Harbour halfback Tetauru Cuthers darts between University defenders William Lawrence-Vaivai (left) and Tom Devery during their semifinal at the University Oval on Saturday. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENHarbour 29 University 19 Harbour came out of the blocks like a greyhound with a craving for rabbits. The pack started with a big scrum to produce a penalty and went on to achieve six of those during the game to overpower Varsity. They followed with two lineout steals in succession off the tallest pack in the comp and that trend continued. With this glut of possession and territory, they attacked the Varsity line for the first quarter of the game but could not shift the scoreboard as the students defended their line with real grit. Finally, after 20 minutes, Harbour had too many numbers out wide and winger Wiremu Brailey went over for the unconverted try. Varsity had their best moment of the game from the kickoff when big Mitch Tinnock plucked the ball out of the air and fed the backline. Centre Joe Parkinson found a huge hole to level the game up, very much against the run of play. Harbour continued to control territory and possession — and the game. After 30 minutes they had their reward when after a sweeping movement, led by midfielder Viliame Lea and lock Taylor Dale, Brailey went in for his second to give Harbour a 12-5 lead. Closing in on halftime a carbon copy movement occurred, but this time Brailey was dragged down just short. But from the ensuing ruck loosie Toni Taufa crashed over to give Harbour a 19-5 lead at the break and Varsity looked shattered. From the kickoff Varsity turned over the ball in their own 22. Harbour first five Rique Miln calmly drop kicked a goal to extend the lead and Varsity’s dream of a final were extinguished. To seal it Harbour forced a 5m scrum moments later and yet again Varsity were penalised. Quick-thinking No 8 Cody Lokotui took the quick tap and dived over beside the posts to seal it. Harbour then had the luxury with 20 minutes to go to rest key players so the game lost shape, thus giving Varsity the opportunity to score a couple of tries to put some respectability into the scoreboard. Winger Jay Reihana was on the end of an overlap for the first. Then right on fulltime No 8 Will Stodart crashed over when he to took a quick tap penalty close to the posts. For Harbour the front row led by Saula Mau terrorised their opposites at scrum time. Dale was a monster at lineout time and was unstoppable with ball in hand with a sublime performance. He was ably-supported by Taufa whose tackling was bone-crunching and accurate. Miln directed play with aplomb and wisely kept the ball in front of his marauding forwards. Out wide Brailey and fullback Luca Fuller were full of pace and enterprise. Varsity only have themselves to blame as their lineout was simply awful and they could not compete at scrum time. Stodart tried hard at No 8 and halfback Kieran McLea tried to inspire his side with his counterattacking forays but it was no to be for the students. Harbour go back to the final for the second successive year where once again Kaikorai await. — Paul Dwyer Kaikorai 20 Taieri 15 Must not say game of two halves. Must not say game of two halves. Must not say game of two halves. But it really was just that at Peter Johnstone Park. Defending champions Kaikorai were utterly dominant in the first half, at the end of which they led 20-3 and appeared to be cruising back into the final a year after beating Harbour. But Taieri, roared on by a vocal home crowd, took charge in the second. The Eels kept their defensive line intact, scored two quick tries and probably should have won the game, but they wasted three excellent opportunities. Kaikorai made a spectacular start to the game thanks to a piece of individual brilliance from winger Jake Hill. He is never the biggest man on the field but he has dynamite acceleration, and he beat three defenders on the left flank to score the opening try after just four minutes. Ben Miller and Archie Body traded penalties before Kaikorai scored their second try. Jake Fowler charged down a kick and Gregor Rutledge was quick to jump on the loose ball. Miller kicked a 50-22 and slotted a penalty to make it 20-3 after 29 minutes, and when Taieri — who kicked aimlessly and whose one chance to celebrate in the first half was a magnificent scrum that led to a penalty — had Josh Whaanga yellow-carded for a no-arms tackle, it looked to be lights out for the Eels. But there is a spine to this Taieri team, even with so many players on the injured list. They built some attacking pressure early in the second half that created a gap for second five Josh Munro to score. After 61 minutes, Taieri scored the try of the game. A clearing kick took a vicious bounce, Marc Rooney regathered, and the final pass went to No 8 Caine Taylor, who scampered 40m to the line. It was very much game on, especially as Kaikorai went into their shells a little. Taieri spent a long period of attack but kept finding ways to miss their winning moment. A handy scrum got twisted, and another good opportunity was wrecked by a poor pass. Joe Cockburn, in his 50th game, belted down a 50-22 but Kaikorai flanker Slade McDowall snaffled a turnover, and the Demons wound down the clock. McDowall, Rutledge and Lucas Casey hunted superbly as a unit in the first half, Miller celebrated his 32nd birthday with some magnificent kicking and decision-making, and Fowler was strong in midfield. Taieri got great value out of powerful prop Cam Allan-McNeill and flanker Tom Bolton, while Cockburn and Whaanga were each excellent as the Eels came back in the second half. — Hayden Meikle Dunedin semifinals The scores Harbour 29 (Wiremu Brailey 2, Toni Taufa, Cody Lokotui tries; Rique Miln 3 con, drop goal), Varsity 19 (Joe Parkinson, Jay Reihana, Will Stodart tries; Rico Muliaina 2 con). Halftime: Harbour 19-5 Kaikorai 20 (Jake Hill, Gregor Rutledge tries; Ben Miller 2 con, 2 pen), Taieri 15 (Josh Munro, Caine Taylor tries; Archie Body con, pen). Halftime: Kaikorai 20-3.
