter tournament was an all Mid Canterbury effort.
Graeme Bishop, Murray Smallridge, John Drayton and Graeme Clark edged out Rodney Greaney’s four from Darfield, 1312, in the 15th and final end.
In an even contest it was 44 after five ends, 88 after nine ends and 99 after 11 ends, before Greaney picked up three shots on the next end to lead 129.
But Bishop then took a single, a two and a another single to take the game, 1312.
In the playoff for third and fourth in the first division Trevor Wilson beat Trevor Robertson, 1810.
Robertson struck early to take a 41 lead and extended that to 83 after seven ends before Wilson struck back on the next two ends to take a 138 lead.
He conceded two shots on the tenth end but won 1810.
In the final of the second division, Elmwood skip Pete Morel’s team grabbed the vital shot on the final end to beat the Kellys — Bruce, Kerry and sons Andrew and Pat — 1312 in a thrilling final.
Gordon Brown’s quartet took the third and fourth place playoff in the second division, beating Bill Kingan 142.
The Brown boys dominated, going out to a 51 lead after five ends extending this to an 111 lead after eight ends.
Kingan was able to pick up a solitary shot on the eighth end to double his total.
In the third division final Bruce Shorter bolted out to a 120 lead after the first five ends.
Stephen Walker’s Maheno four won the next four ends to reduce the deficit to 128 before Shorter took the final three ends to take the final 168.
The playoff for third and fourth saw John Leval beat Bruce Johnson 1210
The final of the fourth division was an all North Otago effort with Phoenix’s John Priddle defeated Otematata’s John Munro 118 after 12 ends.
Priddle, after a slow start at the beginning of the tournament, went out to a 91 lead after seven ends and held on after Munro fought back to pick up five shots on the last four ends.