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It’s playoff time in Dunedin club rugby this weekend as the top six sides are locked and loaded.
To be fair we’ve known the top six sides for a few weeks, as the bottom three sides Dunedin, AU and Zingari, just weren’t competitive enough to challenge and last weekend’s games proved that.
Varsity on a surprisingly firm Oval track were just too fast out wide, and Dunedin as they have done all season, turned over ball at will and the Bookends pounced and made no race of it.
Harbour are coming right at the business end of the season and put 70 on a hapless AU at the Lobster Pot.
Similarly Kaik destroyed GI by 50 up at the High Veldt to announce to the comp they are looking at back-to-back titles.
Lucas Casey was back and helped himself to three tries and they may roll out Christian Lio-Willie this weekend.
Finally, an under-strength Taieri side still put 40-plus points on Zingers to get their hands on the Gallaway Trophy and go into the playoffs at No 1 and give themselves a ‘‘life’’ if they need it.
Of course that leaves Zingers with the dreaded ‘‘Wooden Spoon’’.
Down on the Farm
It’s semifinal time (already?) in the Deep South with raging favourites the Barbarians hosting Star and Pirates Old Boys taking on Woodlands.
The Baabaas should dispatch Star comfortably to head to the Galbraith Shield match, but the other game is too close to call.
POB go in as favourites and I’ll tip them but Woodlands won’t make it easy and they’ll know they’ve been in a game.
In the South, kissing cousins Clutha and Valley had a barnstormer and the farmers, if they’d kicked the odd conversion, would have won.
Also the wheels are falling off at Outram as the Pigs went down to the Colliers from Crescent.
In the North, unbelievably Valley won in the mythical crossover round but all everybody wants to know is how Old Boys drew bottom team Kurow.
It was a ‘‘so-so’’ weekend in Central but really it’s all about the biggest game of the season tomorrow, when Upper Clutha defend the ‘‘White Horse’’ against the comp high flyers Cromwell who are 6 points clear of the field.
The bad news for the Goats is they lost their two best players to injury for the season against Alex last weekend.
Captain Stefan Blakeborough tore his Achilles and perennial Central superstar Hayden Todd (centre) dislocated his shoulder.
There is a whisper former Highlander and NZ Sevens player Michael Manson suited up for his former club and scored a couple of tries, so he could be the ‘‘man’’ against Upper Clutha.
To do that he’ll have to really get involved in the game with his blinding pace — move him in from the wing, lads!
Upper Clutha are back to full strength and are tearing the wharf down on Lake Wanaka they are so keen to get it on and avenge the loss to the Goats earlier in the season. I’m tipping Upper Clutha to win it and finish as No 1 seeds as the Goats have the bye next week. But mark my words, get to Wanaka tomorrow.
Other grades
Even though the other grades are in hiatus because of the Varsity holidays and some of them don’t finish until Christmas, I thought I’d update who is doing what.
In the women’s grade, Dunedin have cleared out from the pack and lead the comp by 12 points from Varsity with AU and Big River a point back.
The Sharks have lost a couple of games now, though.
I get the feeling the final will be between Dunedin and Varsity.
In Prem 2s, Taieri are 10 points clear of Kaik with GI and Harbour back in 3rd and 4th. It looks like Taieri’s to lose.
In Seniors, Kaik and Taieri are neck and neck but Pirates and Eastern aren’t far away, so too close to call at this stage.
In Prem Colts, it’s now tight at the top with the usual protagonists starring.
Kaik lead by 2 points from Varsity with Dunedin the perennial winners recovering, to be a point back in third.
You can lock it in that one of the three will win it, but too close to call who!!
In Junior Colts, Dunedin lead by five points from Kaik and one of these two sides should win with the Bulls the pronounced favourites.
As far as Ainge Shield goes, for the best performed club, Kaik shouldn’t take it out of their cabinet!
Some bits
Last weekend we had 50th games for Mitch Tinnock (Varsity), Toni Taufa (Harbour) and Tevita Pole (Harbour), so congratulations, lads, on your blazers.
This weekend, Tom Bolton (Taieri), Caleb Leef (Taieri) and Moana Takataka (Kaik) all hit 50, so well done, lads.
Spare a thought for the monumental effort of Cabbage Rutledge who brought up his 300th for Woodlands last weekend — buy the man a whole wardrobe! A little bird tells me Richie Hurring is being made a life member at Clutha this weekend — it’ll be bigger than the 150th. Well the guest list is anyway!
This weekend
Annihilated Mike Mata’afa last weekend and on to big Mitch Tinnock from Varsity this weekend, so the streak continues.
Taieri are at home to GI at the very murky Elver Pit and both teams have injury problems, so it’ll be very tight but I’ll stick with the Eels (12-), just.
Up on the High Veldt, Kaik (12-) will be too strong across the park for Harbour but the Hawks will be more than competitive up front, so it’ll be closer than you think.
At Bog Bathgate, Southern (12-) will be relying on their big pack to get it done over Varsity and I think that happens!
Thrashed Sparky from Arrowtown last week and on to Clutha Valley stalwart Craig Hislop this week.
Heriot (13+) steal the gold from Gabriels Gully, Clutha (13+) bounce back and crush Owaka.
The Crescent Colliers (13+) strike a seam and Clutha Valley (13+) stage a prison riot in Milton.