Semifinal time: How the four teams shape up
Star or Woodlands? Pirates-Old Boys or Eastern-Northern Barbarians? Who will progress to the Galbraith Shield final?
We’ve reached the knockout stage of Southland’s premier club rugby season. Four teams will have a crack on Saturday at a spot in the 2024 Galbraith Shield final to be played on July 13. Logan Savory puts the microscope over the two semifinals.
Game Details
Who: Star v Woodlands
Where: Les George Oval
When: 12noon, Saturday
2024 Matchups To Date
April 20: Star 79 - Woodlands 28
May 25: Star 40 - Woodlands 12
Galbraith Shield Titles
Star: 29 titles (first in 1908 - last in 2015)
Woodlands: 11 titles (first in 1996 - last in 2022)
Stags Representatives
Star: The competition leaders have three forwards locked in for the 2024 Southland Stags NPC squad. They are Jack Sexton, lock Josh Bekhuis, and No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’aeiloa. First five-eighth Byron Smith is also contracted to the Stags.
Woodlands: Woodlands can call on two Stags props in Joe Walsh and Paula Latu. They also have Stags’ 2023 Player of the Year Blair Ryall lining up in the looseforwards.
Key Strength
Star: (Outside backs) Right-wing Hughan Sharp’s rise up the Southland rugby ranks continues and if he doesn’t one day get an opportunity to play for the Stags something has gone wrong. On top of that Star has the inform fullback Cole Spinks whose footwork has caused some teams havoc during the 2024 club season.
Woodlands: (Frontrow) Woodlands are in the enviable position of having two current NPC props to call on in Joe Walsh and Paula Latu. If that’s not enough they have Southland’s most experienced player - Jason Rutledge - wedged between them at hooker. At 46 Rutledge is still probably the best lineout thrower in the province.
The Lowdown
It would be madness to write Woodlands off in a knockout game of rugby. After all, Woodlands has won 10 Galbraith Shield titles during the past 23 years.
But a win over Star on Saturday would be regarded a significant upset given the 2024 form guide. Star stunned everyone on April 20 when it ran in 79 points against Woodlands in a 79-29 win. On May 25 Star then put 40 points on Woodlands in one half of rugby.
If Woodlands can take some confidence heading into Saturday, it will be around the fact they are finally able to get close to its full-strength team together for the back end of the season.
Tribune Prediction: Star to win by 12
Game Details
Who: Pirates-Old Boys v Eastern-Northern Barbarians
Where: Oreti Park, Ground 3
When: 12noon, Saturday
2024 Matchups To Date
March 28: Pirates-Old Boys 15 - EN Barbarians 12
May 2: EN Barbarians 19 - Pirates-Old Boys 17
June 15: Pirates-Old Boys 20 - EN Barbarians 18
Galbraith Shield Titles
Pirates-Old Boys: 2 titles (first in 2006 - last in 2023)
EN Barbarians: 1 title (first in 2016 - last in 2016)
Stags Representatives
Pirates-Old Boys: The defending champions will probably have the least amount of Stags representation from the 2024 semifinalists with no clear and obvious Stags certainties. First five-eighth Kaea Nikora-Balloch is likely to be part of the Stags but has been injured of late. Japanese fullback Kouta Oyabu is expected to be part of the Stags squad through preseason build up to the NPC.
EN Barbarians: The Barbarians look set to have its biggest Stags representation in 2024 since being formed in 2012. Forwards Morgan Mitchell, Woody Kirkwood, and Leroy Ferguson appear set to wear the maroon jersey in 2024, as his new halfback Connor Wilson and midfielder Angus Simmers.
Key Strength
Pirates-Old Boys: (Kicking game) In first five-eighth Greg Dyer Pirates-Old Boys has one of Southland club rugby leaders, in terms of pointing his team around the field with his kicking game.
EN Barbarians: (Scrum) Pirates-Old Boys has already felt the wrath of a dominant Eastern-Northern Barbarians scrum this season. As has many other teams for that matter. Led by tight-heap prop Morgan Mitchell the Barbarians turned around a 17-0 halftime deficit earlier in the season to beat Pirates-Old Boys 19-17 on the back of a monster scrum.
The Lowdown
The fact these two teams have played each other three times this season and the biggest winning margin is three points suggests there won’t be much in Saturday’s semifinal.
However, a fair bit has changed since the last time the two teams met a few weeks ago. Pirates-Old Boys have been knocked around, both in terms of various injuries and a couple of losses to Woodlands and then Star.
On the flipside, the Barbarians appear to be peaking at the right time. The Gore-based club has welcomed back key players from injury, including looseforwards Leroy Ferguson and Jacob Coghlan, and have added a handy addition in the form of new Stags halfback Connor Collins.