Rugby: Dunedin upsets Taieri; Harbour leads

Harbour halfback Tala Fagasoaia looks to go inside his Kaikorai opposite Josh Renton, while...
Harbour halfback Tala Fagasoaia looks to go inside his Kaikorai opposite Josh Renton, while Harbour first five-eighth Joe Collins is coming up in support. Kaikorai centre Danny van der Voort awaits developments. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Back-up Highlanders loose forward Gareth Evans was dynamic during Dunedin's 48-25 shock win against Taieri.

The result meant a reshuffle at the top of the standings, as Harbour's 32-17 win against Kaikorai was good enough for it to take pole position.

The Hawks won the battle up front through their menacing forward pack.

Southern escaped with a dramatic 23-22 win against the winless Alhambra-Union.

Green Island picked up its second win with a strong second-half effort to beat Zingari-Richmond 32-26, and University A thrashed Pirates 73-3.

Dunedin            48
Taieri                25

Dunedin started the game with pace and precision and the forward pack imposed itself on the game.

The Dunedin pick and go and driving maul was a feature of the first 20 minutes and the side was rewarded for its endeavour with three well-taken tries.

The first two came from line out drives close to the line and both were scored by hooker Aiden Lloyd.

Dunedin was in again after 20 minutes when the game's outstanding figure No8 Evans crashed over out wide.

Taieri had hardly touched the ball in this period and was playing with a stiff breeze at its back.

It finally established some control and got some territory and possession, scoring two tries to flanker Riley McDowall and halfback Kurt Hammer.

Throw in a penalty and a conversion to centre Matt Whaanga and the scores were tied at halftime.

But when Evans crashed over two minutes into the second spell, the game was as good as over.

The weather gods were shining on the dark blues as the stiff breeze became a howling banshee and Taieri were playing catch up.

The Dunedin pack took control at scrum and line out time and camped deep in Taieri territory.

The tries had to come and flanker Hame Toma, prop Donald Brighouse, midfielder Rob Thompson and standoff Louis Tili queued up to crash over, and Dunedin led by 33 with only minutes left on the clock.

Taieri showed resilience by scoring two late tries with the best being a 70-metre solo effort by fullback Mitchell Scott.

Evans was outstanding and the rampaging Dunedin pack followed him assiduously around the park.

Captain and lock Mark Grieve Dunn, hooker Lloyd and flanker Hame Toma were tigerish in the pursuit of the pill.

For Taieri, lock Matt Davidson battled away manfully while Aki Seuili tried his hardest with innumerable carries.

Kurt Hammer and Mitchell Scott were the best of Taieri's backs.

Harbour          32
Kaikorai          17

Harbour makes the hard yards look easy and ground out a victory against Kaikorai at Watson Park to move to the top of the standings.

The Hawks have a menacing pack and that is where they were able to hurt Kaikorai.

The lineout functioned particularly well.

Hale T-Pole was a key man in the middle and Ben Whale was a pest at the front.

It was a lineout move which resulted in the first try.

T-Pole claimed the ball and passed to halfback Tala Fagasoaia, who drew the only defender on the blindside and off-loaded to Sekonaia Pole to score.

Fagasoaia was instrumental in the next.

He scooped the ball up from the base of the breakdown and ran through the middle before finding winger Jerome Harimate on the inside.

He left the field shortly after with an injury, having outclassed his Highlanders opposite Josh Renton, who was guilty of kicking aimlessly although he did clear the ruck quite sharply.

A sloppy clearance from Mitchell Purvis found the waiting arms of Sala Halaleva and the Harbour winger made two or three defenders look very average as he stepped and sprinted in the Hawks' third try.

Aleki Morris bagged the bonus point try when he spun out of a tackle shortly before the break.

Kaikorai managed one try in the opening 40min when prop George Hendry crashed over, against the run of play.

The weather closed in during the second half and the game rather petered out.

Southern                    23
Alhambra-Union         22

Alhambra-Union made an emphatic statement that it has a desire to shake off the underdog tag after its enthralling encounter against Southern at the North Ground.

The home side dominated from the kickoff, but a ninth-minute try to Southern left wing Piliu Tavake, against the run of play, handed Southern the first points.

Despite the early setback, Alhambra-Union continued to maintain a decisive territorial advantage, and the points followed as the mistakes came from a Southern side under pressure.

Alhambra-Union captain Caleb Gray led by example and his service from halfback was swift and precise.

Highlander Luke Whitelock proved an inspiration to the pack from No8, and with flankers Jacob Coghlan and Ben Tuiomanufili, complemented some superb play from the tight five.

The backline gelled, with some stunning defensive work and kicking to space from first five-eight Rhys Morgan and full back Jona Nareki.

For Southern first five-eighth Josh Ioane made some telling breaks, and the outside backs of Tavake, Hemaua Samasoni and Ryan Tongia posed an ever present danger.

It was these threats that in the final minutes turned the game back to Southern.

Behind 13-22, with time almost up and forced to feed off scraps, Southern surged on to attack.

Tavake touching down for a second try and Jono Hayes made a successful return from injury to nail the sideline conversion.

Then, with time up and Southern in helter-skelter mode, a handy penalty two minutes into injury time proved a gift for Hayes and Alhambra-Union's undoing.

Green Island                   32
Zingari-Richmond            26

Green Island reversed a 14-point deficit and ran in four second-half tries to beat Zingari-Richmond and claim the Hellyer Memorial at Miller Park.

The Colours had the better of the opening 40 minutes.

Experienced loose forward Chris Bell made the most of his opportunities and scored two tries.

His first was from an intercept and he had a 30m gallop to the line.

His second was from a quick tap which caught the Green Island defence napping.

Impressive fullback Alex Barnsley slotted two penalties for Green Island but his side went to the break trailing 20-6.

A serious injury to Green Island loose forward Tahu Nikora meant the game had to be shifted to another ground and the move brought a change of fortune.

Barnsley started to find gaps whenever he touched the ball.

Centre Taisei Hayashi hit the ball up nice and straight and hooker Ricky Hollamby made some strong runs.

Highlanders prop Ross Geldenhuys got the Green Island scrum going forward and loose forward Jackson Hemopo added his bulk to the effort, as well.

Bell was the best of the Zingari-Richmond players and first five-eighth Thomas Johnson kicked well.

University          73
Pirates                3

There were rumours Pirates might default.

That might have been a good result.

University A ran in 12 tries against an under-strength Pirates unit which lacked the personnel to put up much more of a fight at home at Hancock Park.

The signs were ominous early, when University taking a tighthead in the opening six minutes.

The students worked the ball along the backline for Ali Cargo to score in the corner.

Pirates replied through a penalty to Craig Snedden but that was the last time Pirates would trouble the scorers.

The defensive woes which have bothered Pirates returned and University bossed the game from that point.

Winger Sam McLachlan bagged three tries and Cargo added a second.

Fletcher Smith had a dream run at first five-eighth and got the backline operating very smoothly.

He did not have the best of days with the boot, though, missing seven conversion attempts.

A small hiccup when you win by 70 points.

Hooker Sam Sturgess and prop Angus Williams were good up front and halfback Conrad Goodhew was slick and had plenty of time.

Midfield back Faasiu Fuitai looks to have returned to some good form, which will please the Otago selectors.

As always, Josh Clark stood out for Pirates and back Will Scorgie kept working hard, despite the score blowing out.

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