Taieri, Varsity seal places in semifinals

Alhambra-Union's Levi Emery is tackled by Dunedin players Owen Hundt and George Witana (obscured)...
Alhambra-Union's Levi Emery is tackled by Dunedin players Owen Hundt and George Witana (obscured) during a Dunedin premier club rugby match at Kettle Park on Saturday.PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON
Taieri and University are safely through to the semifinals.

Both teams had to work hard for the spot, though. Taieri edged Harbour 23-18 and University squeaked past Kaikorai 28-27.

Harbour booked its semifinal berth last week which leaves one slot available.

Green Island can secure its place with a four-try bonus-point win against Dunedin at Miller Park next weekend, while Kaikorai will be chasing maximum points when it plays Zingari-Richmond at Montecillo.

In the other matches, Southern beat Zingari-Richmond 48-32 and Dunedin downed Alhambra-Union 39-5.

Taieri 23 Harbour 18

Harbour won the collisions.

Taieri was more organised.

It was the latter which proved decisive at Peter Johnstone Park.

The Eels midfield combination of Matt Whaanga and William Ngatai scored late tries to help clinch the win.

Whaanga had cut through a hole and then sold a wonderful dummy to fool the remaining defence, while Ngatai scored the match-winner when he got himself on the end of the chain from a lovely set-piece move with two minutes remaining.

Harbour scored three tries as well but was hamstrung without a regular goalkicker.

Halfback Tala Faga'soaia assumed the role and drilled a penalty. But he missed all three conversions including one from right in front.

He had dotted down under the posts after also selling the defenders a cracking dummy, but his conversion was partially charged and went under the crossbar. It would have been a goal in football but not rugby.

Harbour played a bruising game. Some of the hits hurt from the sideline.

Otago forward Sione Misiloi played at No8 and that gave him the freedom to use his solid frame to terrorise the defence and haunt the ball carriers.

He was outstanding and looked to be leading his side to a win. But Taieri needed the win more and found a way to do so. It was out wide where it found the gaps.

Otago halfback Kurt Hammer made a big difference when he came on midway through the second spell. His pass was critical in getting the ball to the flanks more quickly.

Dunedin 39 Alhambra-Union 5

Dunedin may have a big say in the make-up of the final four.

The Sharks dispatched Alhambra-Union 39-5 at Kettle Park and seemed to have discovered some form late in the season.

They ran in three tries in the first 15 minutes of the second spell to seal the healthy win.

It is the first time Dunedin has strung together consecutive wins this season which will worry Green Island.

The Grizzlies had a bye on Saturday but have clung on to a spot in the top four.

But with Kaikorai likely to bag maximum points against Zingari-Richmond next weekend, Green Island will need to beat Dunedin to secure a playoff berth.

That might not be that easy, after the Dunedin pack produced a tidy effort against AU, which has some very decent forwards as well.

The Broncos' main issue has been their lack of strike power. They have the worst attack in the competition and they slipped off a lot of tackles on Saturday.

In saying that, midfielder Junior Vitale had a good match.

For Dunedin, prop Teague McElroy scored two tries from close range and was devastating on defence. He also carried the ball strongly.

First five-eighth George Witana steered his side around nicely.

Southern 48 Zingari-Richmond 32

If you have a couple of hours we could run you through the tries one by one.

It is fair to say tackling was not high on the agenda at Bathgate Park. Southern outscored Zingari-Richmond 48-32 in a try-fest.

The home team ran in eight five-pointers, while Zingari-Richmond nabbed four and grabbed a crucial bonus point which has lifted it off the bottom of the standings.

That spot now belongs to Alhambra-Union.

The Colours made a terrific start to match. They were up 14-0 after 13 minutes.

Winger Cole Bardwell scored a smashing try. He chipped ahead, regathered, palmed off a couple of defenders and scored in the corner.

Midfielder Keenan Masina, who had an impressive game, cut through to help set up the next.

Thomas Johnson banged over both conversions from the sideline to leave Southern stunned.

But the home team got back into the match through bruising No 8 Mika Mafi. He barged the ball up and got the Southern pack rumbling forward again.

The Magpies went into the break trailing 14-10. Southern was more clinical in the second spell when it got opportunities and mercurial fullback Mackenzie Haugh grabbed a brace of tries.

But it was willy-nilly stuff from two sides well out of the running for the playoffs. Fun to watch, though.

University 28 Kaikorai 27

A final quarter fight-back gave Kaikorai renewed hope of becoming one of the top four teams to contest the semifinals on July 20, despite its 28-27 loss to University at Bishopscourt.

Kaikorai made its intentions clear early against the Bookworms, who took time to settle their set piece, as Kaikorai, true to its adopted branding, played like demons. Its scrum put University on the back foot early, but with a backline full of runners, University secured a 20-13 lead at the break through tries to centre Josh Timu and wing Patrick Atkinson, and the boot of first five-eighth Mike Williams.

The student side started the second spell with a roar, with its forward pack taking advantage of lapses in Kaikorai's intensity. Lock Josh Hill sliced through the Kaikorai defence to score in the opening minutes of the half. The game then ebbed and flowed as each side fought to gain ascendancy, until Kaikorai regained a sniff 10min from time through a try to replacement openside flanker Jake Russ.

Calmer heads may have enabled it to add to its points tally soon afterwards but despite this, it remained camped deep inside to University 22m through to the 80th minute, when it was awarded a penalty try from its rolling maul to keep its chances for the season finale alive.

Standing out around the park for University were prop Callum Hardie, hooker Ricky Jackson, locks Josh Hill and Sam Dickson and midfielders Emeka Ilogu and Josh Timu.

For Kaikorai, front-rowers Jackson Dempster, Sam Wyber and Mitchell Mahoni-Rae, loose forwards Slade McDowall and Christian Lio-Willie played themselves to a standstill and first five-eighth Ben Miller was always a danger with ball in hand.

 - ODT rugby writers 

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