First-half blitz leaves shield with Dunedin

Otago Daily Times

15-06-2025

A wrap-up of premier league club rugby games played in Dunedin over the weekend. Dunedin 34 Green Island 22
Dunedin did enough in the first half to sew up the Speight's Challenge Shield for the summer as they finish the round with an away game and the bye.
They scored four converted tries in the first half to grab a crucial five points to remain on top of the table and guarantee a top six spot.
Dunedin started with a series of phase plays and eventually winger Kyan Rangitutia found a hole on the blindside and got them close, and No 8 Max Ratcliffe crashed over for the try inside the first six minutes.
They then muffed the restart, GI pounced, and flanker Matt McCutcheon found himself in space on the outside and went over for the try to draw level at the 10-minute mark.
But that was to be an aberration for the Sharks as GI started falling off tackles and Dunedin took full advantage.
Flanker Jarius Losefa went through a gaping hole and stepped the fullback to go over untouched. Then hooker Fatai Koloi crashed over from a forward drive.
Rangitutia scored the try of the game as he brushed off tacklers at will on a 40m surge to give Dunedin a commanding 31-10 lead at the break.
GI started the second half in a more resolute manner and finally started controlling possession and territory.
They scored two more tries from fired-up forwards close to the Dunedin line. The first was scored by prop Ben Lopas after they had hammered away inside the Dunedin 22m. Then, late in the half, Harrison Stout went over from a lineout drive to bring some respectability back into the scoreboard.
Dunedin looked lethargic in the second half and left a couple of tries out on the park with some indifferent option taking.
Prop Hunter Fahey, hooker Fatai Koloi and lock Curtis Palmer were strong on the carry and muscled up on defence for Dunedin. In the backs, Cam Burgess and midfielder Gene Te Amo stood up, and Rangitutia with his immense strength was the most dangerous back on the park.
For GI, Lopas was into everything and never took a backward step. Loosie Amos Roddick carried strongly, and centre Riley Lucas was their best out wide.
— Paul Dwyer Kaikorai 33 Southern 22
Kaikorai had a solid plan.
They got after Southern playmaker Mackenzie Palmer and did a good job of shutting him down.
The Magpies first five had several kicks charged down. He did not get the space he needed to organise the backline and got pressured into some hurried passes.
The shift from Bathgate Park to the University Oval certainly helped Kaikorai more than their opponents.
They got a dry ground and the sun was out. That helped nullify Southern's advantage in the scrum.
Ultimately, they were more accurate than Southern, who produced a clumsy finish.
Southern, who led 19-14 at the break, squandered a royal chance to build more scoreboard pressure.
Fullback Levi Emery held on to it too long when Josh Buchan was nicely placed outside him.
Early in the second half, Kaikorai fullback Charlie Breen put in a lovely chip and chase, and loose forward Orlando Tuhega-Vaitupu got in support to score.
Southern regained the lead through a penalty to Palmer.
But Slade McDowall busted through a couple of tackles and No 8 Phoenix Tapatu dived over.
Then impressive centre Jake Fowler scooped up a loose pass from Palmer and sprinted 50m to score to seal the win.
He made a dazzling run in the first half to help set up another try.
Harry Taylor was outstanding for Southern. He nabbed a lot of lineout ball, including a critical steal when Kaikorai were hard on attack.
Josh Timu showed some good gas and looked dangerous before he was subbed in the second half.
— Adrian Seconi Taieri 88 Alhambra-Union 12
Taieri showed a different side of themselves.
They demolished Alhambra-Union by 76 points at the University Oval.
No surprises there. The Broncos have been poor this season. They have a chronic inability to tackle, and they fade away in the second half.
But Taieri played more rugby than fans have come to expect.
They usually shine on defence and have been clinical in turning pressure into points. They are extremely well-organised. Methodical, even.
But they put on some razzmatazz out wide.
The Whaanga brothers — Matt and Josh — combined brilliantly, and winger Marc Roony nabbed three tries.
Lock Sam Fischli made several star appearances behind the defensive line after ploughing his way through some feeble tackles.
Fullback Reef Newdick has some X-factor and pace. He did blot his copybook with a yellow card for an infringement.
First five Sam Waitoa slotted nine conversions and scored a try in a 23-point haul.
AU did reasonably well to contain Taieri to a 31-7 lead at the break, but the wheels feel off in the second spell.
The Thode twins continue to shine each week. Oliver dived over from the base of a ruck, and William drilled the conversion from wide out.
They have a spark about them, those two.
Connor Aldrich scored a late consolation try for AU.
— Adrian Seconi Harbour 82 Zingari-Richmond 24
Harbour's Rique Miln made up for missed opportunities, after missing the past six rounds through an ankle injury and stalling his points tally on 71, when he made a starring return in Harbour's win at Montecillo.
The first five scored two of Harbours 12 tries and converted 11 for a tally of 32 points to become the first player in division 1 this season to crack three figures.
Despite tenacious defence from a Zingari-Richmond side forced to promote 11 players from the colts grade, Harbour dominated the opening 10 minutes, jumping out to a 12-0 lead.
But tries in quick succession to hooker A-One Lolofie and second five Tama Apineru locked the game up at 12-12 heading into the second quarter.
Zingari dominated most of the second quarter, but Harbour scored twice against the run of play to take a 26-12 lead into the break.
Harbour bolted out of the blocks straight from the restart, hooker Gabriel Francesconi scoring the first of his two tries in the opening minutes to set alight an eight-try scoring blitz from the Hawks.
Despite the scoreline blowing out, Zingari remained in the game with some telling line-breaks and defensive work.
Lock Ciaran Jansen had the final say when converting a try by fellow lock Simon Pupuali'i in the final act of the game to help mark his 100th premier game for the Colours.
Both Jansen and Pupuali'i featured in a Zingari tight five that worked tirelessly throughout to snuff out the myriad threats posed by the big Harbour pack.
In the backs, Reef Jolly and Tevita Tui featured out wide on debut with fullback Jerome Buckley-Fa'atoia.
For Harbour, Miln and halfback Nathan Hastie set alight a dangerous backline. Up front, Francesconi and props Darius Fidow and Ben Fakataha proved a handful while creating opportunities for the rest of the pack to attack from and building a solid platform for the inside backs.
— Wayne Parsons Round 12
The scores
Dunedin 34
(Max Ratcliffe, Jarius Losefa, Fatai Koloi, Kyan Rangitutia tries; Cam Burgess 4 con, 2 pen)
Green Island 22
(Matt McCutcheon, Ben Lopas, Harrison Stout tries; Liam Barron 2 con, pen).
Halftime: Dunedin 31-10.
Kaikorai 33
(Henry Bell, Taine Hand, Orlando Tuhega-Vaitupu, Phoenix Tapatu, Jake Fowler tries; Ben Miller 4 con)
Southern 22
(Isileli Otunuku, Josh Buchan, Lotu Solomona tries; Mackenzie Palmer 2 con, pen).
Halftime: Southern 19-14.
Taieri 88
(Marc Rooney 3, Riley Allan 2, Taylor Fiddes, Reef Newdick, Matt Whaanga, Sireli Kawa Buliruarua, Jak Morton, Sam Fischli, Sam Waitoa, Josh Whaanga, Thomas Bolton tries; Waitoa 9 con)
Alhambra-Union 12
(William Thode, Connor Aldrich tries; William Thode con).
Halftime: Taieri 31-7.
Harbour 82
(Rique Miln 2, Jeff Ikani 2, Willy Tufui 2, Gabriel Francesconi 2, Nathan Hastie, Luca Fuller, Toni Taufa, Saimone Samate tries; Milne 11 con).
Zingari-Richmond 24
(A-One Lolofie, Tama Apineru, Jerome Buckley-Fa'atoia, Simon Pupuali'i tries; Buckley-Fa'atoia con, Ciaran Jansen con).
Halftime: Harbour 26-12. Standings P W D L F A B Pts Dunedin 11 9 0 2 377 176 8 44 Taieri 11 8 0 3 407 223 10 42 Kaikorai 11 7 0 4 412 276 7 35 Southern 10 6 0 4 431 216 9 33 Green Island 11 6 0 5 344 291 9 33 Harbour 10 6 0 4 346 311 9 33 University 10 5 0 5 345 310 7 27 Zingari-Richmond 11 1 0 10 249 588 5 9 Alhambra-Union 11 0 0 11 179 169 2 2