Clutha convincing in win

Clutha celebrates winning the Otago Countrywide club final over Cromwell in Balclutha on Saturday...
Clutha celebrates winning the Otago Countrywide club final over Cromwell in Balclutha on Saturday. Photos by Gregor Richardson.
The Clutha Steamers have sewn up back to back countrywide titles with a convincing 58-24 win over the Cromwell Goats in Balclutha.

Clutha scored five tries in each half to show its dominance over its central rivals.

Cromwell scored first and looked as though it was up for the battle, but Clutha gradually wore the visitors down and started to dominate in key areas.

Contact at the breakdown and spreading the ball wide quickly allowed Clutha centre Rhys Harrold to wrap up a first half hat-trick.

Harrold ran great lines and finished off the tries well.

The home side was up 29-17 at halftime and pushed on in the second half, controlling possession and punching holes in the Cromwell defence with ease.

The Goats slipped off a few tackles and Clutha capitalised.

Clutha coach Ben Keach was thrilled with the result and praised the young players in the side for stepping up when required.

Heath Cruikshank had a storming game for the home side.

He has made the jump from colts this season  and is definitely one  to watch. 

Max Pennell and Kurt Turnbull hit the Cromwell defence hard and made breaks with ease.

In the backline for Clutha, Rhys Harrold and Jared Edwards both had storming games also.

For Cromwell, missing a couple of key players, it was just maybe one game too many at the end of a long season.

As the curtain comes down on the South Otago Rugby competition for another season, a huge congratulations to the Clutha players, management and supporters.

Clutha 58 (Rhys Harrold 3, Sylvester Reeves 2, Robin Fesilafai, Jared Edwards, Matt Korteweg, Simon Grant, Max Pennell tries; Rhys Harrold 4 con) beat Cromwell 24 (Hayden Todd, Danny Russell, Blake McPhee tries; Ben Maxwell 2 con pen,  Travis Mitchell 1 con). HT 29-17

- Francis Parker

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