Central Otago
By RHYS CHAMBERLAIN
Maniototo continued its unbeaten run in the Central Otago rugby competition when it beat Clyde-Earnscleugh 36-17 on Saturday.
It scored five tries to one and led 22-0 at half-time thanks to a lacklustre performance from Clyde-Earnscleugh.
Willie Clouston, the competition's leading try-scorer, touched down again, along with Simon Paterson, Charlie Crutchly and wing Quentin Smith on full time.
First five-eighth Charlie Hore also crossed, as well as kicking four conversions and a penalty goal.
In the second period, Clyde-Earnscleugh woke up and piled on 17 points after getting back to its strengths and playing 10-man rugby.
Halfback Jai Baxter scored, as well as hooker Rueben OConnell and No 8 Mike Wing.
Lock Ryan Walker had an inspired game for Clyde-Earnscleugh, his work aiding in the second-half resurgence.
Smith was Maniototo's best, showing his class out wide.
At Anderson Park, Cromwell won the John Scott Memorial Trophy when it beat Upper Clutha 15-8.
A try on full time by second five-eighth Sam Gibbens sealed the deal for the home side after the scores were locked at 8-8 for most of the second half.
A try by hooker Angus Gibbens had Cromwell ahead 5-3 at half-time after Upper Clutha had dominated possession and territory.
When Upper Clutha captain Nick Thompson scored early in the second half and Cromwell's Luke Stevenson had replied with a penalty goal, a draw looked to be on the cards.
Enter Cromwell blindside flanker Quentin Hayes who, after a kick to the corner, stole a crucial line-out which freed up Cromwell's back line and with some slick handling set up Gibbens to score.
Upper Clutha's forward pack, led by Paul Glynn and Tane Tawera, was outstanding all day as was Brendan Cairns at halfback.
Cromwell's best had to be No 8 Justin Carnie, who kept his side going forward.
Wakatipu managed a bonus point win at Omakau, beating Matakanui Combined 22-10.
At just 12-7 at half-time, the home side had Wakatipu under real pressure, especially through its forward pack, which showed real heart and determination.
Two break-out tries by centre Rhys Howells and wing Steve Dent was the difference in the first half, both coming against the run of play.
After half-time it was more of the same from Matakanui, but Wakatipu's forwards fronted and ground down the home side, allowing second five-eighth Tom Kelly to score, along with Trev McKeown.
The visitors' loose trio, especially openside Cole Pewhirangi, were superb.
Pewhirangi, along with No 8 Toi Roberts, broke the game in the second half through its defence and excellent work at the breakdown.
Arrowtown kept its unbeaten season on track with a 69-7 thrashing of a poor Alexandra side at Molyneux Park.
Arrowtown scored 11 tries, three coming the way of Reece Winter, who had 29 points for the match, and three also to second five-eighth Drew Carmody.
Big Arrowtown prop Hori Elers also touched down, as did flanker Daniel Dodds, No 8 Ben Chisholm, halfback Todd Adolf and wing Daniel Isles.
Elers was the standout forward for Arrowtown, along with openside flanker Aidan Winter, and Reece Winter looked the best back against the inexperienced Alexandra backline.
The home side's consolation try came from second five-eighth David Nicholson.
Netball
Dunstan High School A started its season in style, beating Roxburgh Kilties 31-27 in the first round of matches for the year.
Dunstan A's mid-court dominated the first quarter and it led 9-5 at the break.
Roxburgh ground its way back into the match and by half-time trailed by just one goal on the back of Trudi Marsh's tireless effort.
Heading into the final quarter, only one goal separated the two sides but Sophie Johns and Courtney Davies for Dunstan A proved the difference on both attack and defence.
Harriet White also had a fine performance for the school side.
In the other premier grade match, Molyneux A handed Ex Girls a first-round 41-12 thumping.
North Otago
By TERRY O'NEILL
Round six of Citizens' shield rugby was marred by Athletic Marist Colts' default to second-placed Old Boys.
Competition leader Athletic Marist beat Maheno 34-3, while Valley moved into third place with a 15-3 win over Kurow.
The Old Boys side, which had the bye the previous week, now faces three weeks without competition, not an ideal situation as the first round comes to an end.
Athletic Marist picked up a bonus point in its win over Maheno.
Centre Kasanova Saone scored his 10th try of the season in the 15th minute and Ed Keohane's conversion continued an almost impeccable kicking record since the Englishman joined the club earlier in the season.
Keohane then slotted two penalties and converted a Maka Lea try, to give Athletic Marist a 20-0 halftime lead.
Prop Simi Via scored Athletic's third try, which Keohane duly converted, before Paula Tui'vaillala kicked a long-range penalty for Maheno.
Athletic's winger Sione Pangata scored his seventh try of the season to give his side a bonus point.
Keohane converted.
In an entertaining, even encounter, Valley edged Kurow in the match at Weston.
Twenty-five minutes into the game, Cameron Rowland latched on to a loose Kurow tap back from a lineout 5m from the Kurow line to put the home side into a 5-0 lead.
Five minutes before half-time, Kurow's Tom Edmonston kicked a penalty but on the stroke of half-time Valley prop Gerard McSweeney touched down to give his side a 10-3 lead.
The only scoring in the second half came midway through when hooker Cameron Schultz burrowed his way across for an unconverted try.
Netball
St Kevin's B provided the upset in the third round of premier grade netball, recording its first win of the season, beating East Otago 29-21.
Rovers came from a first-quarter deficit to beat St Kevin's A 29-21, while Kurow hammered hitherto unbeaten Athletic Maroon 42-16.
Waitaki Girls Strike Force and Waitaki Girls Wildfire will play on Thursday afternoon.
St Kevin's B started slowly, trailing East Otago at the end of the first quarter, but recovered to lead 18-15 at half-time.
It extended the winning margin to five goals at full-time.
St Kevin's standouts were Brittany Wallace and Charlotte King.
East Otago improved when Carmen Brensell moved from GD to GA.
An Athletic Maroon side with two players unavailable could not control a rampant Kurow.
It bolted to a 21-5 half-time lead before extending the winning margin to 26 goals. Promoted CJ Cleverley, Carol de Geest (GA), Kim Little (WD) and Leigh Wells stood out for Athletic Maroon.
For Kurow, Jane Paton fed her shoots superbly, Mel Lewis and Ali Mitchell were outstanding on defence, while Rebecca van der Salm was an accurate shoot.
St Kevin's A had Rovers under a little pressure leading 9-5 at the end of the first quarter.
St Kevin's Fiona Watson was very effective on defence.
Rovers recovered to lead 13-12 at half-time and 21-17 at three-quarter time.
Rovers shut St Kevin's down in the second half with great defence from Sonya McDonald, Paula Symes and Christie Te Aho.
Fiona Corbett stood out for St Kevin's.
Football
Meadowbank United's three-game winning streak came to a halt at the Showgrounds on Saturday in Division one football when Pleasant Point won 3-1.
It led 2-0 at half-time, Blair Struthers and Chris McConagle scoring.
Andy Lane scored Meadowbank's goal early in the second but Struthers' second sealed the game for Pleasant Point.
Timaru Boys High School with a late goal beat Awamoa United 3-2 in Timaru.
In Division two, Meadowbank United beat Town and Country 6-1, with Karl Burke and Kim Booth scoring two goals each.
Hockey
Cambridge beat Tainui 2-1 in Oamaru, with Kevin Sheal and William Ching scoring its goals.
Rodger Orr scored for Tainui.
Donni Simpson and Tara Dwyer scored two goals each as St Kevin's First XI beat Pirata Black 7-0.
A Hannah Caldwell hat trick saw Shamrocks beat St Kevin's Red 10-1.
In a high-scoring game, Pirata Blue beat Waitaki Boys 8-3, Abigail Maynard getting three goals for the winner.
Indoor bowls
Frank Greig won the pairs tournament on Friday night, beating Judy Mitchell 3-2 in the final.
Greig dropped only one game, that to Elsa Arbuckle (2-16), in the five rounds of qualifying and in the semifinal downed Mike Howard 8-0.
The Yankee bowls went to Garth McKenzie (s), Elsa Arbuckle, Claude Battle and Doreen Hill with 3.5 wins and 29 points from Gordon Robb (s), Noel Robb and Lloyd Hawley with 2.5 wins and 28 points.
South Otago
By NORMAN WOODS
In a thriller at Lawrence, the home team beat Clutha Valley 29-24, both sides scoring four tries.
The game was equal to a Topp Cup game, backs and forwards not giving an inch. Jake Maiono (Lawrence) opened the scoring after five minutes, then Seru Naqasima chased up a Sam Young kick to give Lawrence a 12-0 lead late in the half.
Valley fought back with a Lachie Moore try.
Valley started the second spell with a try to winger Greg Cowley, before No 8 Karlin Vihongi crashed over for a try to give Valley a 17-12 lead.
With 10 minutes remaining, Lawrence lifted its game.
Jake Maiono went in for his second try, immediately followed by a excellent try from Bronson Tumai from 40m out.
Both were converted.
In the final seconds, Lawrence was given a penalty out in front, Sam Young converted, and Lawrence was home.
For Lawrence, Sam Young and Lex Kaleca were grand on attack, and superb on defence.
Seru Naqasima was a very speedy winger, while halfback Tony Potter was in grand form.
In the forwards, Jake Maiono and Mike Diesel led from the front, while Jimmy Hill and Aubrey Sheridan competed well in the lineouts.
Clutha Valley gave its best shot, and despite losing still picked two bonus points and leads the competition by three points.
For Valley, fullback Jason Angland was the standout.
His positional play was very good and he ran well.
Lachie Moore was sound at second five, while Caleb Holmes tackled well in midfield.
Forwards John McGimpsey, Karlin Vihongi and Craig Hyslop were in top form.
Heriot proved too good in the forwards, leading Clutha 8-0 at halftime and 22-10 at full time.
Led by Shaun Tauti, it scored three tries to one.
In the backs, Welshman Lloyd Phillips was outstanding at centre.
Clutha's Adam Mackie and Tyler Bichan were solid.
Clinton, after leading Owaka 10-3 at the break, came away to win 25-3.
Its forwards controlled play well, prop Jock Saunders the standout.
No 8 Hayden Tapp was also in fine fettle.
In the backs, Hamish Moore at first five and Heath Culbertson (fullback) gave strong displays.
For Owaka, Nathan Gray at centre played well, as did the front row.
Crescent recorded the biggest win of the day when it beat Toko 57-17.
It dominated up front and the backs ran at will.
Nine tries were scored.
Fullback Damian Keen continues to blossom, scoring three tries, his first coming after only 30 seconds.
Centre Damian Green, who scored two tries, was another to show good form.
In the forwards, Jeff Meredith at lock and flanker Caleb Wall had mighty games.
Toko tried hard, with Simon Scott the lone standout.
