The wrap
This round just proves that even yours truly is fallible, missing a couple of memorable upsets. Southern was too strong for GI at home with an 18-point win and is now two clear at the top and still unbeaten.
Mind you, the Spannerheads did score four unconverted tries of their own — more on that shortly. AU tipped over Harbour in injury time thanks to Caleb Gray’s desperation play and it is now only three points out of the four. In my own defence, I said this game would be close and Tevita Li could be the difference and he went to Africa instead — can’t blame him for that!Kaik finally got its season under way with a big win over Varsity which consigned it to its second straight loss.
Kaik dished it up to the students up front, but Varsity, in its defence, had a few away with NZ Universities. The Eels grabbed a bonus-point win over Zingers but are still six shy of the four. The round proved that this comp is closer than you think and is still alive and well.
The mystery solved
Fantastic win by the Highlanders at the Glasshouse last Friday night. But did you get the feeling the big Stormers pack was out on its feet by halftime? It might have been something to do with the current Springbok lock playing openside but the world’s best barber has supplied the real answer and, let’s face it, many of the world’s big issues are solved in barbershops!The word on the street is all visiting teams have their pre-game meal at 3.30pm prior to a 7.35pm game at the Southern Cross (they all stay there).
But the Stormers unbelievably changed that and demanded a pre-game meal at 5.30pm.
Looking at how big they are they’d still have been munching on cheerios and french fries at 6.30pm an hour before the game — no wonder they were gone by halftime!
Thanks to the world’s best barber for clearing that up. Email me with "WBB’s" name — shouldn’t be too hard. First in and I’ll get Snowy from Speight’s to find you a prize.
Can you have too many props?
Most clubs in Otago would say that is an impossibility. Not so at the Magpies, apparently. The word on the street is that Otago prop Mike Mata’afa can only make the prem II side at Southern, along with Cameron Keech who was a regular for the prems last year.
I assume this is because heavy-walleted Pirates props Millar and Sasagi have taken their spots. Does Cory Brown have to attend prem II games now as well to pick his Otago team? Interestingly enough, on Anzac Day, Dunedin and Southern squared off in a prem II game and big Don Brighouse was playing for the Sharks and Mata’afa was playing for Southern but the game was played under golden oldie rules because there weren’t enough props — now that is patently ridiculous!
If you thought that was bizarre, Taieri was playing Southern at the weekend in prem IIs and the Eels were giving them a towelling and Big Ogre (Paul Miller, Southern prem coach) arrived and dragged five players for Southern and the ref had no choice but to stop the game after 55 minutes — what is going on? But on a serious note, do we have to take a socialist state approach to the distribution of props?
Did he cry off?
Speaking of the Magpies, many present and past players (namely big Warren Moffat and associated cronies) were looking forward to their encounter at the weekend with GI. The reason was Ben Patston, the portly senior statesman, was turning out for the Spannerheads at first five against his old club.
They were looking forward to an afternoon of good-natured ribbing both on and off the field. But, unbelievably, his unmistakable figure was missing when GI took the field.
The word is he was struck down on Thursday night with a mysterious hamstring injury — I hope Dean Moeahu (Spanners coach) had him medically checked.
As an aside, the GI boys could not kick a "sausage off a greasy plate" at the weekend and the game would have been a lot closer had the rotund Super Boot been playing.
The Rooster
I thought big Jim Columb, the "Godfather" down there, was going to have another heart attack! Ross Godman, whom the Rooster commemorates died suddenly three-plus years ago, and the trophy was instituted with Harbour then. Ross had been tied up with AU for 40 years as a player, coach and administrator. The Godman family also has links with Harbour. In fact, the grizzled club captain at Harbour, Kenny Olsen, was reminiscing with me in the Broncos clubrooms (yes we are talking!) that he and Ross were very tight and it was great that AU could get its hands on the Rooster. Ross’s widow, Maria, presented the trophy on Saturday night.
The Eels
They are never too far from controversy, are they? In the Bender’s shout run at halftime in the Stormers game, the Eels schoolkids team won by the length of the straight but were promptly disqualified and the title was handed to GI. Most thought it was because it is Bender’s (Ben Smith) club.
I’m hearing the real reason is that the Eels had a ring-in in prems halfback Brian (Ryan) Hammer — and to think they nearly got away with it!
Speaking of the Eels, I hear they had a big night out there on Saturday with a reunion of all their 50-plus-games stalwarts (see photo above). Nice shot of Mike Kerr — really captured his good side, but where was the best ever — Big Eric V? But I digress, the bar was humming — nice work lads.
This weekend
Destroyed Hamish Harvey last weekend with a draw and I win all draws so the unbeaten run continues. A bigger challenge this weekend in the form of Snowy (Chris Snow) from Speight’s but I’ll comfortably go seven from seven. Zingers (12-) is at home to GI up at the cemetery and may just sneak home in the battle of the cellar-dwellers but it’ll be tight for the "Bert Hellyer". AU (12-) is saddled up to head to Taieri at the Eelpit. Nearly too close to call (possibly a draw) but the Broncos — just! Southern (12-) puts the crampons on and heads to the High Veldt and just gets it done over Kaik. The Sharks (12-) host Varsity and the invading sand at the beach. They play well in their own sandpit and, with their big pack, should remain unbeaten but they’ll be wary, as Varsity is back to full strength and won’t want to lose three straight.
● No country rugby this week, and rightly so, because it’s duck-shooting. Strath Taieri is ropable — all revealed next week!
