Southern thrash injury-hit Zingari-Richmond | Otago Daily Times Online News

A wrap up of premier grade club rugby games played in Dunedin over the weekend.

Southern                             86

Zingari-Richmond            10

Zingari-Richmond led 3-0 after two minutes at Montecillo.

That was as good as it got for the home team.

Southern ran in 13 tries and collected a penalty try as well to thrash the Colours 86-10.

The second half was essentially a glorified training run.

The usual suspects stood out for Southern.

Harry Taylor works hard every week and he collected a couple of tries for his trouble.

Powerhouse No8 Konrad Toleafoa nabbed a hat-trick.

The Magpies fielded probably their strongest side of the season, while poor old Zingari — missing no fewer than five front-rowers — had a cobbled-together feel.

Few sides could hope to put together a competitive team with that kind of injury toll.

Zingari are battling, and as the scoreboard indicated, they were not competitive in this game.

That said, hooker A-One Lolofie enhanced his reputation and never stopped trying.

Blindside flanker Flavius Roberts-Vili had a decent shift and midfielder Keenan Masina made some nice touches.

Southern’s locking duo of Corban Agar and Aron Einarsson get mentioned in dispatches each week and get the nod again.

Mackenzie Palmer was mercurial. He was good one minute, not so good the next. But he is always exciting.

The win has kept the Magpies in touch with the top two sides, Dunedin and Taieri.

Those three are edging ahead of the pack in what is still a very tight competition.

— Adrian Seconi

Taieri                                    17

University                            8

There is no substitute for a good defence.

And Taieri certainly put in a tenacious effort with their backs to the line.

They repelled wave after wave to edge University 17-8 in an old-fashioned arm wrestle at the University Oval.

It is hard to single out players — all the Eels made their share of tackles — but the Whaanga brothers, Matt and Josh, put up a wall in the midfield.

Lock Harvey Amende was a workhorse and Sam Fischli scored an important try in the second half.

Fullback Reef Newdick was creative on attack but got binned in the second half.

Discipline is one area were Taieri will have some work to do. They got marched several times in the second half.

They led 7-3 at the break and Fischli dived over to score early in the second to give the visitors some breathing space.

University struggled to crack the Eels’ defence. It took a pinpoint crossfield kick from Mika Muliaina to set up their only try.

Centre Josh Dent collected the kick out on the right wing, drew the defence and passed inside to Jayden Broome to score.

It was a very decent effort by University. Lock Mitchell Tinnock and Lanson Randell shone in the pack, and Muliaina is a quality first five with a big future ahead.

The students needed to get dangerous winger Jeremiah Asi into the action more, but it was bitterly cold, and it was wet as well.

— Adrian Seconi

Dunedin                               21

Kaikorai                                8

Kaikorai came out firing in the first spell and dominated Dunedin at Logan Park on Friday night.

They enjoyed long periods of possession and territory.

First five Ben Miller had the ball on a string in the swirling breeze.

But Dunedin won the game through their defence. They formed an impenetrable wall and confounded wave after wave of Kaikorai attack.

Miller kicked a handy penalty after 16 minutes.

Dunedin replied through the boot of Cam Burgess, who kicked two to give his side a 6-3 lead at halftime.

The Sharks gained more possession and started to find holes in the Kaikorai defence.

Dunedin midfielder Tayne Harvey started to find space and winger Joe Parkinson finished off one of those breaks, scoring out wide to extend the lead to 14-3.

Not long after, the game was sealed when fast hands found Parkinson out wide for the repeat dose.

Kaikorai got a late consolation. Miller chipped over the top then toed the loose ball for 40m to score a brilliant individual try.

Dunedin flanker Max Ratcliffe led from the front in the defensive effort and was well supported by prop Rohan Wingham, hooker Fatai Koloi and lock Reuben Palmer. Harvey was the difference in the backlines with his touches of class and ferocious defence.

Fullback Max Webb was dangerous on the counter and set up one of their two tries.

Kaikorai flanker Slade McDowall created some turnovers with his jackling skills and Miller was their best back.

— Paul Dwyer

Green Island                       29

Alhambra-Union               17

Alhambra-Union can take a truckload of positives from a game in which their 11 replacement players stepped up to counter the challenge of playing defending champions Green Island at the North Ground.

There was some serious reshuffling this week for the Broncos.

Green Island dominated early, streaking out to a 19-0 lead, and eventually won 29-17.

Halfback Dan Smart made good use of space and time created by a forward pack in which locks Isaac Robertson and Christian MacEwan featured, particularly in broken play.

Green Island second five Alex Piebenga set the game alight in the opening minutes with a stunning 30m burst up the guts for a try under the bar.

Veteran hooker Pete Mirrielees sent the visitors sailing into double digits on the scoreboard when diving over from the side of a maul moments later.

But Alhambra-Union regrouped through some tenacious work up front from hooker Theodore Davis, who was never far from the action and was always first to the breakdown.

Props Petelo Amato and Ben Latu rolled up their sleeves as well.

AU opened their account in the opening minutes of the second half through a try to Amato down the left flank.

Moments later, Green Island were exposed down the left again through a try to first five William Thode.

Alhambra-Union kept the pressure on with some stern defence and threatening attacks. Replacement fullback Franklin Barry made a huge impact in his debut with some telling defensive work and line breaks.

— Wayne Parsons

Round 11

The scores
 

Southern 86 (Konrad Toleafoa 3, Harry Taylor 2, Levi Emery, Dylan Petaia, Bede Dodd-Edgar, Justin Malifa, Josh Buchan, Wilson Driver, Wyndham Patuawa, Lotu Solomona tries, penalty try; Mackenzie Palmer 5 con, Patuawa 2 con), Zingari-Richmond 10 (penalty try; Alexandar Tui-Samoa pen). Halftime: Southern 39-3.
 

Taieri 17 (Riley Allan, Sam Fischli tries; Alex Honey 2 con, pen), University 8 (Jayden Broome try; Mika Muliaina con). Halftime: Taieri 7-3.
 

Dunedin 21 (Joe Parkinson 2 tries; Cam Burgess 3 pen, con), Kaikorai 8 (Ben Miller try, pen). Halftime: Dunedin 6-3.
 

Green Island 29 (Alex Piebenga, Peter Mirrielees, Christian MacEwan, Riley Lucas tries; Liam Barron 3 con, pen), Alhambra-Union 17 (Petelo Amato, William Thode, Oliver Thode tries; William Thode con). Halftime: Green Island 19-0.

Standings