ODT North Otago Club Rugby Preview
OAMARU: A Ranfurly shield challenge against Southland on July 9th will be the highlight of the representative programme and a lead in to the Heartland competition.
Lochore Cup Rugby Final
GREYMOUTH: Like the biblical wedding feast North Otago saved its best wine until the last day of the season when it comprehensively defeated top qualifiers, West Coast, 21-13 in a game in which North Otago was never headed. A voracious North Otago forward pack dominated possession hitting the breakdowns with a ferocity not seen this season and effectively denying the much vaunted West Coast backline few opportunities. Taua Limuloa dominated the lineouts with his superb ball skills and he received great support from Aisake Fonua, David Simpson and Ross Hay. North Otago had some great foragers with number eight Josh Collier supporting Hay while the front row of the Mafi brothers, Palenapa ,until he left the field injured, and Tavite, hooker Mike Essex and Ralph Darling who replaced the injured Mafi gave better than they got.It was this physical presence at the break down that intimidated the West Coast pack which forfeited a mulitude of penalties and at one stage two of West Coasts players and one of North Otago’s were yellow carded in the first half.With the backs utilising this possesion positively West Coast was kept on the defensive apart from some isolated forays into North Otago’s territory which was protected by a relentless cover defence with Nick Webster and Tane Puki who came on as replacements making trysaving tackles in the last seven minutes.Puki was unlucky not to score in the final quarter when he displayed talented footwork to fall at the final tackle after splitting the West Coast midfield.
ODT Lochore Cup Semi Final
It was nail biting stuff at Whitestone Stadium on Saturday as North Otago held off an explosive late charge from King Country to win 31-27 and earn a place in the Lochore Cup final where it will meet West Coast which downed Buller,53-22 in Greymouth.North Otago started in impressive fashion with the fresh north easterly at its back denying King Country possession for the first five minutes before the visitors found their collective feet.
Lochore Cup
GREYMOUTH: A highly motivated West Coast XV took top spot in the Lochore Cup with a decisive 35-17 win over North Otago at Rugby Park on Saturday. West Coast went into the game four points in arrears of North Otago and only needed to win to claim the top position but a late try in the last 60 seconds gave West Coast the vital bonus point which put it a point ahead of North Otago and King Country, which had beaten West Coast the previous week.
