The Eastern Northern Barbarians beat Invercargill Blues 37-21 in round three of Southland’s Galbraith Shield Competition on Saturday.
The Barbarians led 19-14 at halftime at the Gore Showgrounds.
Coach AJ Aitken was pleased to get the win after overcoming a plucky Blues team.
"Blues were up for it, especially early on.
"We matched their intensity for the first 20 minutes but then we buttoned off for the next 20," he said.
Captain Jacob Coghlan played with high energy in his 50th match for the club and led by example from No 8 with his direct ball carries.
Teenaged second five-eighth Crenshaw Conroy gained some confidence from breaking through the defence on multiple occasions.
Left wing Banuve Dretiverata has come down from Christchurch to play this year and has impressed Aitken in the opening rounds.
"He hunts for work, he has a similar build to Sevu Reece and is just as fast.
"He fights to make extra yards and is capable of playing at the next level."
Centre Angus Simmers also put in a good effort in his 50th game for the Barbarians.
Prop Troy McIvor, loose forward Zak Donovan and halfback James Holland all made an impact off the bench in the second half.
Blues played a physical style and tested the local defence.
Unfortunately, they had to resort to golden-oldies scrums after 60 minutes.
Woodlands beat Star 27-23, while Pirates Old Boys earned their third convincing win of the competition when they beat Marist 45-10 on Saturday.
Southland’s division one competition kicked off on Saturday featuring six Eastern Southland clubs in the eight team division.
Wyndham beat Albion 38-20 at the Gore Showgrounds.
Centre Hayden Diack was man of the match. Blindside Jaden Walsh and halfback Luke Caldwell played well, too.
Pioneer beat Tokanui 47-3 at Newman Park.
Jordan Anderson celebrated his 100th game for Pioneer by scoring three tries.
The Waikaka-Riversdale Vikings beat the freshly promoted Bluff 56-47 in an entertaining match at Riversdale.
The Vikings had a strong scrum and solid ball-carries at the ruck.
Lock Alex Peirce scored a hat-trick of tries to help build the Vikings’ 26-21 lead at halftime.
Bluff scored with a minute left to play to get within striking distance but it was the Vikings who scored the last try to seal the win.
Peirce led the Vikings on both attack and defence, while dual try-scoring prop Joey McClure carried the ball strongly and had good control at the mauls.
Edendale earned a 60-17 win in Te Anau.
Openside flanker Coebie Symes was man of the match, while one of the team’s five debutants, Logan van der Straaten impressed at fullback.
This Saturday is Club Day at Edendale and the Wallis and Speight’s Shields will be at stake when the senior team take on the Vikings.
Mataura lost their division two match on Saturday 40-14 to Otautau Ohai Nightcaps at Tulloch Park.
Albion beat Wakatipu 56-14 in Queenstown in round three of the women’s competition on Saturday.
Pioneer women lost 42-24 to the Marist and Midlands combined team, while the reigning champions Star beat Blues 71-0.
By John Langford
