Last play try sinks Southland Development team
“It was a bloody good game to be honest, it was fairly open. Both teams had their share of players out of their NPC squads.”
The Southland Development rugby team turned in an encouraging showing against Otago Development in Dunedin on Saturday, although came up just short losing 36-31.
The Otago Development, which featured many Otago NPC squad members, including former Crusaders loose forward Tom Sanders, scored a try in the final act of the game to break a 31-31 deadlock.
Earlier Southland held a 26-19 lead at halftime.
Southland Development coach Michael McKenzie said despite the result Saturday’s game was the sort of fixture that would prove beneficial, both for those Stags squad members dropping down, and those pushing their future claims.
“It was a bloody good game to be honest, it was fairly open. Both teams had their share of players out of their NPC squads.”
Openside flanker Leroy Ferguson made his debut for the Stags off the bench against Waikato in week one of the NPC but on Saturday was released to get some game time with the Southland Development team.
He got through 80 minutes against the Otago Development team and McKenzie said he impressed.
Props Shaun Stodart and Ben Ruzich also turned in good games, as did Grayson Knapp and Woody Kirkwood in the second row.
The Southland Development team had a bit of a disjointed build-up when it lost first choice first five-eighth Corey McKay late.
McKay had been training with the Stags during the week and picked up a niggle.
It meant usual halfback Osika Kaufononga slotted into first five-eighth and McKenzie said he did a good job considering he hasn’t played a lot there of late.
The Southland Development will now have a weekend off before taking on their next, and probably biggest assignment, against the Canterbury Development team in Christchurch on Sunday, August 27.
Meanwhile, in other representative action the Southland Hinds women’s team also turned in an encouraging performance on Saturday beating a combined Heartland team 31-19.
In the Southland Country, Otago Country men’s game it was Otago Country who came away with the honours 26-7 after leading 19-7 halftime.
Southland did lead 7-0 early in the game through a Rowan McKenzie try.
Nice match report of the Southland Country game… NOT. It’s not that far to Owaka you town-centric dick