Helping our friends down south

Changes

Unbelievably the ‘‘column’’ has been shortened — I hear a lot of you saying ‘‘thank God for that’’. You don’t know how lucky you are as followers of sport. Pity the poor Southland sport followers who have been left groping in the dark, informationless, as Stuff, which runs the Southland Times, has decreed nobody is interested anymore in local sport so we won’t have any — brilliant! Consequently the ‘‘Old Girl’’, the ODT, is pushing into Southland to fill the void — magnanimous, to say the least. So you’ll be seeing a story on Southland club rugby most Fridays in this fine publication, thus the ‘‘wrap’’ has to disappear — the sacrifices we make.

The Other Grades

The other grades kick off in town this week and the Prem II’s and Prem Colts look wide open. My spies tell me Varsity Colts are strong and they should be, with the number of scholarships they dish out! Kaikorai and the Dunedin Makos come with a big reputation this year but I’ll reserve judgement. Throw in SBHS and Taieri and the top four will come from those five teams and I won’t be far away.

In Prem II’s, the playingthrough champ, West Taieri, will go in as the overwhelming favourite. I’m picking Dunedin and Kaikorai to be in the top three and it is a tossup from there, possibly Varsity to round out the four, but it’s too early to call.

Nearly an Apology!

Cory Brown told me a couple of weeks ago that the upcoming match between the Highlanders Bravehearts and a Japanese XV, which is being played as a curtainraiser to the Brumbies’ game, would have only a handful of club players in it. I was sceptical but I have to eat my words.

Varsity lose Ricky Jackson and Taylor Haugh and Taieri lose Matt Whaanga and the others are from Zingari which has the bye, anyway. So well done, Cory. There will be no Highlander players in club rugby this week, so it will be interesting how this affects the matchup. I await with interest.

Some Good Bits

The word on the street is that Kaikorai could be losing super coach Ryan Martin, who may be standing down shortly because of his Otago and OBHS commitments — will follow this up. Harty (ref boss) has been struggling to get touchies on the paddock and the comp hasn’t started in earnest yet.

Mark (Millie) Milburn was patrolling the line at the High Veldt in the KaikoraiSharks game in purple socks and gym shoes and looking very much like an ageing John Travolta from a bad disco movie. Clint Austin of the ORFU club Team was whispered to be patrolling the line at Harbour v Varsity game. Obviously, Abramovich Spence didn’t get the envelope to him, as Varsity squeezed home. I see two former Shark props, Chris King and Don Brighouse, saved the day for the Crusaders against the Jaguares with a powerful scrumming performance late in the game.

Country Rugby

In the big game in the North, Old Boys thrashed unbeaten Kurow by 50 — yawn! Old Boys plays

Maheno under lights outside the tavern tonight so get along there, but the result will be the same. So Alex lost by a 100 to the ‘‘City Slickers’’ Wakatipu — not good reading. I’ve done some research and Wakatipu are a wee bit stronger than last year but not significant and Alex are running a squad of 30, so OK, but they were just awful at the weekend and tackling was optional. Let’s not panic yet but let’s just see how the next couple of weeks go before we tear the scabs off.

This Weekend

Annihilated Finchy last weekend — embarrassing, really — and on to Hamish Harvey from RD Petroleum so let’s hope he provides a glimmer of a challenge. The Sharks (12) are up against Varsity with two big trophies at stake — the much prized Johnny Keogh and the Speight’s Challenge Shield — the Sharks just, at home. Kaik (12) travel from the Veldt to take on the Spannerheads at the Toolbox and just win but it will be close. Harbour (13+) break out and finally win a game at the Pony Pit over AU and if they don’t, the Abramovich Spence chequebook will probably retire! The Eels (13+) will be too strong at home for the Magpies — one way traffic.