Rhys Harrold and his Cromwell team-mates are flying in the Central Otago premier club rugby competition. Photo: Katrina Maxwell

Cromwell registered their 11th straight victory in the Central Otago premier club competition on Saturday, downing Alexandra 29-12 at Molyneux Park.

But the win has come at considerable cost ahead of this weekend’s White Horse Cup challenge against Upper Clutha.

Captain and lock Stefan Blakeborough tore his Achilles tendon and is out for the season, while star midfield back Hayden Todd suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury.

‘‘Them’s the breaks,’’ Cromwell coach Rodger Dawson said.

‘‘We’d had a charmed run with injuries. Now in one afternoon we lose two of our best players.’’

Blakeborough had chalked up 125 games for Cromwell without suffering a serious injury before Saturday.

Todd, a former New Zealand Heartland XV representative while playing for North Otago, had come out of retirement and was playing high-quality rugby.

In the circumstances, Cromwell did well to beat Alexandra because, injuries aside, they were also without lineout ace Reon Buchanan, down with illness.

Cromwell, who last held the much-treasured White Horse Cup in 2021, beat Upper Clutha 21-12 at home back in early May, the only loss either side has suffered all season.

Upper Clutha, meanwhile, scored a convincing 31-14 win over Arrowtown on Saturday in a game that was transferred to the Queenstown Events Centre after Thursday’s snow fall left Jack Reid Park in a treacherous state.

Co-captain Oliver Stirling scored two of his team’s five tries, giving him 10 for the season, closely followed by team-mates Jack East (nine), Joshua Clark (eight) and Nico Bowering (seven).

While Stirling merited the man of the match award, it was Arrowtown’s exciting centre, Max Brown, son of All Blacks great Olo Brown, who scored the two classiest tries, beating half a dozen players in a 60m run before dotting down behind the posts for the second.

Arrowtown, Maniototo and Alexandra are in a desperate fight for the fourth semifinal spot.

Maniototo scored seven tries in beating bottom-placed Matakanui Combined 39-17 in Omakau, leaving them equal with Alexandra, one point behind Arrowtown.

Arrowtown have the bye this weekend while Maniototo take on Wakatipu in Ranfurly and Matakanui Combined host Alexandra.

In the final qualifying round, it is Arrowtown against Matakanui Combined, while Alexandra and Maniototo do battle at Molyneux Park. — Bob Howitt