Taieri 41 Southern 11
The Great Wall of Taieri — there is just no way around it.
Southern took 76 minutes to find a hole in the Eels’ celebrated defence.
But by the time prop Mike Mata’afa crashed over in the corner at Peter Johnstone Park, his side had been ground down by the relentlessly efficient defence.
Taieri preserved its perfect start to the season with a comprehensive 41-11 win.
The Eels have posted five consecutive bonus-point wins and enjoy a 10-point buffer at the top of the competition standings.
Southern was willing up front and had an opportunity to put Taieri under pressure midway through the second spell.
The home team had just lost replacement front-rower Jared Burns to the bin.
Southern put down a couple of scrums in Taieri’s 22. But rather than press the advantage in the scrum, it tried to go wide and muffed both attempts.
The second effort went really wrong. Taieri winger Josh Casey picked off a wide pass and ran 85m to score.
It broke Southern, and the Magpies’ challenge wilted thereafter.
All Blacks and Highlanders forward Shannon Frizell made his return to rugby after the best part of a couple of months on the sideline. He packed down on the blindside for Taieri and impressed with some strong carries.
Sam Fischli had a solid game at No 8 and halfback Bob Martin looked sharp.
Harbour 33 Kaikorai 10
Harbour scored two tries in three minutes part way through the second half to set up a 33-10 win over Kaikorai at Bishopscourt.
It changed the momentum of the game and perhaps the course of the season for both teams.
The victory lifted the Hawks (14 points) into third place, while Kaikorai is languishing in eighth place with five points and in need of a positive result soon.
Neither side made the most of its opportunities in the opening half. Kaikorai had more play in Harbour territory and got a try through No 8 Uaita Poutu, who peeled off the back of a 5m scrum in the 12th minute.
Mitchell Taylor drilled the conversion and had nailed an earlier penalty.
Harbour replied with two penalties to Obey Samate and trailed 10-6 at the break.
Kaikorai looked like it was building some momentum but the game swung Harbour’s way suddenly.
Freedom Vahaakolo nabbed a turnover and made a strong run deep in to Kaikorai’s half. He got caught but a quick clearance saw Samate dot down.
Moments later halfback Jordan Ruck extended the lead for the visitors.
Hawks fullback Sala Halaleva counterattacked and Ruck was there in support to provide the finish.
Harbour ran in a couple of more tries and kicked a penalty right on fulltime to complete a solid win.
The Hawks were without regular halfback Nathan Hastie, who needs shoulder surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Hastie is contracted to Otago.
Dunedin 54 University 14
Dunedin started the game with gusto and dominated the early stages, and when stand-in first five Thorn Parkes went through a gaping hole for Thomas Hanham-Carter to put flying winger Oscar Schmidt-Uili over, things looked ominous for Varsity.
Fullback Jermaine Pepe neatly stepped a couple of players in the 22m and dashed away to draw level.
But that was as good as it got for Varsity as the Dunedin forwards took control, creating the opportunity for its big and quick outside backs to show their full array of skills.
Schmidt-Uili dotted down again and right-winger Joe Cooke scored as well, and Dunedin led 19-7 at the break.
The floodgates opened in the second spell and Dunedin scored five more tries to crack 50.
Hooker Ayden Lloyd scored two tries from rolling mauls to underline the Sharks’ forward dominance.
Hanham-Carter, as well as nailing conversions from all over the park, scored after a neat double round in midfield.
The game’s best player, young lock Konrad Lotu-L’iga, scored under the bar after another Schmidt-Uili break.
Others to play well for Dunedin were captain Kees Scott, whose work rate was inspirational, loosies Oliver Griffin, Hame Toma and Josh Retter, and the back three of Schmidt-Uili, Cooke and Carter.
For Varsity, halfback Kieran McClea was far and away the best player, and diminutive No 8 Luke Russell never took a backward step.
Zingari-Richmond 32 Alhambra-Union 17
Zingari-Richmond put on a masterful display in front of the club’s faithful gathered for the club’s past players day with a convincing 32-17 victory over Alhambra-Union in the Grace Mills Trophy game at Montecillo.
Oscar Anderson made the switch from his customary role at fullback to a successful first start at first five, setting the game alight in the eighth minute with a midfield break and a nice offload to halfback Jin Ho Mun for a try under the crossbar.
Anderson and Mun proved a lethal combination on the back of an impressive Zingari-Richmond forward pack in which locks Matthew Iti and Honour Kioa worked tirelessly.
Loose forwards Ashton Teau and Tofatuimoana Solia remained constant threats around the fringes.
Midfielders Keenan Masina and Tama Apineru were solid in defence while remaining a constant danger with ball.
Shaun Driver had a sharp all-round game at fullback with line-breaking runs and massive clearing kicks. Driver, who slotted six long-range penalty goals, was on course for the record books after drilling five in the first half.
Tutere Williams is the only Zingari-Richmond player to have kicked more in a game with seven against Eastern in 1993.
All Black Greg Cooper holds the record of eight he slotted for Green Island in a 24-24 draw against Southern in 1991.
For Alhambra-Union, Will Siale and Levi Emery featured in a threatening backline.
- ODT rugby writers
