No question about who is the classiest rugby halfback in the deep South, in fact probably the whole of New Zealand, and that is Aaron Smith.
But if you want to watch someone who not only looks like him but week after week plays an equally accomplished game in the No9 jersey check out Central Otago’s champion team the Cromwell Goats and observe Ben Maxwell.
Maxwell turned in another player-of-the-match performance as the Goats overcame a gallant Wakatipu team 31-17 in a highly-entertaining encounter at Queenstown on Saturday, extending their winning streak to 13 games.
Maxwell, like Smith, is an inspirational leader — in fact, he’s Cromwell’s captain — but he goes one better than Smith, as he’s now his team’s goalkicker and in the opening two week’s of the competition has landed 10 goals from 12 attempts.
Between weekend rugby matches Maxwell, who was born in Invercargill and schooled at James Hargest High School, operates as a shepherd in the Lindis Pass.
He has lived in Cromwell for nine years and admits that when he first got involved with the local rugby club in 2016 they “weren’t much chop”.
“But it’s great how the premiers have evolved,” he said.
“There is a fantastic culture that’s developed in the team. The guys want to win, for sure, but it’s important to them how they win.”
Having scored 16 tries in two outings against Wakatipu last season, the Goats seemed on course for another romp when they surged away to 24-5 lead in the 26th minute.
But coach Brett Anderson has injected steel into his players this season and they went toe-to-toe with the Goats for the remainder of the contest, clawing back to 24-17 with 18 minutes to play.
But class showed through and Cromwell midfielder Hayden Todd showed blistering speed to score after the ball had been hoofed downfield from a Wakatipu midfield blunder.
No8 Brad Cross, captain and flanker Steve Banks, hooker Jake McEwan and lock Rafael Tuhura turned in massive performances for Wakatipu, while the Goats’ forward standouts were loosies Reon Buchanan and Asi Serikalou, locks Stefan Blakeborough and Travis Mitchell and prop Alex Chubb.
Upper Clutha bagged maximum points again with a 35-24 victory over Maniototo at Ranfurly, but it was only in the final 10 minutes it managed to shrug off the Maggots.
For the Maggots it was a 100% improvement in performance on their error-riddled opener against the Cromwell Cavaliers.
Jack Wild accounted for 14 of Maniototo’s points, and the player-of-the-match award went to blindside flanker Nathan Huddlestone.
Alexandra rebounded from its first-up loss to Wakatipu, to beat Matakanui Combined at Molyneux Park 35-15, five tries to three, three of the tries going to Andrew Dodds.
Alexandra front-rower Hohepa TeRata-Taituha broke his ankle, bringing an abrupt finish to his season.
Man of the match for Alexandra, for the second week in a row, was second-five Tyler Ford.
Losing first-up was always going to lead to Arrowtown come out firing and it made short work of the Cromwell Cavaliers at Anderson Park, scoring nine tries in winning 61-15.
- Bob Howitt
