Ten months ago, Wakatipu and the Cromwell Goats fought out the final of the Central Otago premier club competition, Wakatipu emerging triumphant 34-25.
They meet again at the Queenstown Recreation Ground tomorrow. But how things have changed.
Only 16 of the 30 players who contested that final are still involved. And the fortunes of the two sides have undergone quite a transformation.
Wakatipu went into the 2022 final having won eight and drawn one of its 10 matches and scored an astonishing 73 tries.
It is going into tomorrow’s clash against the Goats having won just one of its three encounters, and that in the dying seconds against Matakanui Combined. It has so far managed just six tries.
The Cromwell Goats, meanwhile, have chalked up three consecutive victories and scored 20 tries.
All of which points to a Cromwell victory tomorrow.
The Goats, rested after a bye last weekend, have powerhouse No 8 Hayden Hopgood back, and could even have their captain Ben Maxwell leading the team out in the No9 jersey.
He badly damaged a knee in pre-season action and was undergoing a fitness test yesterday ahead of the team selection for tomorrow.
In Maxwell’s absence prop Jackson Clark has been captaining the side and stealing the headlines, scoring a sensational hat-trick of tries against Matakanui Combined last Saturday.
Alexandra, the most improved team in the competition, will take on Matakanui Combined at Molyneux Park and, on performances to date, should win.
After seven years as an also-ran the Alexandra fans are delighted to be cheering on a side that is sitting at the sharp end of the competition.
Alexandra last won the premiership in 2015. Intriguingly, two members of that successful side are still in the premier squad — prop James Dobson and first-five Scott Cameron.
Although Alexandra drew the bye last weekend, it still got to play — against an Upper Clutha reserve XV.
Maniototo and Arrowtown round out this weekend’s action with a fixture at Ranfurly.
It’s a game neither side can afford to lose. Maniototo is in bottom spot after registering four losses, admittedly against the four most imposing teams in the competition — Upper Clutha, Cromwell, Alexandra and Wakatipu.
Seriously depleted Arrowtown has managed just one victory, against Wakatipu, while suffering heavy losses to Cromwell, Matakanui Combined and Upper Clutha.
A victory would come as a huge relief to both teams.
Next week’s matches will be played on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon with Saturday being the preserve of Central Otago’s duck-shooters.
Written by Bob Howitt
