Pace and speed from Central Otago and a bit of grunt from the South Otago engine room highlight a dream team named to mark the centenary of the Topp Cup.
The dream team was announced over the weekend at the centenary celebrations, picked by Otago Country stalwarts Iain Fletcher, Joe Donald, Pat McAtamney, Forbes Knight and PL Anderson .
The selectors picked an Otago Country dream team from the past 50 years and also teams from Central Otago and South Otago for the same period.
The strength of the Country team is such that two All Blacks - Ken Bloxham and Ash McGregor - do not even make the 22-man squad.
The Country side has five All Blacks and all but one of the backs - halfback Richard Hurring - come from Central Otago.
In the forwards, South Otago dominates, with All Blacks Tony Kreft (prop) and Don Clark (flanker) the only Central players to making the starting eight.
Wayne Graham is the No 8, while Richard Knight and Andy Hollander lock the scrum.
All up, the Country starting XV has more than 1000 caps for Otago.
There are no current players in the Country team or the Central Otago side, but Lawrence inside back Sam Young is selected in the South Otago team.
Dennis Holden and Ken Milne were named as coaches of the Country side, and life member Stewart McKnight as the referee.
In the Topp Cup centenary game on Saturday, South Otago retained the cup with a 38-12 win in Lawrence.
Country rugby
1963-2010 dream teams
Otago Country: Bevan Wilson, Ian Smith, Don Colling, Neil Purvis, Ralph Milne, Tony Clark, Richard Hurring, Wayne Graham, Warren Townsend, Don Clark, Richard Knight, Andy Hollander, Dave Bendle, David Latta, Tony Kreft. Reserves: Dave Pescini, John Anderson, John Levido, Phil Young, Tony O'Neill, Bevan Guthrie, Bill Potae.
Central Otago: Wilson, Smith, Colling (captain), Purvis, Milne, Tony Clark, O'Neill, Hugh Morrison, Clark, Don Harley, Tony Banks, Levido, John Anderson, Pescini, Kreft. Reserves: Bruce Duncan, Colin Clark, Gary Goodfellow, Richie Flannery, Richard Morgan, Paul Macfie, John Colling, Alan Somerville.
South Otago: Neville Muir, Bryce McKenzie, Potae, Sam Young, Larnie Palmer, Guthrie, Hurring, Graham, Townsend, Young, Knight, Andy Hollander, John Latta, David Latta (captain), Dave Bendle. Reserves: Ken Bloxham, Trevor McLennan, Ash McGregor, Lindsay Roulston, Graham Robertson, Bruce Hanna, Barry Robertson.
