Otago shows form before national champs

THE Otago men warmed up for the national championship with an excellent Otautahi Cup campaign at the weekend.

Otago won all three of its games against solid opposition as it prepared for the national tournament in Dunedin in a couple of weeks.

It opened with a 54 win over Wellington, beat the Canterbury Beavers 21 on Saturday, and hit top form in a 30 win over the Canterbury Cavaliers yesterday.

Patrick Ward gave Otago the ideal start against the Cavaliers yesterday when he scored from a penalty corner after just two minutes.

James Nicolson made it 20, also from a penalty corner, in the 20th minute, and when Kieran O’Connor scored from open play just five minutes later, the game was effectively secure.

Against the Beavers, Otago had to wait until the 28th minute to make a breakthrough when Finn Ward opened the scoring from a penalty corner.

Patrick Ward made it 20 from a field goal just three minutes later, and while the Beavers pulled one back in the 48th minute, Otago was able to defend its lead.

The game against Wellington was a real rollercoaster.

O’Connor gave Otago the lead from a seventhminute penalty corner but Wellington then scored twice in three minutes.

Malachie Buschl got Otago back on level terms before O’Connor made it 32.

Wellington equalised but Jordan Ward promptly scored twice for Otago, once from a penalty corner and once from a penalty stroke, and Wellington’s late goal was merely a consolation.

The Otago women found the going tougher.

They had a good 21 win over the Canterbury Barracudas but suffered losses to the Canterbury Cats (30) and Wellington (70).

Bayley Anderson and Ella

Greenwood scored for Otago in the win over the Barracudas.

Canterbury won the Otautahi Cup with five wins out of six, and Otago was second with four wins.

The national championship is in Dunedin from September 1117.

Otago schools are scattered across New Zealand at various tournaments this week.

Otago Boys’ High School and John McGlashan College are at the toptier Rankin Cup and India Shield on the North Shore, and Columba College is at the Federation Cup and Marie Fry Trophy in Hawke’s Bay.

Other southern schools are at the various lowertier tournaments.