The Star: May 04, 2023

The Star Thursday May 4 2023
18
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Big clashes for rising Nomads
and high-flying Marist Albion
Jaime Cunningham
looks at the next
round of club sport
FOOTBALL
Nomads will look to continue
their recent momentum into
round 7 of the Southern League
after their first win of the season
against Green Island at the
weekend.
Although scores were locked
2-2 at halftime, Nomads
dominated the second half with
four unanswered goals by Daniel
Ede, Angus McIntyre (2) and
Niraj Basnet.
Head coach Matt Jansen said
the result was promising on the
back of Nomads’ round 5 match
against Christchurch United,
where his side nearly pulled off
the upset of the season.
“I think the difference was that
we just finished our chances,” he
said of the game against Green
Island.
It was a special match
for Nomads captain Jacob
Anderson, who made his 150th
appearance for the club’s top
team at 23.
Jansen said the milestone was
impressive at his age and believes
Anderson epitomises what
Nomads is all about.
“He’s had opportunities to
move on with other teams but
he’s stuck with us. It’s a massive
achievement,” Jansen said.
A win against Coastal Spirit on
Sunday could see eighth-placed
Nomads climb the ladder once
again.
“In our first six games we’ve
had the top four teams, and felt
we should have been competitive
against FC Twenty 11 (lost 2-0),”
Jansen said.
Although the game where
Nomads lost 1-0 to unbeaten
Christchurch United in the 96th
minute was a heartache, Jansen
said it was a positive result for
the team.
“It was nice to know those boys
can challenge the top teams.”
In other games this weekend,
second-placed Cashmere
Technical will host third-placed
Dunedin City Royals at Garrick
Memorial Park. Both teams
go into the round following
comfortable wins over Selwyn
United (2-1 v Cashmere) and
FC Twenty 11 (3-0 v Dunedin)
respectively.
Christchurch will look to
extend their unbeaten streak
against Nelson Suburbs on
Saturday after they recorded a
6-0 win over Ferrymead Bays.
Selwyn United have the
opportunity to climb into the top
half of the ladder when they play
Green Island, while FC Twenty
11 are in search of their second
win against Ferrymead Bays.
CLASH: Marist Albion blindside flanker Tahlor Cahill and
High School Old Boys’ lock Angus Cameron contest a
lineout on Saturday.
PHOTO: BR PHOTOS
RUGBY
Metro premier leaders Marist
Albion are set to defend the DCL
Shield for the first time against
Sumner on Saturday, after they
convincingly beat High School
Old Boys’ 48-28.
Head coach Ian Robinson
was pleased with Marist’s effort
against a physical HSOB side
with a strong kicking game.
“Basically for us, it was
about moving the ball fast and
capitalising on (HSOB) mistakes,
which has been a focus,” he said.
“With strong first-five Alex
Harford and Crusader Noah
Hotham at halfback, we knew
they would kick the ball to us a
lot and we managed to score off
that.”
After leading 20-6 at halftime,
Marist managed another four
tries in the second half and
gained their third bonus point of
the season for scoring more than
four tries in a game.
Robinson believes his team’s
attacking game is a “big
strength” and will be important
when they face in-form Sumner
on Saturday. Sumner are in third
after three rounds.
“It will be awesome to defend
the DCL Shield for the first time
this week,” Robinson said.
“Sumner have a new coach
(Gareth D’almeida) and some
outstanding players like Terrence
Graham who played for the New
Zealand under-20 Barbarians
recently and Ollie Lewis who’s
been around for a while now.”
Sumner had an impressive
40-28 win over Belfast in round
3. Belfast will look to record their
first win of the season against
New Brighton.
University of Canterbury
remain undefeated and second
under Marist following a hardfought
31-29 win over Lincoln
University.
On Saturday, University face
Sydenham, who got their first
win against Shirley 50-33.
Lincoln University host
Burnside with the opportunity to
climb into the top four.
HSOB play Shirley at Bob
Deans, while Christchurch
continue to search for a win
against Linwood.
The women’s premier and
premier reserve grades see some
changes this weekend with a new
grade established.
Prebbleton, who failed to come
close to winning a game in the
premier grade, have dropped
to a new premier reserve grade
with Springston, HSOB and
Geraldine. The four teams
will play 15-a-side, while the
remaining premier reserve teams
continue playing 10-a-side.
The women’s premier grade
will now have five teams, with
one team having a bye each
week.
NETBALL
Lincoln University A and
Saints St Peters A have emerged
as the early challengers for
the premier 1 crown, as the
only unbeaten teams after two
rounds.
Defending champions Lincoln
University A won every quarter
over Kereru B and pulled away to
a 72-42 win on Tuesday night.
Kereru B had accurate
shooting once again but
could not pick up a second
win with just 58 attempts at
goal compared to Lincoln’s
mammoth 89.
Saints posted a clinical win
over winless Technical, with
Mainland shooter Tyra Dunn
making an impressive first
appearance for Saints, scoring 25
goals from 27 attempts at 93 per
cent accuracy.
UC turned around a 23-24
half-time deficit against Kereru
A and powered to their first
win of the season 53-43. It was
the first win of the season for
the 2022 finalists following
their surprise first round loss to
Kereru B.
Lincoln University B bounced
back from their loss to Lincoln
University A, beating Kia Toa
53-39. Kia Toa now sit bottom of
the ladder after two rounds, still
yet to come close to a win.
Kia Toa will have the challenge
of facing the unbeaten Lincoln
University A who will be
confident with their two large
wins so far.
The match of round 3 will be
between the two Kereru teams,
who both picked up their first
losses in round 2.
Lincoln University B will look
to stay in the premier grade with
a second win over Technical,
while the unbeaten Saints take
on UC.
Premier 1 statistics: Saints A
58 (B Ferguson 25/30, J Reuben
8/11, T Dunn 25/27) v Technical
A 39 (O Wilkie 29/37, M Kay
0/2, K Ralph 1/5, A Hendry 9/9).
Qtrs: 14-9, 26-17, 40-31, 58-39.
Lincoln University B 53 (A
Guard 40/54, E Wilke 6/13, J
Riordan 7/8) v Kia Toa A 39 (R
Petero 12/17, C Corbett 12/19, F
LaiKong 15/20). Qtrs: 14-8, 27-
18, 38-27, 53-39.
Lincoln University A (K Grant
34/41, E Wilke 12/18, A Guard
26/30) v Kereru B (S Cusack
20/24, C Cramond 4/10, G
Nicholls 18/24). Qtrs: 16-9, 36-21,
53-33, 72-42.
UC A 53 (M Hill 37/43, K Lane
11/16, T Rollo 5/7) v Kereru A 43
(H Tallentire 8/10, J Wolfgramm
16/18, L Clark 18/20, S Adams
1/4). Qtrs: 11-14, 23-24, 40-35,
53-43.
RUGBY LEAGUE
Massetti Cup holders Linwood
Keas have had a successful start
to their bid to defend their title,
finishing with five wins out five,
including a strong win over the
Riccarton Knights.
The Knights, who have lost
all five games, were down 24-16
midway through the second half
but failed to challenge the Keas
for the full 80 minutes. The Keas
won 34-16.
Riccarton will look to record
their first win against the
Northern Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Bulldogs won their only
game against the Knights, 22-
12, in March. Linwood play on
Friday night against the Eastern
Eagles in round 6. The Eagles
had a strong first half in a tight
match against Halswell Hornets,
leading 10-8 at the break.
The Eagles will look to grind
out an 80 minute performance
after their halftime lead turned
into a 32-16 loss last weekend.
Halswell host the Hornby
Panthers at Halswell Domain
on Saturday, with Hornby
looking to continue momentum
following the team’s 44-8 win
over the Bulldogs in round 5.
HOCKEY
After a break last week due
to the FIH Pro League, the
Canterbury Premier League
returns with plenty of teams
desperate to record their first
win in round 3.
Hinemoa Cup-holders
Carlton Redcliffs take on
Hornby, who are yet to win a
game following a loss and draw.
Carlton Redcliffs have been
strong on defence so far, with
only one goal conceded from
their first two games.
Marist, who recently won the
Porritt Cup, took out their round
2 match against HSOB/Burnside
2-1 but were challenged after
dominating Southern 13-0 in
the opening match of the season.
They play Avon on Saturday
who, like Hornby, have lost a
game and drawn one so far.
Southern get a much-needed
bye this round following large
losses to Marist and Carlton
Redcliffs. Championship Cup
winners Harewood will take on
HSOB/Burnside.
In the men’s competition,
University and Southern will
take on each other at Marist
Park. It will likely be the match
of the round with University
already having a -10 goal
differential and Southern unable
to score a goal in the competition
so far.
Marist, who won the
Championship Cup and
President’s Shield last year, play
winless Avon, who have suffered
two 2-1 losses. Harewood look
to continue their unbeaten
streak against HSOB/Burnside,
while Carlton Redcliffs take on
Hornby.