Sav's Sidelines: Was it 2004 or 2024 at Oreti Park
Sav's Sidelines - the weekly column that looks at all things Southland rugby, from the grassroots to the professional game.
This week’s Sav’s Sidelines column hovers the spotlight over the wealth of former Southland Stags who had the boots on playing at Oreti Park on Saturday.
The column also looks at why there is now interest from English players to join the Southland Stags in the NPC, and points out the former Stags No 8 who has just picked up a contract with Taranaki.
Sav’s Sidelines also puts together a form XV from the 2024 Southland premier club rugby season.
Turning back the clock…
In between the women’s and men’s premier club finals on Saturday I ventured over to Ground 4 at Oreti Park to catch a bit of Southland’s Senior B | Premier Development final between Bluff and Blues.
It felt like I’d walked into the early 2000s.
I counted about seven former Stags on display for Blues or Bluff. In the case of Blues right winger Mana Harrison the last of his 28 Stags appearances was in 2006.
The 42-year-old was part of a Blues back three that included Stags coach James Wilson at fullback.
Interestingly Harrison and Wilson were both part of the Southland team that lined up against British & Irish Lions in 2005.
At halfback, for Blues, was 44-year-old Sam Muir, who himself played for the Southland Stags. His debut was the victory over Italy at Rugby Park in 2003.
I’ll keep going with this blast from the past territory.
The Blues backline also included a long-time servant of Southland rugby in first five-eighth Pale Tuilagi who played four games for the Stags in 2005 and 2006.
Tuilagi’s opposite in the Bluff No 10 jersey is another from the former Southland Stags file in the form of Tane Puki.
Puki arguably possessed the most dangerous side-step in Southland rugby on his way to getting three games with the Stags in 2008.
Inside Puki at halfback was Sonny Rangitoheriri who played 14 games for the Stags from 2009 to 2011.
The Bluff bench also included Javaan Fa’amoe-Ioane who was part of the Stags’ 2019 campaign.
For the record it was Bluff who came up on top 34-31 in the final but was an intense decider with a Blues mounting a decent come back and going close to snatching victory.
Our premier club rugby form XV…
Here’s our crack at rolling out a form XV from the 2024 Southland premier club competition. Not surprisingly it’s dominated by finalists Star and Pirates-Old Boys.
15. Cole Spinks (Star)
Spinks was probably the best back in club rugby this season with his ability to beat a defender prevalent. He hasn’t picked up a Stags contract but may still get some opportunities if injury strikes.
Hughan Sharp (Star)
Sharp was again a real threat for Star in 2024 with his pace and in particular his aerial skills proving a real asset.
Jaye Thompson (Pirates-Old Boys)
Jaye Thompson just keeps doing Jaye Thompson things in Southland premier club rugby. For many years now Thompson has been one of the best backs in the competition and 2024 was no difference.
Nepo Seru (Pirates-Old Boys)
While Thompson provides the Pirates-Old Boys midfield with some finesse it is Napo Seru who delivers the power. Seru proved a handful for opposition defence with his direct and hard running in 2024.
Sione Baker (Woodlands)
Sione Baker continues to show glimpses of his attacking spark in Southland and that was on show at times in Woodlands semifinal against Star.
Greg Dyer (Pirates-Old Boys)
Dyer again highlighted his importance to Pirates-Old Boys in club rugby. He firstly playing an important role in the semifinal win over the Eastern Northern Barbarians and then helped them mount a good shot against Star in the final.
Josh Murrell (Pirates-Old Boys)
Murrell has missed a good chunk of the season through injury but his performance in Saturday’s final alone deserves recognition. His running game was key for Pirates-Old Boys.
Semisi Tupou Taeiloa (Star)
Tupou Taeiloa was probably the best player in the 2024 club season and that was capped off with a sublime performance in Saturday’s Galbraith Shield final against Pirates-Old Boys.
Dustin Coveney (Pirates-Old Boys)
Coveney enhanced his reputation as one of the most hard-working players in Southland’s premier club comp through some gutsy displays. Particularly during the back end of the season.
Jackson Bevin (Marist)
Bevin was one of Marist’s most consistent performers in another wise challenging season for the Marist club. He carried hard and got through plenty of work.
Woody Kirkwood (Barbarians)
The former North Otago lock was a key figure as part of a strong Barbarians pack in 2024. Kirkwood is a hard-working leader for the Barbarians and has been awarded with a Stags contract.
Lachie Springford (Star)
Springford was one of the unsung heroes in Star’s 2024 season with the undersized lock playing well above his playing weight. He worked hard and was key at lineout time.
Morgan Mitchell (Barbarians)
Mitchell is a quality and experienced player and that shone through for the Barbarians at club level. Another big NPC campaign looms for Mitchell.
Jayden Henderson (Star)
There’s been a few hookers who have impressed this season including Tupou Kafaongonga from Blues, Josh Harwood and Shaun Kempton both from Pirates-Old Boys. But Henderson has been consistently strong throughout the season.
Jack Sexton (Star)
Star recruited well in the off season and Sexton was part of that. Sexton was drafted into the Stags as injury cover last year before this year making the permanent move south linking with Star and impressing in Southland’s premier club competition.
English players’ Southland interest…
For the second straight year, the Southland Stags have landed the signature of a young English outside back to play in New Zealand’s NPC competition.
This week the Stags confirmed the signing of English midfielder Charlie Powell for the 2024 season.
It follows another English outside back - Gabriel Hamer-Webb - playing for the Stags in 2023.
There is obviously a strong English connection to the Stags through coach James Wilson. Wilson played plenty of rugby in England, 93 games for the Northampton Saints and a further 22 for Bath in the English Premiership.
But that’s not the sole reason Southland has had young English players wanting to come to New Zealand to play for the Stags.
It is understood ,on top of new recruit Powell, other English players were also queuing up keen to join Southland in New Zealand.
And that’s partly down to the fact they are looking for rugby opportunities.
Many English clubs have found themselves in financial troubles of late leaving various players out of work, so to speak.
Powell, 24, is an example of that.
Powell, a former England U20 player, was part of the Bristol Bears Premiership team before joining Jersey Reds on loan in 2022 to play in the English Championship competition.
Jersey Reds won the Championship competition last year but later in the year it was revealed the club would cease trading because of financial troubles.
It followed Premiership teams Wasps, Worcester, and London Irish also going bust.
We are glad you’ve now found a place in Southland to come to Charlie. Welcome and enjoy your time in Stagland.
Former Stag picks up ‘Naki contract…
Eagle-eyed Stags fans would have spotted a familiar name in the 2024 Taranaki NPC squad named this week.
Former Stags No 8 Arese Poliko has picked up a contract with Taranaki adding to what has been an intriguing rugby journey.
He only took up rugby at the age of 15, playing football before that. He was born and raised in Australia up until the age of 12 when Poliko and his family moved back to their home country of Samoa.
Poliko linked with the Rugby Academy of Samoa which triggered a chain of events that led him to rural Southland.
Menzies College, in Wyndham, was on the lookout for some players to help its first XV and Poliko took up the opportunity to make the shift as an 16-year-old.
He left his five sisters and parents to chase the rugby dream, spending three years living in at a homestay in Wyndham. He went on to play premier club rugby for the Invercargill Blues club before in making his Stags debut.
He played six marches for the Stags in 2022 before last year heading north to Taranaki where he has family.
