Rep Wrap: First five returns after injury layoff
“He played well which is good for him coming back from injury, it’s good for his confidence. He got through 40 minutes and set up a nice try and scored one himself.”
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First five-eighth Kaea Nikora-Balloch made a return from injury as part of the Southland Development team’s encouraging 29-0 victory over North Otago in Dunedin on Saturday.
Nikora-Balloch, 20, was one of the standouts in Southland club rugby this year with Pirates-Old Boys before he suffered a quad injury at training in May.
Despite playing no part in the remainder of the club season he had done enough to be offered a contract for the 2024 NPC season with the Stags.
On Saturday he returned to the field and got through 40 minutes against Heartland Championship team North Otago.
Southland Development coach Richard Jones said it was an encouraging return for Nikora-Balloch after such a long break.
“He played well which is good for him coming back from injury, it’s good for his confidence.
“He got through 40 minutes and set up a nice try and scored one himself.”
Nikora-Balloch missed the opportunity for a showdown with his Pirates-Old Boys club mate Greg Dyer who has joined North Otago as a loan player. Dyer was given the weekend off before what will be a big Heartland Championship campaign for him.
Southland Development scored five tries in the 29-0 win against North Otago, although the fact the opposition remained scoreless was probably more pleasing for Jones - particularly against what was a big North Otago outfit.
“We were pretty impressed as a coaching group, mainly around the intent and the effort to D up. Guys were really flying in and worked real hard,” Jones said.
Looseforward Nick Henderson was a key figure in that defensive effort, although Jones said there were many players who impressed.
“It’s a pretty young group but capable, and there’s good depth around frontrowers so there’s good competition for spots, the same with locks and loosies.”
The team that played against North Otago was pretty much restricted to those named in Southland Development squad last week - outside Nikora-Balloch who is part of the Stags.
However, given the Stags are carrying a big squad, more players will likely drop down to the Development team for game time throughout the campaign.
“The Stags are carrying four halfbacks or three hookers, so some weeks they will need guys to have a run. We’ve talked about that as a group and been clear with the communication around it,” Jones said.
Southland Development’s next assignment will be against Mid Canterbury in Oamaru this weekend.
They will also play Southland Country and Otago Country with their “test matches” in the campaign being home and away showdowns against Otago Development.
Southland Under-19 also got its 2024 campaign underway on Saturday taking on North Otago Development next door to that Southland Development game at Zingari-Richmond in Dunedin. Southland U19 beat North Otago Development 14-7.
The Southland Hinds women’s team also took to the field in Dunedin on Saturday although the outcome wasn’t as hoped. The Hinds were beaten 50-5 by Otago Development.
Meanwhile, it was a gold fashion celebration of country rugby at Tokanui on Saturday with the annual sub-union showdowns.
Eastern, Northern, Western, and Central all fielded teams, and for the record, it was Eastern who claimed the silverware to hold onto its status as a real powerhouse of Southland rugby.
Following the games the 2024 Southland Country squad - to be coached by Rob Blatch - was named with the inclusion of former Southland Stags halfback Jahvis Wallace one of the key features.
Wallace made his Stags debut as a 20-year-old in 2016 and has had various stints over the past seven years playing 16 NPC matches in the maroon jersey.
Wallace played five games off the bench for the Stags last year but headed to Western Australia and missed the Southland club season. He returned recently and has now linked with the Southland Country team.
2024 Southland Country Squad
Kane Prentice, Liam Ferguson, Reuben Northover, Tom Simmers ©, Brenton Howden, Daniel Thwaites, Darren Harley, Brodie Hume, Grayson Elder, Jahvis Wallace, Ryan McFaul, Keiran Short (vc), Dylan Winsloe, Sheamus McGuigan, Jordy Smith, Tom Scanlon, Harry McCallum, Max Ngataki, Dion McGuigan, Cam Haynes, Luke Muir, Liam McFaul, Elliot Warrender, Vitali Roqica, Rowan McKenzie, Rhys Horrell, Damon Hurley.