02-07-2025
Wins for POB, Baabaas in last premier round-robin games
Cold and wet weather greeted Southland club rugby players and supporters for the 13th and last round-robin games of premier club rugby on Saturday.
The Eastern Northern Barbarians locked in third position for the finals after they beat Star 26-23 at Oreti Park.
Star, the defending champions, were already out of finals contention but they were keen to finish the season on a high. Star led 17-12 at halftime.
Barbarians' fullback Tayler Peterson played at fullback in his 50th game for the club and converted three of the Baabaas four tries.
Barbarian wingers Harry McKenzie and Banuve Dretiverata had good games, while the veteran hooker Lachlan McCall worked hard for the 80 minutes.
The Barbarians will now play Woodlands this Saturday in one semifinal while Marist will play the minor premiership winners Pirates Old Boys for the second week in a row.
Pirates Old Boys softened up Marist 48-10 at Surrey Park on Saturday. Marist had won their previous five games and POB was eager to halt their momentum.
A strong POB lineup took the field and went to work. Fullback Kaea Nikora-Balloch scored the first 13 points of the game. The Marist scrum was under pressure, conceding a pushover try after 25 minutes and then giving up a penalty try before halftime that made 27-0.
Marist earned most of the ball in the early stages of the second half and were the next team to score through left wing Te Hura Wilson. Wilson got his second try midway through the half but POB were back in control; scoring three more tries out wide, the last one to Jaye Thompson who glided to the line.
The dead-rubber match between Invercargill Blues and Woodlands was cancelled.
Star beat Albion 46-10 in the women's final at Rugby Park. Fullback Fiona van der Poel scored a long-range try to help Star to a 15-5 lead at halftime.
Albion got back to 20-10 during the second half but Star finished best running in four tries in the final 20 minutes. Van der Poel finished with a hat-trick of tries. Star's impressive loose forward and captain Karlee Cruickshank was outstanding in defence and at the breakdown throughout the final. A third Central Southland-bred player to impress for Star was lock Olivia Gill. The CSC student was recently included in a New Zealand Rugby U18 Pathway Camp.
In the division one competition, the Waikaka/Riversdale Vikings beat Albion 23-7 on a wintry Riversdale afternoon, while Wyndham overcame Tokanui 17-0 in the mud at Tokanui.
Edendale earned a 31-21 win in a physical encounter down at Bluff. The Magpies led 17-7 at halftime. Strong running from Jeremy McLeod, Kody Crump, Cole Williams and captain Luke Muir was the key to Edendale's success. Muir scored two of the Magpie's five tries in a man-of-the-match performance.
Pioneer had a 60-5 win over Te Anau at Newman Park.
In division two, Midlands overcame Drummond Limehills Star 8-0 in the wet on Club Day at Limehills. Division two: Woodlands 38, Blues 0; Waikiwi 33, Mossburn 0; Riverton 52, Otautau-Ohai-Nightcaps 5; Midlands 8, Drummond-Limehills-Star 0.
Division three: Pirates-Old Boys B 34, Central Pirates 14; Collegiate 29, Wright's Bush 0; Waiau Star 15, Mataura 7.
By John Langford
