Club Rugby: 'We are very proud' - Midlands get job done
“They know they can do it now, and they know what it takes to do it."
The sixth round of Southland’s premier club rugby competition on Saturday was an eventful one. It included a draw, the continued resurrection of Marist, and a fairy tale victory for the lads from Winton.
Logan Savory wraps up the three games.
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Mark it down as one of the Midlands Rugby Club’s more special moments.
Down 22-17 with about five minutes to play against Star at Winton on Saturday Midlands found itself on attack.
They’d showed plenty of promise through their first five games in 2023 without picking up a win. They rued what might have been against Blues the week before.
The message at training during the week was simply get the job done.
Inside the final five minutes Logan Nicholson scored outwide for Midlands to level the scores up at 22-22 against a traditional powerhouse of Southland club rugby.
Earlier Midlands had led 17-5 at halftime.
Nicholson then had the task of kicking the conversion from out wide to put Midlands into the lead with a few minutes to play.
The packed stand at Centennial Park, full of Midlands supporters, were quick to suggest the ball was travelling through the uprights with the roar of delight.
It was then a case of hanging on for the final few minutes which they did icing the well-deserved victory for the Midlands club which went winless through 2022.
It meant for a big night at the Midlands Rugby Club as everyone savoured the special victory.
“It was special for the team and the club and the coaching group,” Midlands coach Brendan Dennis says.
“We are very proud; the boys are doing the work. They dug deep and got the win.”
“They know they can do it now, and they know what it takes to do it. Last week against Blues we had it and let it slip. During the week we talked to the boys saying we didn’t want to be sitting their on Tuesday again saying; ‘We are almost there’.”
Jack Keen was again very good for Midlands at first five-eighth although Dennis noted it was a performance where every player stood up to the occasion.
Dennis praised the work assistant coach Dale Wairau and done for the team’s defence, as was the case with Regan Wilson and the attack.
Midlands now eye a showdown with the much improvement Marist outfit.
March 25 was a sore point for the Miller St boys.
Two rounds into Southland’s premier club rugby competition Marist was handed a 70-12 thumping at the hands of Woodlands in front of their supporters on their home turf.
That alarming outing however has been followed by three improved performances. Performances which now has many circling Marist a strong semifinal prospect and even a title hope.
“We’ve definitely turned a corner. We were probably right off the road at that point,” player/coach Scott Eade says about his team’s recovery from the Woodlands shocker.
It started with a hard fought 13-11 loss to the Barbarians, before a victory over Star, and on Saturday a crushing 52-19 win against Blues.
After leading 21-7 at halftime Marist racked up 31 second half points to pull away.
Eade felt they tarted to get some rhythm in their game during the second 40 minutes.
He pointed to the return of prop Shaun Stodart as a key factor in the turnaround, alongside the injection of young lock Hunter Areaiiti-Burgess, and Tevita Latu building up his minutes after a long injury layoff.
He did miss out one player in his assessment - himself.
Eade missed the first two rounds of the season and his value has been obvious in recent weeks.
For the second week in a row flanker Jackson Bevin was Marist’s best, with tight-head prop Quinn Harrison-Jones continuing his strong club season to date.
It’s opponents on Saturday Blues were down on players with their depth being tested in 2023.
Missing on Saturday was probably the team’s biggest attacking threat, Michael Manson, as was fellow wing Ryan Taylor, while Brad Kooman has also made the shift north.
At the same time, Blues are struggling in the propping stocks.
Halfback Jay Renton did try hard to spark things and was probably Blues’ best.
Pirates-Old Boys' first five-eighth Kaea Nikora-Balloch didn’t deserve what unfolded late in his team’s 25-25 draw with the Eastern-Northern Barbarians on Saturday,
The youngster provided yet another glimpse as to why some have him earmarked as a future Southland Stags first five-eighth.
His willingness to take the line on with ball in hand and his long kicking game was evident.
Nikora-Balloch was a key figure in pushing Pirates-Old Boys out to a 17-5 lead at one stage in the first half.
However, the Barbarians scored before halftime to make it 17-10.
Barbarians’ reserve hooker Konor Chamberlin scored from a lineout drive in the seccond half before another Barbarians try had them in front a 22-17.
Pirates-Old Boys levelled the score at 22-22 with its first and only try of the second half before it was left up to the goal kickers to decide the game.
The visiting Barbarians went up 25-22 with a penalty before Nikora-Balloch again levelled the scores.
He had another opportunity to snatch a victory when he lined up another penalty but cruelly the young first five-eighth slipped as he was kicking the ball and it hit the upright and didn’t bounce over.
The scores remained at 25-25 at fulltime.
It’s a game both teams would have felt they should have won. If the form guide to date is anything to go by the two teams may well find themselves meeting come semifinal time.
There’s no doubt Pirates-Old Boys possess plenty in attack with the likes of Josh Murrell, Nikora-Balloch, Jaye Thompson, an Isaac Te Tamaki in the mix. In fact, at times they were probably too eager in attack on Saturday.
The Barbarians bring the gritty approach you’d expect, but they too showed enough on Saturday that they are just as comfortable playing with a bit of width this season.
DIVISION ONE
Wyndham 36 - Edendale 18
Waikaka/Riversdale 32 - Pioneer 24
Tokanui 37 - DLS 7
Te Anau 55 - Albion 14
DIVISION TWO
(CJ Soper memorial)
Waikiwi 73 - Pioneer 5
Bluff 59 - Mataura 5
Riverton 47 - Mossburn 5
Waiau Star 32 - Central PIrates 12
*Ohai Nightcaps a bye
(Life Members Trophy)
Marist 28 - Blues 26
Pirates Old Boys 22 - Wakaitpu 5
Star 27 - Midlands 17
*Woodlands a bye