Spotlight on Southland Sport: Friday Edition
Plenty of sport to delve into in this week's Spotlight on Sport: Friday Edition. Enjoy the read.
Welcome to The Southland Tribune’s Spotlight on Sport: Friday Edition offering. We’ll be back again on Sunday with our “Sunday Special”.
Dipton lad gets Highlanders start….
I first discovered Sean Withy - in a rugby sense anyway - in 2018.
Prior to that I knew Withy as a handy allrounder for the Southland Boys’ High School first XI. Handy enough that he was part of the Otago age-group cricket system.
I’d been told by a few he was talented rugby player, but it was when I watched the SBHS first XV play a Highlanders schools semi-final fixture against John McGlashan that I got a true appreciation of his ability.
His workrate was impressive, he was physically imposing, and had skills to go with it.
He looked like a genuine leader and when I talked to him after the game that was simply confirmed. It was obvious he was a mature teenager.
But all that aside, it was a phone call to long-serving SBHS first XV coach Peter Skelt, to get his thoughts of Withy for the story, which prompted me to truly stand up and took notice.
Skelt rated him one of the best schoolboy rugby players he’d coached.
Considering the likes of Clarke Dermody, Corey Flynn, Mils Muliaina, John Hardie etc have gone through Skelt’s stable, that’s a heck of a statement.
Withy - who hails from a Dipton dairy farm - has gone on to captain the Highlanders under-20 team, represented New Zealand at under-20 level, and has made a mark at provincial level with - this hurts - Otago.
Tonight (Friday) the 22-year-old will start in the No 7 jersey for the Highlanders against the Crusaders.
Despite his new-found provincial loyalties there’s little doubt there will be plenty of Southlanders cheering on Withy tonight.
All the best Sean. Go get ‘em.
Highlanders: Sam Gilbert, Jonah Lowe, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Connor Garden-Bachop, Freddie Burns, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Nikora Broughton, Sean Withy, Billy Harmon (captain), Will Tucker, Pari Pari Parkinson, Jermaine Ainsley, Andrew Makalio, Ayden Johnstone. Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Saula Ma’u, Max Hicks, James Lentjes, Folau Fakatava, Mitch Hunt, Mosese Dawai.
Crusaders: Fergus Burke, Sevu Reece, Jack Goodhue, David Havili, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Mitchell Drummond, Christian Lio-Willie, Tom Christie, Ethan Blackadder, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett (captain), Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody. Reserves: Brodie McAlister, George Bower, Seb Calder, Zach Gallagher, Sione Havili Talitui, Noah Hotham, Braydon Ennor, Macca Springer.
Round 2: Tribune Super Rugby picks panel….
Scott Eade has started best picking five from six of the winners in round one of Super Rugby. He also picked one margin correct.
Matt Saunders and Jason Rutledge both picked three from six correct with Saunders picking two margins correct and Rutledge one.
Picks panel points: Eade (26), Saunders (17), Rutledge (16).
Super Rugby Aupiki with Mere Baker…
Former pro rugby player and coach turned commentator Mere Baker shares her take on round one of the Super Rugby Aupiki women’s competition, as well as her picks for round two.
ROUND ONE STAR
Blues winger Jaymie Kolose scored two tries and has only been a playing for a year. She’s very elusive.
ROUND ONE PROMISING PROSPECT
Blues prop Sophie Fisher scored the last try in the second half. She is a great ball runner and can kick as well.
MATATU WATCH
Especially in the midfield there was confusion between Amy du Plessis and Cheyelle Robins-Reti. It caused uncertainty and a dummy from Kolose gave her a run straight for the try line.
Charntay Poko brings a dynamic element to the back line when she plays. She seems to have endless amount of time with ball in hand. Rosie Kelly was outstanding in the early parts of the game, but little quiet in second half.
I’d like the attack to be more dynamic in the forwards, especially a tip on from props and keeping the ball alive when going to ground. Matatu was good in some parts defence needs to improve.
ROUND 2 PICKS
Blues v Chiefs Manawa - Saturday, 2.05pm
(Mere’s pick - Chiefs)
If the Blues can sort their defence out and not be so frantic in attack it may be close. But I see the chiefs pulling away.
Matatu v Hurricanes Poua - Saturday, 4.35pm
(Mere’s pick - Poua)
Poua won in the preseason hit out, but I think if Matatu start well they will be able to counter Poua’s frantic starts.
Matatu will need to work harder on defence especially in the backs and when it becomes disjointed.
I think Poua will have too much power.
Southern Steel to take on competition favorites in season opener
D-day, when the rubber hits the road, a stake in the ground, chose your cliché. We are about to get a true idea as to where the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel is at in 2023. (READ MORE HERE).
The Riverton Trotting Club will host its second and final meeting of the 2022/2023 season at Central Southland Raceway in Winton today [Friday].
The meeting is a twilight event with a 3.17pm start.
The day will feature the DT King’s Transport Riverton Cup, the Southern Standardbred Breeders Assn Southern Belle Series Heat, the Dunstan Horsefeeds Gold Chip Final Handicap Trot plus the Riverton Butchery Handicap Trot in a 10-race programme.
Check out Jonny Turner’s preview of the meeting for Southern Harness Racing where he highlights smart debutante Always Ticking driven by Brent Barclay. (READ MORE HERE).
Gregor Rutledge. It’ll be in the sport of rugby where we will probably hear the most about Gregor Rutledge in the coming years.
He’s a got a bit of size about him, and he has his old man Jason’s and grandfather Leicester’s work rate.
But just for the moment, it is in cricket where the Year 13 pupil has hit some sporting form.
Gregor played the lead role in helping Southland Boys’ High School to a nine-wicket outright victory over Shirley Boys’ from Christchurch in the two-day game on Monday and Tuesday in Invercargill.
He impressed with both bat and ball taking four for 29 before racking up 59 with the bat.
The focus now turns to its next interschool against Kings High School from Dunedin on Sunday and Monday in Invercargill.
Oh so close….
Gore’s Sheldon-Bagrie Howley has come up just short of another national bowls title when he and mixed pairs partner Selina Goodard lost their final 15-9 on Thursday.
Bagrie-Howley and Goodard had won the men’s and women’s singles title respectively before this week teaming up to play together in the mixed pairs in Central Otago.
The event attracted 230 mixed pairs combinations from throughout New Zealand.
Goddard and Bagrie-Howley defeated Sue Hodges (Tauranga) and Kerry Becks (Belfast) 17-11 to progress to the final but were beaten by Lisa White and Dean Gilshnan in the decider.
It came just a few days after the composite Southland-Otago team, which had Southland’s Linda Milne as its skip, lost the open women’s fours final.
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(Out & About)
Cowboys v Southland Fiji Bati - 2pm Saturday
If you’ve never been along to Elles Rd to watch a Southland club rugby league game Saturday would be a good start.
There’s talk amongst the Southland rugby league community that Saturday’s senior club final between defending champions the Cowboys and Southland Fiji Bati is shaping as one of the best.
The Cowboys have experience on their side. Players like Korey Pennicott, Nathan Anderson, Daniel Low, Tom Watts and others have been there done that.
While the Fiji Bati might have a lot of rugby league experience, they do bring plenty of physicality and skill.
The story of the Fiji Bati team is a nice one. The team is made up almost exclusively of Fijians now living in Southland, or surrounding areas.
Many of them work for the Alliance Group in Southland.
Former Fijian international rugby hooker Talemaitoga Tuapati is both a player and coach of the team.
Everything points to a big day at Southland District Rugby League headquarters at Elles Rd on Saturday.
(On The Couch)
Southern Steel v Northern Mystics - 7.15pm - Sky Sport 2
Settle in and enjoy the 2023 ANZ Premiership opener play out in Auckland. Anyone feel an upset in the air?
All the best to the Southern Steel.
Get in touch….
If you have something you think is worth featuring in either our Friday or Sunday Spotlight on Sport editions, please get in touch. NOTE: Please provide as much detail as possible to help us collate everything at this end. Email logan@southlandtribune.com
In case you missed it….
Southlanders shine: There were some great results for Southlanders on the first day of the Track National Championships on Wednesday.
The event, being hosted by Cycling Southland at the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome, has drawn a field of over 170 of New Zealand’s best track cyclists to Invercargill, with local riders showing that they are up for the challenge. (READ MORE HERE).
Motorsport talent: Alex Crosbie, a Year 12 student at Southland Boys High School, has a 99-point lead after two rounds of the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. (READ MORE HERE).
