Dunedin defender Ashton Booth is too late to stop University midfielder Mac Harris scoring a try at the University Oval on Saturday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH The Dunedin division 1 playoffs are all set. Taieri secured the Gallaway trophy with a comfortable 45-7 win over Zingari-Richmond and will host Green Island at Peter Johnstone Park in the first round of playoff games. Kaikorai impressed with a 62-10 demolition of Green Island and will host Harbour, who blitzed Alhambra-Union 70-12. Southern are at home to University in the other playoff game. University beat Dunedin 55-19 in their final round robin game, while Southern had a bye. University 55 Dunedin 19 This game looked to be over early as Varsity put in a 20m rolling maul, Dunedin fell off tackles and the students scored out wide untouched as burly midfielder Mac Harris strolled over for the try. They had a second inside 10 minutes when Dunedin turned over possession and Varsity winger Joe Parkinson swooped on the loose ball and went 85m. It was going to be a long day for the Sharks as their penchant for no-look passes to nobody would continue to hurt them. They did score one try in the first half when their only penetrative back, Tayne Harvey, handled twice in a movement to put loosie Jarius Iosefa over. Varsity scored the try of the season late in the spell when first five Rico Muliaina sent it blind deep inside their 22m, the ball went through six sets of hands and Muliaina finished it 85m later as Dunedin were chasing shadows. Mitch Tinnock, in his 50th game, helped Varsity steal at least four Dunedin lineouts in the first half. Dunedin did much better in the scrum, where Rohan Wingham was to the fore. The second half was more of the same with Harris, Parkinson and Tinnock all grabbing doubles as Varsity posted nine tries in all. The towering Tinnock marked his 50th by slotting the last conversion of the game. No 8 Will Stodart also shone for Varsity, while halfback Kieran McClea was devastating on the break and threw a peach of an offload for one of their tries. Harris, recently back from Japan, was their rock and most of their attack and defence centred around him. For Dunedin, Wingham was far and away their best, and diminutive loosie Iosefa never took a backward step. Harvey out wide was a danger every time he got near the ball. — Paul Dwyer Kaikorai 62 Green Island 10 That was quite something from the defending champions. Kaikorai destroyed Green Island at Bishopscourt. Highlanders flanker Lucas Casey ran in three tries and was an utter menace as far as the Grizzlies were concerned. He snaffled lineout ball. He ran like a back and was part of a dominant scrum which shunted Green Island around. First five Ben Miller remains one of the most under-rated players in Dunedin. The width of his passing created countless opportunities. Mefi Tupou teamed up with Jake Fowler in an imposing midfield. Highlanders back-up hooker Henry Bell made a colossal difference to the scrum when he came on for the second half, and seasoned loosie Slade McDowall was as industrious as ever. But the first 20 minutes were all Green Island. They dominated possession and territory and led 5-3. But they started to struggle in the set pieces and let in three late tries in the first half to trail 20-5 at the break. Those struggles got worse when Bell entered the game. He crashed over for two tries and helped secure a penalty try from a 5m scrum. Green Island spent the last 20 minutes of the game defending their line and leaking more points. Earlier, though, lock Atunaisa Katoa showed some real promise. He burst free on a 20m run, scored the game’s first try and made a thunderous tackle on some poor sod. First five Isaac McAuliffe made some good touches. But it was hard to find too many positives for the visitors. — Adrian Seconi Harbour 70 Alhambra-Union 12 Harbour are staging a late run. The Hawks have qualified in fifth place for the playoffs. The team that finished the round robin in sixth last season won the competition. So, there is something to be said for sneaking into the playoffs under the radar. Their 70-12 hit job on Alhambra-Union at Watson Park will have attracted some attention. The Broncos had Liam Coltman and Jermaine Ainsley up front. But the Hawks had a beefed-up pack as well. Saula Ma’u and Abraham Pole joined Gabriel Francesconi in a powerful front row. Harbour have some key players back from injury at just the right time in the season. Openside Toni Taufa had an impressive match in his 50th for the team. He got on the score sheet with an early try. Star first five Rique Miln steered them around the park wonderfully well, and knocked over all 10 conversions. Winger Luca Fuller scored two tries. One of them was a spectacular effort. The Hawks led 28-0 at the break and added some compounding interest in the second 40 minutes. They were simply too good for AU, who had a couple of good moments. Ainsley put in a heavy tackle on Highlanders team-mate Ma’u and first five Will Thode made some good touches. — Adrian Seconi Taieri 45 Zingari-Richmond 7 Taieri secured their standing at the top of the points table with a solid victory over bottom-placed Zingari-Richmond at Montecillo. Despite the seven-tries-to-one scoreline, it was a commendable performance from a home side ravaged by last-minute changes and a Taieri forward pack that out-muscled them at scrum time. Taieri front-rowers Jared Burns, Archie Gillies and Roney Vanila proved an imposing force in close. Gillies, in particular, was a real threat with the ball in hand. He scored the opening try after 10 minutes of relentless assaults on the Zingari-Richmond line. Taieri added a further three tries in the first half and led 26-0 at the break. The deficit gave little credit to the home side’s defence, which showed some good commitment. Gillies continued to dominate in broken play with his telling runs up the guts. He combined with Burns and lock Harvey Amende in a break that led to second five Josh Munro scoring early in the second half. Taieri cleared their bench, which led to tries to winger Jerome Buckley and replacement prop Cam Allan-McNeill. The mobility of the home pack assisted in shutting down many of Taieri’s attempts to run the flanks and centre field. The tight five of Darien Crawford, A-One Lolofie, Tongakilo-Rhys Tohovaka, Ratunui Latus and James Doyle all put in the hard yards up front. The reward came in the final minute when No 8 Rupene Koroi burst upfield to set up a scoring opportunity. The tall timber of Doyle secured the lineout ball and Lolofie scored to bring the curtain down on the home team’s season. — Wayne Parsons Round 14 The scores University 55 (Mac Harris 2, Joe Parkinson 2, Mitch Tinnock 2, Jay Reihana, Rico Muliaina, Tom Devery tries; Muliaina 4 con, Tinnock con), Dunedin 19 (Jarius Iosefa, Henry Smale, Max Morgan tries; Brayden Dew con, Morgan con). Halftime: University 29-7. Kaikorai 62 (Lucas Casey 3, Henry Bell 2, Jake Fowler, Mefi Tupou, Slade McDowall tries, penalty try; Ben Miller 6 con, pen), Green Island 10 (Atunaisa Katoa, Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe tries). Halftime: Kaikorai 20-5. Harbour 70 (Luca Fuller 2, Gabriel Francesconi, Toni Taufa, Peni Havea, Brad Campbell, Lucas Govaerts, Charles Elton, Ryan Palmer, Daniel Muasika tries; Rique Miln 10 con), Alhambra-Union 12 (Luke Jordan, Mavae Manuika tries; William Thode con). Halftime: Harbour 28-0. Taieri 45 (Oscar Anderson 2, Archie Gillies, Thomas Andrews, Josh Munro, Jerome Buckley, Cam Allan-McNeill tries; Archie Body 5 con), Zingari-Richmond 7 (A-One Lolofie try; Monty Sherriff con). Halftime: Taieri 26-0.
