The wrap and the final
And now we are down to two. Defending champion Taieri comfortably dispatched an understrength Dunedin outfit and kept it scoreless in a great dress rehearsal in atrocious conditions out at the Eelpit. By contrast, the Southern v Kaikorai game up at the High Veldt in similar conditions was an absolute thriller.
Kaikorai at one stage led 30-11 early in the second spell and it was an outrageous favourite to make the big dance. But nobody told Southern as it stormed back into the game and at 80 minutes it was 30-30.
First five Jack Leslie kicked a vital late penalty in injury time to win it 36-33. So where to from here? Well, history tells us Taieri could be in trouble. The last team to do the three-peat was Varsity at the turn of the century. The last team to go unbeaten for a season, which Taieri would do if it wins, was Southern in 1982 under old "Funeral Face" himself, Lozza Mains.
So history is against the Eels. But history doesn’t win finals — coaches and players do. The pack is combative, has a good scrum and now it has added Josh Hill to the lineout it has rarely been bested there. It has strong ball-carriers and loose-ball pincher extraordinaire in captain Leroy Ferguson. The backline is extremely hard to break down defensively and Caleb Leef, as witnessed last week, has a booming punt.
Midfielder Mitchell Scott is a match winner out wide.
So how does Southern win? It has a big pack of its own, its scrum is strong, it has strong ball carriers and it has terriers at the breakdown in the form of flanker Harry Taylor and hooker Jake McEwan.
Jack Leslie is the only kicker to hit the ton this year and can be a match winner.
But Southern has lost its two midfielders to injury and will struggle to contain the Taieri backs.
To win, it will l need to put scoreboard pressure on early or it could be a very long afternoon.
The form XV for the season
15) Thomas Hanham Carter (D), 14) Viliami Fine (H), 11) Jeremiah Asi (V), 13) Mitchell Scott (T), 12) Filipo Whitehouse-Opetaia Tovio (K), 10) Jack Leslie (S), 9) Kieran McLea (V), 8) Harry Taylor (S), 7) Leroy Ferguson (T), 6) Josh Retter (D), 50 Konrad Lotu L’Iga (D), 4) Brodie Hume (T), 3) Cameron Allan McNeill (T), 2) Brady Robertson (T), 1) Sonny Mulipola (S).
Being such a short season, this was a hard team to pick.
I looked for consistency across all the games and, in the main, picked players who picked up solid player of the day points.
The outside backs were hard to pick but Hanham Carter kicked a lot of points and set up some nice tries from the back for the Sharks.
Fine was Harbour’s best back whether playing centre or wing and Asi was Varsity’s top try-scorer.
No9, No10, No11 and No12 picked themselves and were far and away the best on show.
Scott is a game-breaker for Taieri as is Opetaia Tovio for Kaikorai and Leslie was class for Southern.
McLay carried Varsity from halfback at times.
Taylor, Ferguson and Retter were week in, week out consistently the best loose forwards in the competition.
Even though Taylor didn’t play a lot of eight, nobody else stood up for me consistently across the season — thus he deserves the spot.
Locks Lotu L’iga and Hume aren’t the biggest locks but gave their all in every game for Dunedin and Taieri respectively. Thus, they are worthy of selection.
At tighthead, there wasn’t much between McNeill for Taieri and Rohan Wingham for Dunedin but McNeill gets the nod as the Eels are in the final.
The two standout hookers this year were Robertson for Taieri and Jake McEwan for Southern but the former gets the nod as a slightly better thrower.
Haven’t been that impressed with the looseheads but Mulipola gets the nod on the back of a strong finish to the season.
I know most of you won’t agree but if it creates some discussion — great!
All Blacks underwhelming
Saturday night confirms it — no apology from me — the All Blacks are still very underwhelming.
God help them if they lose the decider at the Cake Tin! What a bizarre game.
A 60-minute first half. World Rugby should give itself an uppercut — what an absolute mess it’s made of our once great game.
No wonder fans are voting with their feet.
The best the ABs played was when they were down to 12, or was it 13? I couldn’t keep up.
But the reality was they were pathetic in the second spell and lost.
A World Cup win I think is just a distant memory.
"‘Fossie", I’m sure, is a great bloke but if they lose on Saturday the social media trolls will be out in force.
Bits I just don’t get!
Dunedin was buzzing on Saturday despite the climatic maelstrom but we didn’t leave fond memories in the hearts of visitors — especially on the top floor of the stadium.
Before the game it was taking 20-plus minutes for patrons to get a drink.
They had plenty of bar staff but nobody seemed to know what they were doing.
A lot of members will be asking for a "please explain" this week.
It was frankly embarrassing.
And No 2 — the club final is being played there on Saturday and the two teams have to warm up in the rain and bog at Logan Park.
I understand the city is allowing the final to be played for free under community access but surely the two teams warming up in the stadium is not too much to ask?
Back to the final
We need you, the rugby fans, to get along at 3pm tomorrow to watch the showpiece of our season.
I promise the first half won’t take 60 minutes, you will be able to get a drink in a timely manner and you will see some open-running rugby.
It’s free parking and a gold coin to get in. So no excuses — I will see you there!
Really!
I’m just looking at the two teams to play the final tomorrow and I’m shocked to see Taieri hasn’t named favourite son Cam Miller the first five to play.
Admittedly, he hasn’t played for the side much this year because he was tied up with the Highlander Colts and has been away with the New Zealand Colts’ successful trip to Aussie but he arrived back on Monday.
Apparently the heavies at Otago rugby have said he is unavailable because of workload.
They are taking the mickey, surely? He’s hardly played this year and I think came off the bench in the last two games in Aussie against Argentina and Aussie.
If this is true, it REALLY is time for the club and Otago seasons to part company.
Our final is tomorrow to ensure we have Otago players available and the rest of our comps finished mid-August.
We need to take control of our showpiece comp back and finish when we want.
There are only three or four club players in the Otago squad anyway so it’s time to bite the bullet.
Report card
Normally, I would do the dreaded report card in this piece but because of the above it will have to wait.
The Ainge Shield is up for grabs still with Kaikorai (the holder) and Dunedin the favourites to win it.
The Ainge is for the best-performed club.
This weekend
Destroyed South Dunedin saviour Jules Radich last week so on to one of our sponsors this week in Johnny Faulks, from Property Brokers, and you’ll agree the likeness in the Ale House tipping advertisement is uncanny.
The Eels (13+) just win on Saturday and it could be big.
But congrats to both teams for just making it — great work.
