logo
Crescent control first half

Crescent control first half

Crescent produced the result of the weekend with a 24-14 win over West Taieri at Kaitangata.
Crescent scored two tries inside the opening 10 minutes to assert their control before allowing West Taieri to score one of their own to narrow the gap.
West Taieri's discipline let them down badly in the first half as Crescent kicked four penalties with fullback Kairus Booth's radar on point.
Crescent went into halftime 24-7 ahead and in control of their own destiny.
West Taieri had a mortgage on territory and possession in the second half but came up against a massive defensive effort from the home side. West Taieri attacked for large portions of the half and never really gave Crescent a chance.
The only thing stopping the visitors from scoring regularly was a passionate and committed Crescent defence.
West Taieri lost battering ram Conor Lawson to a red card in the second half which slowed down their attack.
They managed to score one try for their troubles, but it was not enough.
Clutha kept their unbeaten run alive and locked away the Art Bloxham Cup for the summer with a hard-fought 22-16 win over Owaka at Swamp Hen Park.
The first half was a battle of attrition as the home side looked the more promising on attack.
They failed to make their dominance count and were guilty of throwing silly passes on attack which allowed Clutha to clear their lines.
Clutha led 7-3 at halftime.
The second half saw Clutha hold on to possession better and make metres from broken play.
They scored three second-half tries, but Owaka stayed in the match through the boot of second five Sene Te'o.
Owaka scored a try at the death to narrow the gap, but the damage had already been done.
Heriot capped off their 140th Jubilee celebrations with a strong 37-27 win over Lawrence which saw them lock away the West Otago Shield.
Heriot went to width early, found space and room to move in the outside channels.
Lawrence's forwards put in an honest shift in the first half and got their side into strong positions.
The halftime score was 20-10 to Heriot in front of a packed house at Death Valley.
Heriot opted for a more direct approach in the second half as their forwards showed their physical abilities.
Lawrence began to tire and Heriot finished with vigour to secure maximum points on their big day.
Toko has leapfrogged West Taieri into second place on the ladder with a less-than-convincing 20-10 win over Clutha Valley at Milton.
Toko was lethargic at best in the first half and were lucky that Valley did not offer too much on attack.
Valley scored the opening try and kicked a penalty to lead 10-0 before Toko hit back before halftime.
The 10-5 halftime score seemed to scare Toko in form and they found their stride in the second half with three tries while keeping the visitors scoreless.
By Francis Parker
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Reliable Clutha to face proud West Taieri
Reliable Clutha to face proud West Taieri

Otago Daily Times

time17-07-2025

  • Otago Daily Times

Reliable Clutha to face proud West Taieri

After a season of hard knocks, ticker and strong performances, it all comes down to this. Clutha will play West Taieri in the southern region premier club final in Balclutha tomorrow afternoon. It is the final most pundits predicted at the start of the season, but both teams have had to move heaven and earth to get the opportunity for glory. Clutha have been powerhouse performers all year. They have fast, physical forwards and electric backs, and their ability to play well for the full 80 minutes has separated them from most teams. Clutha's forward pack has been extremely reliable and very rarely goes backwards. The two pack leaders, hooker Josh Turnbull and lock Tate Colley, have been in outstanding form and will be crucial to Clutha's chances. Clutha's backline is full of hard workers who do not mind putting themselves into dark spaces. Their key weapons are their outside backs, who can thrive in open space. With home support behind them, Clutha will be fired up to defend their pride and finish what they started. West Taieri were defeated in the 2024 final and vowed that this year would be a story of redemption. The perennial finalists have had another strong season built on a forward pack that thrives on the front foot. West Taieri take pride in their scrummaging and, at times, that has proved to be a huge attacking weapon. Their backline will be marshalled by the mercurial Callum Smeaton, who has the ability to put West Taieri into the right areas of the field. Clutha's only loss of the season came at the hands of West Taieri at Outram. Clutha did win the corresponding fixture at home, both sides carrying momentum into this clash from recent wins. In the curtain-raiser, there is a replay of the 2024 Balclutha Nissan Trophy game between Owaka and Lawrence.

Strong starts take pair into final
Strong starts take pair into final

Otago Daily Times

time13-07-2025

  • Otago Daily Times

Strong starts take pair into final

The stage has been set for the Southern Region final after two exhilarating semifinals played at the weekend. Clutha earned the right to host the final with a 41-33 win over Toko at the Balclutha Showgrounds. Clutha flew out of the blocks and played some of their best rugby all season. The home side were sharp and clinical and in the blink of an eye were 31-0 ahead inside 20 minutes. Toko did not get the chance to offer anything on attack, and their defence was lukewarm at best. Midway through the first half, Toko's fortunes began to change when Clutha was reduced to 14 men with No 8 Kael Merrett being sent to the sin bin. Toko began to feel the ball in their hands and make metres, and it was not long before they scored a try to give them hope. The visitors blew a certain try on the stroke of halftime which could have closed the gap more, but Clutha were in command at 31-7. The second half was a complete turnaround as Toko dominated proceedings. They attacked with vigour, made metres against a tiring Clutha defence and scored four consecutive tries. Toko's dominance led to Clutha being reduced to 14 again midway through the second half with another yellow card. Clutha kept their noses in front with a penalty and managed to finish the match with a late try to lock Tate Colley, his second of the game, to claim victory in a fantastic battle. West Taieri will join Clutha in the big dance after surviving an extreme comeback from Crescent. West Taieri won the other semifinal 22-21 but survived a late scare as Crescent missed a chance to win on the stroke of fulltime. The Pigs started in confident fashion and were 17-0 up after some sublime attacking rugby at Outram. The home side found space out wide and busted holes in the midfield on regular occasions. Crescent did have chances to attack, but West Taieri's defence was determined to keep a clean sheet for as long as possible, and they led 17-0 at halftime. It was Crescent's turn to play with the ball in the second half and their attack managed to break down a dogged West Taieri defence. A brace of tries to halfback Josh Cook and a solo effort to centre Jonathan Muagututia brought Crescent right back into the contest. West Taieri held their nerve under plenty of pressure but gave away a cynical penalty after fulltime about 35m out from the posts. Crescent fullback Kairus Booth, who was one of the best players on the field, watched his kick miss its mark, and West Taieri could breathe. Owaka and Lawrence will contest the bottom-four final in the curtain-raiser to the big dance. This is a repeat of last year's final. Owaka beat Clutha Valley 43-25 on Saturday, and Lawrence beat Heriot by default. — Francis Parker

Clutha claim comfortable win as intensity gets job done
Clutha claim comfortable win as intensity gets job done

Otago Daily Times

time06-07-2025

  • Otago Daily Times

Clutha claim comfortable win as intensity gets job done

There was a mixed bag of results to delve into as the Southern Region round robin phase was completed at the weekend. Games were played in far better conditions than last weekend as teams battled for positioning in the top and bottom halves of the table. Clutha did what they had to do against Toko. It was hardly the cleanest of performances by the round robin winners but the 38-21 scoreline was comfortable. Toko looked strong in the opening stages and really had Clutha on the back foot. The teams traded tries and were locked in a tight battle until Clutha snatched a late try to go into the sheds 19-7 ahead. Toko started the second half in strong fashion, but Clutha finally woke up and got into their stride. Clutha's forwards, led by flanker Kael Merrett in his 50th game, began to make metres up the middle and their backline thrived on the front-foot ball they were finally receiving. Toko pushed Clutha the whole way but could not keep up with the intensity of the game and were second best on the day. The two teams will meet again next weekend in one of the top four semifinals. West Taieri will face Crescent in the other top four semifinal after their clinical 36-12 win over Clutha Valley at Clydevale. The first half was an old-fashioned slugfest with both sides embracing the swamp-like conditions. The teams traded tries but neither could dominate after that, and handling errors and poor decision-making ensured there were plenty of scrums for the fatties to enjoy. West Taieri led 12-7 at halftime, before they brought on some fresh legs and began to play with the structure required to break Valley down. West Taieri scored four second-half tries and claimed a comfortable win. Heriot produced the upset of the round with a 26-25 win over Crescent at Kaitangata in one of the tightest games of the season. The first half was a back-and-forth affair. Crescent were perhaps slightly more clinical, and they went into halftime ahead 15-13. The second half was equally as close with the sides trading blows as the match neared fulltime. Crescent held a slim lead with the final whistle almost upon them. Heriot mounted one last attack and, like in the first round, scored a try on fulltime through winger Tom Blair. Ryan Neill calmly slotted the conversion, giving Heriot a confidence-boosting win. Owaka claimed their second consecutive win with a 27-17 win over Lawrence at Simpson Park. Owaka were dominant in the first half with some strong carries that allowed their explosive backline to make metres, and they led 20-7 at the break. Lawrence fought their way back into the match and put the pressure on the visitors. Backed by a hugely dominant scrum, Owaka managed to score a try to extend their lead, and they held on for the win. By Francis Parker

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store