Penalty count Dunedin's undoing

Southern first five-eighth Josh Ioane goes past Dunedin centre Leroy van Dam at Bathgate Park on Saturday. Photo: Gregor Richardson.
Southern first five-eighth Josh Ioane goes past Dunedin centre Leroy van Dam at Bathgate Park on Saturday. Photo: Gregor Richardson.
Southern claimed top spot with a 41-25 win against Dunedin in a top-of-the-table match.

University drew 20-20 with Harbour but slipped down the standings two spots.

Alhambra-Union recorded a comfortable 51-25 win against Zingari-Richmond, and Kaikorai continued its resurgence with a 51-17 win against Green Island.

Southern: 41

Dunedin: 25

This was a game where an under-strength Southern side took all its opportunities and ended up winning the game, going away at the end.

Both sides scored four tries and at 25-24 to Dunedin with 15 minutes to go, it could have gone either way.

But Dunedin never got on the good side of ref Jono Bredin and suffered from a lopsided penalty count. Any momentum it generated was undone by handling errors and mounting penalties. Josh Ioane, Southern's best, capitalised and kicked five penalties, which was ultimately the difference in the game.

Dunedin outscored Southern three tries to one but led only 17-16 at the break.

Flanker Hame Toma picked up a brace and first five-eighth George Witana showed pace to latch on to a kick and scamper away. Fullback Bryce Hosie also scored from a kick through for Southern's only five-pointer of the spell.

The sides swapped tries from forward drives early in the second spell. Southern hooker Cameron Keech went over before Dunedin midfielder Fapene Popoaili'i dived over from a big Dunedin rolling maul.

But Southern came away late in the spell on the back of more penalties to get field position and score two late tries to winger Johnny Smith and replacement prop Mike Mata'afa to win by a rather flattering 16 points.

Southern wins the first round and the Speight's Jug.

Dunedin will rue the handling mistakes and the lack of empathy with the referee. It also lost first five-eighth George Witana with a dislocated shoulder and a possible season-ender to cap the side's afternoon.

Ioane was Southern's best but he was well supported by halfback Josh Walden. Fullback Bryce Hosie was its best out wide and Cameron Keech was lively up front.

Centre Leroy Van Dam and flanker Hame Toma were at the forefront of all the Dunedin attacks.

University: 20

Harbour: 20

Harbour snatched a draw with a daring late move that swept the length of the field.

Trailing University 20-15 with about a minute remaining in regulation time at the University Oval, Harbour ran the ball out from its own goal line.

Winger Sala Halaleva got on the outside of his man and scampered up the touchline.

Sio Tomkinson stayed in support and made a good carry as well. The Hawks then swung the ball left to lock Chucky Koroi, who burst through a gap in the midfield and showed tremendous pace for a big bloke.

He offloaded in a tackle to replacement winger Markis Schaaf, who finished off the wonderful counterattack in his 50th match for the Hawks.

Tomkinson lined up the conversion from a handy enough position but hit the upright.

Harbour's final heroics lit up what was a rather dull and sloppy second half.

University had more possession in the first 40 minutes and scored the game's opening try when Josh Timu, who had a strong match, sliced through the defence and set up winger Taylor Haugh.

Harbour responded through its forwards. Ben Whale, who was also playing his 50th game, charged towards the line from a scrum move and was caught just short.

The ball was cleared quickly from that ruck and loose forward Tim Medder went over out wide.

University lock Josh Dickson had an impressive match and got on the score sheet 10 minutes before the break. He crashed over from close range, dragging a couple of bodies with him.

Kaikorai: 51

Green Island: 17

Kaikorai overcame an early deficit and a spirited start from Green Island to run in nine tries to three in its 51-17 victory at Miller Park.

Honours in the opening minutes went to Kaikorai as it dominated territory and possession from the kick-off. Openside flanker Slade McDowall dived over to score the first of his side's four tries that would be scored in the right-hand corner of the ground, at the Christie St end.

McDowall's try spurred Green Island into life and it replied with two tries of its own to take 12-5 lead midway through the first half.

Kaikorai then began to run rampant and it dominated the second quarter, taking a 24-12 lead into the break.

Despite a long pause while players awaited the return of the referee, it was not long before Kaikorai prop Jonah Aoina scored his sixth try in four weeks.

The battle of the Bens at first five-eighth proved an interesting match-up. Despite landing only two conversions from eight attempts, Kaikorai's Ben Miller scored two tries.

His second was Beauden Barrett-like in execution. Replacement back Angus Gray chipped a cross-field kick that Miller gathered in before fending off three defenders and diving over for the five-pointer. Green Island's Ben Patston also had an off day with the boot, but was faultless in his ball service and kicks for field position.

But play of the day would surely be the 40m run to the line, late in the game, from replacement wing George Thomas, who parted the Green Island defenders as if they were the Red Sea.

Alhambra-Union: 51

Zingari-Richmond: 25

Alhambra-Union's flying wing Jona Nareki intercepted a loose pass at halfway and broke the defence and morale to end a gallant Zingari-Richmond second-half comeback at the North Ground.

It proved to be the decisive act and opened the door to two late tries that gave Alhambra-Union a 51-25 win.

The New Zealand under-20 representative proved a handful and kept Zingari's defence on its toes.

He was backed by fullback and New Zealand sevens representative Vilimoni Koroi. The two speedsters caused headaches for the defence.

They were backed by an efficient service from halfback Caleb Gray, and some deft touches by first five-eighth Zach Porter and midfield back Poasa Cama.

Alhambra-Union scored five first-half tries and looked to have the game sewn up with a 29-8 lead at the break.

But Zingari changed tactics in the second spell and kept the ball in the forwards.

Zingari starved Alhambra-Union of ball and scored four tries with sustained forward pressure in a 26-minute period to reduce the gap to four points.

The powerful driving play of No8 Chris Bell, flankers Tom Rowe and Jack Wolfreys, hooker Karl Still and lock Eli Tonga brought Zingari close.

Zingari had complete domination in the lineout with Rowe making five clean takes and Tonga seven.

Thomas Johnson kicked just two goals from five attempts for Zingari and Porter five from nine for Alhambra-Union. Alhambra-Union flanker Max Aitkenhead had a solid 50th premier game for the club.

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