Rugby: Southern expected to dominate trophy game

University A lock Josh Dickson wins the lineout against Alhambra-Union's Mike Colville at the...
University A lock Josh Dickson wins the lineout against Alhambra-Union's Mike Colville at the University Oval last Saturday. The students won 38-12. Photo by Alistair McMurran.
Southern is expected to maintain its bulging trophy cabinet when it defends the Jack Hore Memorial Trophy at Hancock Park today.

First five-eighth Ben Patston is back in his favourite position and is expected to add to his points tally against Pirates. He has scored 54 points this season and is chasing the 225 he scored last winter.

Patston landed six goals to help Southern retain the trophy last year. He scored 16 of his side's points as Southern claimed its 11th successive defence when it beat Pirates 31-0.

Southern has won its past four games convincingly and won the Cavanagh Trophy when University A was beaten 24-3 and the Frank Cadman Trophy when it beat Kaikorai 31-18.

It has been a season from hell for Pirates, whose only win in nine games was against Green Island, 36-17. The team

has lost 15 of its original squad of 35 to injuries and transfers.

''It has been discouraging and disheartening,'' coach Paul Miller said.

''It is a time in the lives of the players when not everything goes to plan. It will really test their character and it is just a matter of sticking together. It will define how you can bounce back from these lulls.

''The reality is that we are scraping the bottom of the barrel with players and those on the field know that they have to step up.''

Miller, in his fourth season with Pirates, has been appointed coach of the King's High School First XV and will step down from his role with Pirates.

The former All Black will stay on the reserves bench with the team and will use his vast experience to give confidence to the younger players.

Daniel Johnson will take over the head coach role and will look after the forwards. The backs coach is Andrew Bremner.

Jack Hore was the hard and uncompromising Southern prop-hooker who played 45 games, including 10 tests, for the All Blacks from 1928 to 1936.

He epitomised everything that was good about the Southern club and its tradition of hard forward play.

Hore played 113 first-class games, including 51 for Otago.

He died in 1979, at the age of 71, and the Jack Hore Memorial Trophy match is played annually between Southern and Pirates.

Jack Hore Memorial
Past 25 years

1989, Pirates 17-12; 1990, Pirates 9-6; 1991, Pirates 16-10; 1992, Pirates 24-18; 1993, Pirates 40-27; 1994, Southern 28-19; 1995, Southern 19-18; 1996, Pirates 33-16; 1997, Pirates 31-30; 1998, Southern 45-17; 1999, drawn 11-11; 2000, Pirates 30-18; 2001, Pirates 13-3; 2002, Pirates 36-28; 2003, Southern 71-10; 2004, Southern 40-14; 2005, Southern 26-7; 2006, Southern 54-14; 2007, Southern 33-16; 2008, Southern 16-15; 2009 Southern 13-12; 2010, drawn 34-34; 2011, Southern 38-14; 2012, Southern 25-18; 2013, Southern 31-0.

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