White Horse Cup humdinger looming
Wakatipu's Conner Hamlin slips the Cromwell defence during the teams' clash in Cromwell last weekend. PHOTO: TRACEY ROXBURGH
Stand by for a humdinger when Central Otago's top two rugby sides clash in Queenstown this Saturday.
In playing the Wakatipu Premiers, defending champs Upper Clutha will be out to make amends for their surprise 31-27 home loss to Alexandra under lights last Thursday — just their third loss in 32 matches.
They'll also be out to take the White Horse Cup off the very team who took it off them in Wanaka last May.
Since Upper Clutha are only a point above Wakatipu on the table, the Vincent Shield will also be up for grabs for the winner of the first round, which finishes this Saturday.
After losing to Maniototo on April 26 — so far their only loss this season — Wakatipu improved to thrash Cromwell away, 40-8, last Saturday.
Their coach, Jordan Manihera, says this weekend's game will be "a massive occasion".
"There's a lot on the line, and it's going to be a fantastic occasion and opportunity, especially for those young boys that haven't been a part of a game this big locally."
Upper Clutha coach Alex Dickson perhaps surprisingly says they'll be underdogs after their loss to Alex.
He says numbers wise "we've been struggling since the start of the season, especially in the front row, but this week we're getting a few players back, so hopefully we'll be close to full strength".
Upper Clutha, however, have history in their favour — they beat Wakatipu 28-14 last time they played them in Queenstown, in April last year.
Meantime the Wakatipu Ladies lost 45-10 to Invercargill's Blues in Mossburn last Friday. They face Pioneer Women as a curtain-raiser to the Prems, at the Rec Ground from 12.45pm Saturday, while Arrowtown, who've won only one of their five games this season, face a tough battle against Maniototo in Ranfurly, and the Wanderers play Collegiate in Invercargill.
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