North Otago sports roundup

Valley flanker Sam Sturgess prepares to throw to a lineout during the Citizens Shield semifinal...
Valley flanker Sam Sturgess prepares to throw to a lineout during the Citizens Shield semifinal against Old Boys at Whitestone Contracting Stadium in Oamaru on Saturday. PHOTO: HAYDEN MEIKLE
Rugby

It will be an all-country Citizens Shield final next Saturday after Valley beat top qualifiers Old Boys 32-29 in a thriller at Whitestone Stadium.

The game went into extra time after the final score had been tied at 29-29.

Kurow is the other finalist, after it came from 21-13 behind in the second half to beat Maheno 35-32 at home.

Valley used its powerful forwards to deny the effervescent Old Boys' backline the ball, its pick and go giving it an edge.

Old Boys made a positive start, but it was Valley centre Matthew Vocea who opened the scoring with a try, converted by Dan Lewis.

Old Boys came back immediately when captain Ralph Darling touched down for halfback Inoke Naufahu to convert.

Lemi Masoe added to Old Boys' total towards the end of the third quarter with an unconverted try.

But the Valley pick and drive began to make an impression.

Midway through the first half big prop Meli Kolinisau drove over to level the score, and he repeated the dose two minutes from halftime.

Lewis' conversion gave Valley a 19-12 halftime lead.

Lewis added a penalty early in the second half before Darling set Naufahu up for a try to reduce the deficit to five.

Four minutes later Naufahu crossed for his second try from a scrum, and his conversion put Old Boys back in front 24-22.

Old Boys flanker Filipo Veamatahau extended Old Boys' lead to 29-22 four minutes later, but Valley's pick and go brought it back into the game with a try to lock Cedric Laurent, which Lewis converted to tie the lead at 29-29 after 80 minutes.

In extra time Old Boys conceded a penalty on their 10m mark; Lewis kicked the winner.

Maheno made a positive start against Kurow, with Levi Emery kicking three early penalties and scoring a try to give his side a 14-3 lead after 16 minutes.

On the other side of the ledger Kurow first five eighth Tyler Burgess kicked a penalty.

At the end of the first quarter Kurow prop Petero Houhila added to his tally of tries, touching down for Burgess to convert and reduce the deficit to four points at 14-10 to Maheno.

Maheno flanker Marcus Balchin touched down 16 minutes from halftime and Emery's conversion took Maheno out to a 21-10 lead.

Burgess added a penalty a minute from halftime, but a late Emery penalty gave Maheno a 24-13 halftime lead.

Kurow struck back hard early in the second half though, with tries to Jesse Porter, Dean Fenwick and Ben Nowell within 11 minutes taking them to a 32-24 lead.

In the last 10 minutes Emery's penalty in the 68th minute was matched by a Burgess penalty, putting the score at 35-27 to Kurow, and in a final flurry Emery added an unconverted try, giving Kurow the game 35-32 and a trip to the final against Valley.

Football

Both Meadowbanks teams in the South Canterbury league came home with smiles on their faces.

In first division Timaru City led Meadowbank 1sts 2-0, but Meadowbank hit back in the second half with goals to Reece Curle, Sam Bastin, James Hutchison and Sullivan Martin for a 4-2 victory.

In the second division Meadowbank Reserves swept out to a 4-1 win over Roncalli/Thistle.

Indoor bowls

North Otago teams performed well at the New Zealand mixed fours and New Zealand mixed pairs at the South Island Eastern Zone finals played in Geraldine.

Canterbury won the fours, with the North Otago team of Gordon Robb, Lynne Porter, Andy Blakeley and Aylene Millar finishing in second.

Canterbury also won the mixed pairs, with North Otago's Lynne Porter and Andy Blakely taking second place.

Locally Gordon Robb and Joy Gibson took the Yankee bowls with Rhonda Lockerbie, John Brice and Jo Kington second.

 - Terry O'Neill

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