North Canterbury News: April 18, 2024

RUGBY
SPORT
North Canterbury News, April 18, 2024
Three NC rugby teams remain unbeaten
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North Canterbury’s Ashley,
Glenmark­Cheviot and Ohoka
remain unbeaten after the first
two rounds of the Luisetti Seeds
Combined Country rugby
competition.
Ohoka, in particular,inflicted a
notable defeat, travelling to
Ashburton and beating Celtic —
31­14.
The previous week ,Celtic lost
in a38­41 thriller to Rakaia,
meaning last season’s champions
are winless after thefirst two
rounds, and it has amassive
mountain to climb to repeat last
season’s heroics.
Saracens vPrebbleton
There were glum looks galore,
and the mood was as dismal as
the weather,asSaracens’
supporterstried to dissect their
team’s first half performance
against Prebbleton. It was all
one­waytraffic with Prebbleton
dominating every aspect of the
match —possession, territory
and the scoreboard. It only took
Prebbleton 25 minutes to claim
its four­try bonus point, and it
added two more tries before the
half was over, in what was a
point­a­minute romp. It certainly
seemed as though the Saracens
team –and their supporters–
were facing the prospect of a
long, dreary winter.
When Prebbleton scored again,
soon after the resumption, to take
the score to 43­3, it seemed as
though the second half would be
arepeat of the first. Admittedly,
the Prebbleton forward pack by
this stage bore no resemblance to
the starting eight —the result a
foregone conclusion.
But there was an unbelievable
turnaround for the remainder of
the match. One thing was clear,
Saracens, particularly its
forward pack, still possessed one
vital quality —pride. Perhaps a
half time reminder or two of
Saracen’s stalwarts, Jonny
Turnbull (150) and Toby Ashby
(50) who were celebrating
significant milestones, seeking a
better team performance needed
to celebrate the occasion.
With Josh Maynardand Willie
Kerr leading the way,
appropriately it was Turnbull
himself who bullocked his way
over for Saracens first try. This
seemed to inspire his forward
pack as it set up three more tries,
giving Prebbleton adose of its
own medicine, by piling on 24
unanswered points in just 22
Taking possession ... Woodend safely secures possession at alineout
against Ashley at Loburn last Saturday.
PHOTO: LINDSAY KERR
minutes to make the final score
at least respectable.
Saracens 27 (Jonny Turnbull, Zak
Stevenson, Toby Ashby, Nathan
Goodwin tries; Oscar Burney, a
penalty and two conversions) lost
to Prebbleton 43.
Ashley vWoodend
Better team work allowed Ashley
to race away to a46­6 winover
Woodend at the Loburn Domain.
The opening 30 minutes
suggested there was little
between the teams, with one
searching for its first victory in
two years.
Woodend landed two penalties
in this time while Ashley replied
with apenalty and aconverted
try.
As the half ran down, the
Woodend scrum began to
dominate, but it failed to convert
this into tidy possession and
points.
Ashley meanwhile seized its
opportunities scoring its second
try, and apenalty, going to the
break with a18­6 advantage.
Ashley’s victory was set in the
opening moments of the second
half when loosie Paddy Skerten
scored from ascrum near the
Woodend line, which was
converted. It was Ashley’s turn to
dominate at scrum time and
three more tries followed.
Braxton Taua’s boot did the rest.
The game never reached any
great heights, but the cohesion of
the Ashley midfield of Callum
Murdoch and Matt Couch
provided the platform for the
Ashley attack to launch from.
Matt Kippenberger on the blind
side of the scrum had productive
80 minutes.
Lock Tom Stopforth was a
major contributor to the
Woodend effort, and Jordie
Swaine, at centre, was always
dangerous with the ball in hand.
Ashley 46 (Matt Couch, Matt
Kippenberger, Paddy Skerten,
Louis James, Matt Peak, Josh
Duckworth tries; Braxton Taua 5
conversions, 2penalties) beat
Woodend 6(Jordie Swaine 2
penalties).
Southbridge vKaiapoi
Kaiapoi went to Southbridge, a
notoriously tough place to win,
with high hopes of victory.
However, the signs were ominous
from the opening kick­off as it
lost the ball, and was down 5­nil.
Southbridge then pinned
Kaiapoi in its own half and
forced it to make alot of tackles.
Kaiapoi defended bravely and
showed plenty of courage and
resolve.
When it finally got achance to
attack it showed it could foot­it
with Southbridge, with atry to
hooker Kafu Misiuata, converted
by fullback Lance Taylor, to take
the score to 18­7 at the break.
The half time message of
maintaining possession and
Saracen stalwart ... Playing his 150th game, Jonny Turnbull wrong
foots his Prebbleton opponent.
PHOTO: BRIDGET ROBINSON
piling on the pressure seemed to
work as Kaiapoi mounted
numerous attacks at the start of
the second half. However it was
to no avail as handling errors
allowed Southbridge to keep
Kaiapoi attacking from its own
half. It wasn’t until the 78th
minute that any points were
scored and it was afinal try to
Southbridge that sealed
Kaiapoi’s fate, falling 25­7.
With some positive signs
shown in their desperate
defence, it’s their handling and
being able to finish off
opportunities that Kaiapoi will
be looking to improve on in their
next match against Rakaia.
Misiuata, flanker Jared Smith
and first five Isiah Solomon­
Ritchie were standouts for
Kaiapoi.
Southbridge 25 beat Kaiapoi 7
(Kafu Misiuta try, Lance Taylor,
conversion.)
West Melton vHurunui
Hurunui survived alate offensive
from West Melton, to earn its first
win of the season. The host was
ascendant in the first quarter,
adjusting better to the wet
conditions, while Hurunui
struggled to wrest any
momentum. It took until the half
hour, for hooker Cale Dobby to
score, finishing off abrilliant set
piece between him and number
8, Regan Holden. Hurunui
managed to score twice more
before half­time, Dobby going
over again for his sixth tryin3
games putting Hurunui ahead
19­10athalf time. Hurunui
looked in relative control for
most of the second half, despite a
brilliant 50 metre solo try to West
Melton halfback, Jackson
Youngman, soon after the break.
However, asweeping back move
put West Melton’s centre
Eseroma Waqalutu over with
three minutes to go, making for a
compelling finish. West Melton
rallied again, but couldn’t breach
Hurunui’s line.
Hurunui substitute, Salem
Christian, brought relentless
energy, and his bruising ball
carrying was afeature of the
second half. Young winger,
Logan Topp, had an outstanding
game. He threatened every time
he carried and impressed on
defence. For West Melton,
halfback Jackson Youngman was
brilliant. He created space from
nothing, and displayed speed and
awareness.
West Melton 24 (Jackson
Youngman (2) Eseroma
Waqalutu tries, Harrison Parker
3conversions, 1penalty) lost to
Hurunui 29 (Cale Dobby (2),
Logan Topp, Bryton Simpson,
Digby Heard tries, Topp 2conv.)
Continued Page 32
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