North Otago
Old Boys and Maheno are the only unbeaten sides after the third round of Citizens Shield on Saturday.
Old Boys defeated previously unbeaten Kurow 5726 and Maheno beat Valley 1714 at Weston. In the other game, Athletic Marist beat Excelsior 5224.
In a highscoring first half, Old Boys, with its ability to turn over ball and counterattack, led 3814 at halftime.The first seven minutes was even before Old Boys blindside flanker Brandon Mangold touched down for halfback Inoke Naufahu to convert.
Nine minutes later, Old Boys centre Jim Bulitavu broke the defence and sent first fiveeighth Lemi Masoe racing 40m to score for Naufahu to convert.
Kurow prop Petelo Pouhila scored the first of his three tries, for first fiveeighth Tyler Burgess to convert. Naufahu added a try and a conversion to extend Old Boys’ lead to 217.
Lively loose forward Filipo Veamatahau scored an unconverted try a minute later before Old Boys prop Ralph Darling touched down and Naufahu converted. Kurow ’s lock Harvard Fale scored for Burgess to convert and Masoe added an unconverted try.
Bulitavu opened the scoring in the second half, with the conversion by Naufahu. Veamatahau went in for his second try before Pouhila scored two tries within eight minutes, one of which was converted by Burgess. Anthony Amato added Old Boys’ final try.
Valley and Maheno had a dour struggle at Weston. Valley broke the line after 20 minutes when No 8 Marc Fox scored for fullback Brad McKenzie to convert.
Maheno winger Zac Johnson went in for an unconverted try to put Maheno on the board before fellow winger Forrest Beer touched down and Sam Tatapu’s conversion gave Maheno a 127 halftime lead.
Maheno No 8 Hayden Tisdall increased his side’s lead to 177 with an unconverted try before Valley lock Logan Dunlop scored for McKenzie to convert and take a bonus point from the game.
Athletic Marist beat Excelsior 5224 on the No 2 ground.
Excelsior took an early lead when halfback Whetu Stirling touched down for Hamish Slater to convert. A Will Sutherland unconverted try made it 75 before a Simon Lillicama penalty gave Athletic an 87 lead, which flanker Jared Whitburn extended to 137 10 minutes before halftime.
Five minutes from halftime, Lillicama scored for halfback Mason Kinzett to convert. Prop Uhila Malafu kept Excelsior in touch with an unconverted try but Lillicama matched that to give Athletic a 2512 halftime lead.
Tries from Kinzett and Kafaongo Katoa and a Lillicama conversion extended Athletic’s lead to 3712. A try and conversion to Excelsior fullback Hamish Slater reduced the deficit to 3719. Whitburn crossed again before Excelsior midfielder Kayne Russell scored an unconverted try to make it 4224 before late tries for Athletic to Tevita Taufa and hooker Joshua Thomas.