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Otago Daily Times
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Upper Clutha warm favourites for final
The 2025 Upper Clutha rugby team. PHOTO: ODT FILES It has been a near perfect season for the Upper Clutha rugby team who have the opportunity to complete a hat-trick of triumphs when they tackle Clutha in the Otago Countrywide final at Wanaka today. They already have the White Horse Trophy and the Superliquor Trophy (as Central Otago premier club champions) safely installed in their trophy cabinet. And the Countrywide trophy has been resident in Wanaka since they defeated Clutha Valley away 12 months ago. Given their emphatic 35-7 victory over Wakatipu last weekend, Upper Clutha will go into the game as a warm favourite. But they will be missing two individuals who have contributed massively to the team throughout 2025 — halfback Brodie Flannery, who took over the goalkicking when Brady Kingan departed for Australia in April, and giant lock Andrew Horne. Flannery tore his hamstring late in the final against Wakatipu while Horne flew out this week for a holiday in his home country of Scotland. "They've been huge contributors throughout 2025," coach Alex Dickson said. "They'll be missed." Meanwhile, Clutha have lost one of their stars, Pene Tevaga, with a broken leg. However, Clutha do still have winger Junior Samuelu, who scored a brace of tries in the team's 28-25 triumph over West Taieri last weekend, giving him 16 for the season. Clutha showed great resolve in coming back from 0-10 early and 18-25 with 15 minutes to play to beat West Taieri. "We dropped too much ball early," coach Ben Keach said. "We made it hard on ourselves, but their commitment in the final moments was outstanding, if mentally challenging for the coach!" Keach said Clutha's game was based around ball runners. "Our aim is to go forward and use our backs". It is a philosophy not dissimilar to that employed by Upper Clutha, who scored 65 tries in their 14 outings throughout 2025, their solitary loss being under lights to Alexandra. - By Bob Howitt
Otago Daily Times
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Flannery's boot secures victory
A mouth-watering White Horse Trophy contest between holders Upper Clutha and in-form challengers Wakatipu will bring Central Otago's premier club qualifying competition to a fitting conclusion in Wānaka on Saturday. Wakatipu prepared for this crucial contest by slaughtering Cromwell 52-0 in the mud at Queenstown on Saturday, while Upper Clutha relied on the golden boot of Brodie Flannery to edge Alexandra, the only team to have defeated them this season, 23-17 at Molyneux Park. Upper Clutha go into Saturday's final qualifying match with a three-point advantage over Wakatipu, their first-round clash at Queenstown having been won by Upper Clutha 17-10. Flannery, who took over Upper Clutha's goalkicking role mid-season after prolific scorer Brady Kingan departed for Australia, had averaged just five points a game in seven outings since. But in bleak, challenging conditions on Saturday he banged over five goals from five attempts, making the difference after the teams scored two tries each. Flannery's goalkicking aside, Alexandra could blame their fragility under high kicks for the defeat. Both of Upper Clutha's tries, to hooker Scott Cunningham and fullback Henry Schikker, came from soaring up-and-unders that Alexandra let bounce. "Not securing those high balls cost us," Alexandra coach Lee Wilson said. "Both their tries came from our errors, not from their creativity. To come back and score two wingers' tries ourselves, especially when we were struggling for lineout possession, showed character. "I'm confident we'll be competitive in the playoff matches ahead." Standout players for Upper Clutha were lock Andrew Horne, blindside flanker Lachie Garrick, No 8 Jake Burtenshaw and powerful front-rowers Ben McKeich, Cunningham and Fergus Smith. Alexandra's best were wingers Jake Denniston and Rhys Gosling and centre Tyler Ford, who created Denniston's try. Hooker Brad Allan led the team out in his 50th appearance. Wakatipu made it four quality wins in succession, surprisingly scoring eight tries against Cromwell, remarkable considering the Queenstown surface was a mudbath. No 8 Anton Huisman used his strength and skill to bag two tries, giving him seven for the season, while fullback Conner Hamlin taunted Cromwell with his speed and elusiveness. His try gave him eight for the season. Rube Peina converted five of the tries to bring up a century of points. He sits on 105 points, four fewer than Alexandra captain Ford. Maniototo registered their seventh win of the season, coming from 11-10 down at halftime to beat Matakanui Combined 25-11 at Ranfurly, the game being transferred to the No 2 ground because of the muddy conditions. Remarkably, Maniototo's 25 points came from five tries, Ben Maxwell missing all five conversions with the muddy ball. Maniototo round out their qualifying play away against Arrowtown next Saturday while Matakanui Combined host Alexandra at Omakau. By Bob Howitt
