Rugby: Southern favoured to regain trophy

Lachie Moore (Zingari-Richmond) escapes the tackle of Taieri flanker Willis Scott at Montecillo...
Lachie Moore (Zingari-Richmond) escapes the tackle of Taieri flanker Willis Scott at Montecillo last Saturday. Moore has scored 11 tries this season. Photo by Linda Robertson.
It is Southern's turn. It is time the Ron Reggett Trophy returned to Bathgate Park.

The Magpies have only won the trophy three times this century, in 2001, 2006 and 2011. Dunedin has won it eight times and three games have been drawn.

The annual trophy match is always one of the feature games of the Dunedin club season.

The Ron Reggett Trophy honours one of the Southern club's stalwarts. His son, Mike, has assumed a similar role with the Southern club.

On form this season, Southern should win. It sits second on the points table and has only lost two games this winter. One of them was in the first round, when Dunedin won narrowly, 34-33.

Dunedin has been hit by injuries and has had big losses in its last two games, to Taieri (41-11) and University A (32-5).

Dunedin coach Elgan O'Donnell knows it will be difficult to beat Southern tomorrow and hang on to the trophy. But he remains optimistic.

''If we keep to our game plan and our structures, we will be in with a show,'' O'Donnell said.

''We have been hit by injuries but we have young players coming up and they will get the opportunity to put their hand up.''

Sam Anderson-Heather was called into the Highlanders squad, and injured starters are Hame Toma, Winston Stanley, Mike Moeahu, Tim Tolovae and Joe Dobson.

''It's extremely frustrating but that's rugby,'' O'Donnell said.

''You've got to do the best you can with the players who are available.''

Taieri leads the Gallaway Trophy competition on 50 points and is followed by Southern on 48. Dunedin and University A are 11 points back on 37 points. Alhambra-Union is chasing hard on 36.

''If we can stay within the top four, we have got a chance,'' O'Donnell said.

''But we have to keep winning ...

if we keep getting injuries it will be hard.''

Ron Reggett's long association with the Southern club began after World War 2, when he was a prop in club junior teams. He was secretary of the club from 1949 to 1961.

He joined the management committee of the ORFU in 1962 and served until 1975. He also managed Otago teams in the early 1970s.

Reggett was president of the Southern club in 1964-65 and was made a life member in 1972. He was also a premier referee and well known in the city as superintendent of the Ministry of Transport in Dunedin.

He died in 1979 at the age of 57, on the day Southern played Dunedin at Carisbrook.

Old Southern club members from the period 1980 to 1983 will be holding a reunion at Bathgate Park this weekend and will be keen to see the Ron Reggett Trophy returned to the club.

Dunedin rugby
Leading scorers
Tries:
Lachie Moore (Zingari-Richmond), Bryce Morgan (Kaikorai) 10, Tei Walden (Southern) 9, Kori Rupene (Taieri) 9, Rowan McKenzie (Dunedin) 8.

Points: Peter Breen (Alhambra-Union) 135, Greg Dyer (Dunedin) 111, Ben Patston (Southern) 92, Cam Rutherford (Kaikorai) 89.

Ron Reggett Memorial
Results
Southern wins:
1981 (14-9), 1982 (28-3), 1983 (19-11), 1984 (15-3), 1985 (19-10), 1988 (18-15), 1989 (31-12), 1991 (19-12), 1993 (22-14), 1995 (30-8), 1996 (25-23), 1997 (25-20), 1998 (27-23), 1999 (19-17), 2001 (43-7), 2006 (23-18), 2011 (36-17).

Dunedin wins: 1980 (13-9), 1986 (6-3), 1987 (12-6), 1990 (24-18), 1992 (22-14), 1994 (55-17), 2000 (59-6), 2004 (21-11), 2005 (22-9), 2007 (16-15), 2009 (11-5), 2010 (27-22), 2012 (37-15), 2013 (25-14).

Drawn: 2002 (20-20), 2003 (28-28), 2008 (28-28).

 

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