North Otago Development XV

Whilst the North Otago Heartland team has received most of the accolades the local Development XV also wears the old gold with pride and a fair bit of success. In the 2010 season North Otago came through unbeaten after a series of home and away games against Hanan Shield neighbours, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury.  The 2011 squad looks to have plenty of promise although it has not yet been named.  There is plenty of talent available even after the naming of the 33 player larger Heartland squad. Jason Forrest who had such success last season will again coach with one other yet to be named.

The lightly built Maheno utility back Regan George has all the ball skills and kicking ability to fill the fullback berth while there’s an oversupply of pacey wingers with Old Boys Tevita Tupou on one side while on the other Athletic’s Sione Pangata’a who has six first class games to his credit is a fine finisher.  Valley’s Hamish Clare has the pace, experience and vision to make the centre position his and he should link well in midfield with Maheno’s Chris Kirsten.  Kurow will provide the inside back combination with Willie Tree at first five eighth and Ross McCone another with first class experience behind the scrum.

The forward pack has plenty of potential. Excelsior’s Richard Wilson looks set at number eight with club mate Steven Banks who was named Club Rugby Player of the season on the open-side and Old Boys Paula Fonokalafi will play at six. Maheno’s Andrew Fisher should be one lock alongside Old Boys Eti Tofiga while in the front row Old Boys Sione Halalele, Kurow’s Michael Paterson and Athletics’ Pita Fifita are a solid trio.

Add to the above XV seven more players who will drop down when North Otago Heartland selectors, Barry Mathews and Shane Carter finalise their squad.  The North Otago Heartland squad tomorrow in Oamaru will play an Otago side with both teams using 26 players so the game will not have first class status.

North Otago vs Otago Preview

North Otago and Otago have a long historical rugby connection with the first game between the two Unions played in 1927 in Dunedin with North Otago taking the game, 9-6. Prior to 1927 North Otago had been a sub union of Otago. The North Otago team that day was F Boroman, A McKerrow, J Grainger, L Hubbard, D S Loder, H P Kent, C Grainger, W Cleland, W D Cameron, R D Cameron, S Wills, J Pringle, A Clark, A Sim, J Hopley and T Direen.

Games between the two Unions were played on a regular basis over the next six years with Otago winning four and North Otago, two. The following three years from 1934 to 1936 saw North Otago play the Otago Sub Union team until in 1937 games with Otago were renewed before World War Two intruded and caused a cessation of games until 1947 when North Otago after challenging Southland for the Ranfurly Shield in 1946 and losing 3-15 was given a Shield challenge by Otago in 1947.

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North Otago Rugby Review 11 June 2011

Kurow almost pulled off the upset of the season when it led top qualifier, Old Boys, 13-10 going into the final quarter before Old Boys produced two late tries to go through to the Citizens Shield final next Saturday with a fortuitous 24-13 win.  Athletic which trailed Valley 12-18 at halftime in the other semi final piled on 17 points in the first fifteen minutes of the second half to go out to 29-18 lead before a late surge by Valley got it within three points within six minutes to go but Willy Guyton’s penalty attempt in the 78th minute faded away to the right giving Athletic its 34-31 win.

You don’t always get what you deserve in life and it also applies to the sports field after Kurow which had been beaten 18-51 the previous Saturday by Old Boys produced its finest effort of the season to almost upset the favourites.  Kurow’s display was built around its forward pack led by 35 year old veteran Regan Laughton and he received great support from Warwick Nel, Gareth Isbister and the rest of the pack with the Kurow inside back combination of Ross McCone and Willie Tree supporting the forward effort with fine tactical kicking.  Twelve minutes into the game Kurow which used the rolling maul to telling effect drove Laughton over for a 12th minute unconverted try.  Two minutes later Old Boys had Kurow under pressure after a break by lock Taua Limuloa and flanker Ben Bloxsom charged down McCone’s clearing kick to gather and score for Lemi Masoe to convert.  Masoe kick a 38th minute penalty to take Old Boys out to 10-5 before Tree kicked a penalty right on halftime.  The second half started in sensational fashion when Tree’s kick inside Old Boys territory was muffed by the defence and Kurow winger Hamish Elliott gathered to score and give Kurow a 13-10 lead.  The country side held the lead until the beginning of the final quarter when a break by Old Boys hooker Unga Kefu put Limuloa into space and he raced 40 meters to score for Masoe to convert.  Old Boys made the game safe in the 79th minute when Old Boys first five eighth Ben Patston who came on for the last ten minutes grubber kicked behind the Kurow backs and Masoe converted his own try.

Valley sacrificed an 18-12 halftime lead through a lack of tactical vision against Athletic. The unwillingness to put the ball behind the robust Athletic defensive line saw too much hard won ball frittered away.  Valley fullback Billy Guyton opened the scoring with a penalty in the third minute and nine minutes later after a burst by lock Eric Duff, halfback Hamish McKenzie dotted down beside the posts and Mark Roney’s conversion gave Valley a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Guyton went in for the first of his two tries in the 21st minute to take Valley out to a 15-0 lead.  Athletic struck back when fullback Rob Payne scored wide out.  Ten minutes from halftime lively first five eighth Pio Tuitavake found space to score with Payne converting to give Valley that 18-12 lead at the break.  Athletic applied the pressure early in the second half. Payne kicked a penalty and winger Sione Pangata scored for Payne to convert taking Athletic out to a 22-18 lead. A Kasanova Soane try and a Payne conversion took Athletic out to 29-18 before Valley lock Eric Duff touched down to reduce the deficit to six points.  Pangata scuttled 40 meters for his second try to make it 34-23 before a Guyton try and penalty took Valley within three points but Guyton was astray with a late penalty attempt which would have forced extra time.