Dunedin club rugby round eight wrap-up
Harbour beat AU 48-27 today at Watson Park. Photo: Max Quinn
Southern scrummed their way to a 31-15 win against Kaikorai in a Dunedin division 1 game at Bishopscourt today.
The Magpies were utterly dominant and shoved the underpowered Kaikorai pack around.
Prop Mike Mata'afa is worth two men in the scrum and hooker Isileli Otunuku shone as well.
Hard-working locks Corban Agar and Aron Einarsson and openside flanker Harry Taylor leaned their weight to the scrum and got around the field.
Centre Justin Malifa was threatening when he got the ball in space.
Kaikorai started promisingly with a lovely team try. They swung it left, right, left, right before eventually busting through close to the ruck.
They led 15-7 at halftime but they could not match Southern's power and the match drifted away.
Kaikorai first five Ben Miller made some colossal clearances and loosies Slade McDowall and Lucas Casey impressed in a losing effort.
Green Island made the most of their opportunities to beat Taieri in the "Battle of the Saddle" at Peter Johnstone Park.
They led 26-10 at one stage but Taieri rallied with two late tries.
All the Otago premier and division 1 teams observed a minute of silence for Otago rugby stalwart Tuppy Diack, who died in Dunedin yesterday morning.
His grandson, Morgan Jones, scored for Taieri.
Dunedin thumped Zingari-Richmond 75-7 at Kettle Park and Harbour dispatched Alhambra-Union 48-27 at Watson Park. AU did pick up a bonus point for four tries, which is their first points this season.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Teams jostle for a top-six spot
The wrap Last weekend proved we still have a genuine contest for the "mythical six" as Varsity routed Green Island at the Toolbox. The Bookworms flew out to a big lead which Green Island couldn't chase down in the second half. Predictably, Kaik put on a big score against AU on the high veldt but the Ponies showed some life of their own by running in four tries to snatch their second point of the season. In the game of the round at the Eelpit, Taieri got up with a last gasp penalty to beat Harbour. Harbour coach Pete McIntyre now has to take an oxygen tank and mask to games to keep his heart supplied. For the second week in a row they've lost the game in the last seconds to a mind-numbingly stupid penalty. Dunedin remain on top of the ladder and retained the Speight's Challenge Shield when they put away Zingari with comparative ease in blizzard-like conditions at Shark Park. The top seven teams are separated by seven points, and three teams — Southern, GI and Harbour — are on the same points. It'll take the full round robin to sort out the final six standing. This weekend is a debacle As I write this (Thursday afternoon) a lot of clubs are not sure if they can field teams this weekend. We have two Prem teams squaring off at Logan Park (No 6) tonight. I don't remember a Prem game being played on an outside ground on a Friday night for years. We have the insanity of the Prem Women having a semifinal being played tomorrow night at the same venue. Have you seen how bad the forecast is for the next couple of days? Well, imagine playing at night as well! Why, may you ask? Well Varsity exams are on this weekend and next week before that institution shuts down for four weeks. The university now seems to be scheduling more exams at night and on the weekends. While it is their right to schedule exams anytime they like, have they really considered the wellbeing of their sports-minded students? From memory, student numbers have fallen dramatically over the past few years, so it can't be the pressure of too many students. Isn't our current vice-chancellor a former minister of sport? If rugby is facing this crisis I assume netball, hockey and basketball will be having the same dilemmas. There must be a way to resolve this? How about this for a radical idea — perhaps the ORFU board may want to help us out? Could they not sit with Grant Robertson and his team to find a way forward? Surely we can educate our future leaders and let them play sport at the same time? I'm happy to chair the meeting. On a cold Friday night Speaking of cold Friday nights at Logan Park No 6, I was there last week supervising at a Junior Colts game between the Dunedin Tigers v Kaikorai Undertakers. Let me assure you, it was bloody freezing, so you can imagine my amazement when a sturdy streaker leapt out of the gloom at halftime and stormed towards halfway. The Tigers' diminutive replacement halfback "Jack" then chased him down in a stirring sprint and bowled him over in a pile of mud, much to the enjoyment of both teams and the hardy souls in the crowd. Sadly that was Jack's best tackle of the night as the Tigers were second-best. Down on the farm Well the Topp Cup has found a new home after Central got up in a cliffhanger over South Otago at Meads Birthday Weekend — great work, lads. One question though; why was there no rugby played in the North or the Deep South? They don't play much rugby now, so you'd think the players would want to take every opportunity to suit up. Can somebody explain? Women's semis Yes, you have read that correctly, the Women's semifinals are on this weekend. It is only a five-team comp and the four finalists have been found. Top seed Alhambra Union take on Big River Country in one semi. In the other second-seeded Dunedin take on Varsity. AU should be too strong for the South Otago girls and will make the final with ease. In the other semi both teams have beaten each other over the last few weeks. In a weird quirk Dunedin and Varsity played each other last weekend and will back up again tomorrow night. Dunedin won by eight last week, and with the bigger pack in the wet conditions may be too strong for Varsity. AU and Dunedin have met in the last three finals, so no surprises there! This weekend Destroyed Thorn Parkes last week and he finishes his run with a -15 differential, so sadly no real challenge. On to Llew Johnson also from the Volts who boasts a +20 differential — I can't believe that. My work is cut out for me. Tonight the Sharks and Kaik go to it at 6.30pm at Logan Park 6 (behind the Cale), so if you're passing call in. Both teams are in form, and Kaik won the first-round encounter, but I'm picking Dunedin (13+) with their bigger pack may just wear down Kaikorai in the heavy conditions. GI (13+) storm down to the Pony Pit on Saturday and will stampede through AU to grab the much-needed five points. In the closest game of the round, Varsity (13+) host Taieri and it's nearly too close to call. Varsity were good last week and the Eels do what they do, find a way to win. I need the points, so Varsity get up big late! In the last game, Zingers are at home to a rampant Southern (13+) and this only goes one way. I was too good for the South's favourite son Ernie Muir last week. Up against Otago great Wally Lees this week, and he got first pick so I'm really struggling — but you never know. Alex (13+) are at home to Arrowtown and could win comfortably, but I'm praying the Bulls just stay in the fight long enough. Wakatipu (12-) should be too strong for Matak in the Basin but the Omakau lads will be in the fight for some time. They won their last game so will give the big city boys a fright — get into them boys! Upper Clutha (13+) are the champions elect and should dispatch neighbours Cromwell with consummate ease.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Hope new refs donning green jerseys will create empathy
Volunteer referees (from left) Andy Robertson, Brodee Thomson, Daniel Thom, Logan Boyd and Amelia O'Connell don the new green jerseys at the Taieri junior tournament at the weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Otago Rugby Football Union referee development officer Brandon Hale hopes this green jersey will be the source of a lot less controversy. When the Highlanders introduced their green jersey in 2011, it sparked a public outcry. The sky did not cave in and people eventually moved on. A decade and change later, the Otago union has introduced a green jersey for its junior rookie referees. The initiative was launched during the Taieri junior sevens tournament at the weekend. Hale said the idea behind the different coloured jerseys was to signal to the public the referees in green were learning. "So we'd identified that there was nothing to actually differentiate between someone who's had quite a bit of experience and someone who's very new in their journey," he said. "And so we wanted a visual representation of someone who's green in their experience. "So it's more of a subtle nod to where they are at in their current journey." Hale hoped people would recognise the person in the green jersey was still learning and go easy on them. Referees do not get a lot of amazing feedback from the sidelines usually. "It's an indication to our public to say, 'look, hey, have a bit of patience with these referees as they may have only got out in the middle with a whistle three or four times potentially.' "The first time we do anything, we're not exactly completely competent just yet. "So we obviously have to have a bit of patience with these people. "It also would hopefully encourage some more support and good feedback." The green jerseys have been rolled out at junior club and lower secondary school grades. Hale said there were 14 people across the province in the green jerseys, which look more like a T-shirt. The idea is once the rookie referees become more confident, they will "graduate" to a white jersey. Referee numbers were stagnant in the province, Hale said. But he hopes the initiative will help encourage people to stay involved longer. "We recognise that the first year of a referee's development is the most important. "That's probably where we get the biggest drop-off in referees, hence why we've made a conscious effort to really support our new referees through this initiative."
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Small in stature, big on commitment
Southern player Utalia Moataane, 6, charges on at the annual Taieri sevens junior rugby tournament, at Mosgiel's Peter Johnstone Park yesterday. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSON. At least 1000 young rugby players faced off on the field during an annual tournament in Dunedin yesterday. About 75 teams gathered at Mosgiel's Peter Johnstone Park for the annual Taieri sevens junior rugby tournament. Ollie Batt, 6, of the Taieri Rugby Football Club, scored the first try in a match against Kaikorai. His mother Leonie Hamilton said from the sidelines she was "pretty excited" about his performance. Taieri Gold player Ollie Batt, 6, sprints towards the try line to score against Kaikorai. It was his first time playing in the seven-a-side tournament, taking after his older brother who already had a history at the event, she said. "He follows in [his brother's] footsteps ... and he's rugby mad. "Rugby is definitely his sport." The tournament was open to children in year 2 to those in year 8, from the wider Otago region. Alyssa Johnson, 8, of the Green Island Rugby Club, takes possession of the ball. Tournament official Tania Burton estimated at least 1000 children were joined by another thousand spectators at this year's tournament. While it was a lot of work, it was a lot of enjoyment too, she said. It was very much a "community-driven event". "Everyone looks forward to the sevens — all the refs, all the clubs. "It's an absolute standout of our year of rugby." This year's tournament was their second using an app for the draw and to display up-to-date live scores. A focus on sideline behaviour also featured this year, she said. "It's not always about the winners and losers, it's justeveryone having a great day."
