The weather bomb hit about 3pm, but it didn't affect results as all ran with form. Taieri had the wind in both halves and Zingari wasn't in it.
Varsity thrashed Dunedin, and the Sharks' tenuous grip on the four is unclenching rapidly. Southern comfortably accounted for Green Island at a wintry Toolbox.
Harbour got its season back on track when outplaying Kaik at Port.
Breeny-less Alhambra-Union was too strong for Pirates, even with prop Viggo kicking goals.
That decision
The Highlanders were robbed by Canterbury - what else is new?
Colin Hawke, a cop from South Canterbury, is replaced by Vinnie Munro, a cop from South Canterbury. This decision could cost us a spot in the playoffs. But the controversy does not end there.
The word is there were a couple of local refs in the fateful box with Vinnie, massaging his feet and getting him coffee to keep him awake.
One portly Chris Hart (also from Canterbury) and the man himself, Welcome Back Kotter (Jim Thomson).
He got the services to sport award in Otago on the Friday night - congrats for that, mate, but you could have remembered that on Saturday night!
Speaking of the Crusaders spreading their influence, Super Coach II (little Jimmy Columb jun) is under a massive ''Whitelock'' spell and was apparently seen in a Crusaders jersey last Saturday night - tell me it isn't true.
They just keep on giving
The Central Otago board has taken things to new levels. A quick summation: Clyde played an unregistered prop for half a game against Upper Clutha.
The club falsified the team sheet and told a few porkies when quizzed about it. There was an incident last year, so there is some history.
But get this: the board handed down bans totalling five years to the coach and managers, deducted all Clyde's points up to and including that game, and fined the club $750.
Lads, they didn't kill anyone. Miscreants have got less for manslaughter!
Apparently the Clyde pub was in uproar on Friday night as people read the punishment. Doesn't this playing of dodgy players happen in the country all the time?
Didn't former All Black Isaac Ross play for Upper Clutha this year?
This sentence defies belief. Clyde quite rightly has appealed to the ORFU for some sanity. That hearing is taking place early next week.
On the field, this whole comp now comes down to the two unbeaten teams, the Bulls and the Maggots. Also, the Central v Southern game is being played at ''Stonehenge'' tomorrow because Jim Hore said so. Consequently, Central will win.
Insurrection to follow
So we've spent a million dollars on Portsmouth Dr and effectively shut the bottom of Portobello Rd, and now you have to walk or bike to the St Clair precinct.
I hope the 100 cyclists (and that's being generous) have a lot of disposable income to make up for the other 99.9% of us.
I hear once they've closed Victoria Rd they are moving on to Forbury just to ensure we can't sneak through. It's time to stand up to Mayor Cull and his lycra-wearing mates.
We need to take a leaf out of the French farmers' handbook. Every time a dodgy NZ lamb chop turns up on the shelf, the lads drive their tractors into town to sort out the offending chop.
I'm going to get all the car dealers in town to rise up and drive a few cars each into the centre of town and leave them there. Join the revolution.
Snippets
Mike Kerr, the Highlanders mouthpiece, was so incensed he shoulder-charged ''Toddy'' after the game but to his dismay, Blackadder never noticed it.
Typical lightweight outside back! Congrats to Andy Bremner who brought up 100 games for Pirates and GI a couple of weeks ago.
This weekend
Destroyed Rob Bain last weekend so the streak is alive. Up against dodgy radio DJ Damian Newell this weekend. He needs a bit of a lift as he lost his partner in crime, Nicky, a few days ago and his listening audience dropped from 20 to 10.
I think his mother was one of those! The Magpies should destroy the Sharks (12-) but I'd rather go pole dancing with Super Coach at the Fever Club than pick them.
The Eels (13+) will take the Speight's Shield off Varsity straight away. The Hawks (12-) upset the Onion at the Pony Pit. Kaik (13+) finally grab some points at the High Veldt as the Spannerheads rust up there. The Colours (13+) bounce back over Pirates.
- paul.dwyer@alliedpress.co.nz
