The Dunedin Rugby Football Club (Inc)

2011 Dunedin Mako Colts Winners of the Division 1 Top 4 Competition

DUNEDIN MAKO’S 18          SOUTHERN MAGPIES 11

Liam Edwards had the chance to get Dunedin a bonus point but he missed his long-range penalty goal in the final minute and Taieri won 32-24 at Kettle Park. Edwards kicked five penalty goals and scored 14 of Dunedin’s points. But he will be reminded of that final missed chance to take Dunedin into the semifinals.

Dunedin had the better of the first half and Edwards added the extra points to give it a 16-5 lead at the break.

Dunedin flanker Hugh Blake was the best forward in the first half and he continued dominate the breakdown in the second spell. He was backed by lock Mark Grieve-Dunn and prop Will Henry.

But Dunedin’s backs let it down with a lot of fumbles and missed tackles. Dunedin missed 35 tackles in the second spell.

The Taieri pack matched Dunedin in the second spell with No 8 Charlie O’Connell having a bullocking game and lock Steve Green doing his bit. The Taieri backline ran strongly and caused problems for the Dunedin defence.

Key players in the backline were first five-eighth Ben Nowell and the midfield of Shannon Young and Kieran Moffat. Moffat scored two tries and set up two others in the second spell. Moffat made ground as he cut through what was virtually a non-existent defence.

- Taieri 32 (Kieran Moffat 2, Shannon Young, Ben Nowell, Charlie O’Connell tries; Kurt Schrader con, pen, Nowell con), Dunedin 24 (Louis Tili, Mark Grieve-Dunn tries; Liam Edwards con, 4 pen). Halftime: Dunedin 16-5. Referee: Jeff Grubb.

Pirates retained the Larry Salmon Memorial Trophy at Kettle Park.

Pirates led 18-0 with the wind at its back in the first spell and added 22 points when playing into the wind in the second spell. The Pirates pack dominated second-phase ball and gained 28 turnovers at the breakdown.

Pirates had a strong scrum and the front row of Daniel Johnson, Jake Maiono and Craig Miller dominated their opponents. Warren Kearney and Brad Ross were strong in the lineout and the loose trio of Solomon T-Pole, Shaun McCarroll and Josh Clark were dominant.

The best Pirates back was second five-eighth Opini To’Omalatai. The lack of tackling by Dunedin was epitomised by the try scored by prop Craig Miller in the final minute, when he broke through four tackles.

Pirates 40 (Hemi Davis, Isaac Beach, Solomon T-Pole, Warren Kearney, Craig Miller, Daniel Johnson, Paul Miller tries; Davis con, Andrew Bremner pen), Dunedin 11 (Sione Pulu try; Liam Edwards 2 pen). Halftime: 18-0. Referee: Todd Pullar.

A committed Kaikorai team shut Dunedin out of the game when  it gained an upset win at Bishopscourt. This was epitomised by a pack that went into the breakdown as a unit and dominated second-phase possession.

The key to the win was the loose trio of Blair Tweed, Mitchell Clarke and Jamie Williams, who did not give the Dunedin pack any leeway and made life difficult for the backline.   Prop Blair Laughton burst up field with the ball in hand, and lock Dave Simpson made his mark with strong tackling and bursting runs.   The lethal Dunedin backline was always on the back foot and was not able to unleash its attacking flair.   The Kaikorai backs showed they meant business after six minutes when centre Logan Moore burst 40m up the centre.   He made other strong runs that kept the Dunedin defence on its toes.   Diminutive halfback Jye Cormack had a lively game and winger Bryce Morgan played well in his first premier start.

Kaikorai stamped its seal on the game when playing into the strong wind in the first spell when winger Sam Cadogan scored      two tries in the corner after blindside moves.   Kaikorai led 10-3 at the break and used the wind effectively in the second spell by booting the ball deep into Dunedin      territory.    The wind and the cold rain made it difficult for Dunedin to fight back and it was virtually impossible when Cormack scored after 15 minutes to stretch the lead to 20-3.

The best players for Dunedin were flanker Simon Luke, who grabbed lineout ball at the front and was lively around the paddock, openside flanker Anthony Diack and lock Richard Thompson.

• Kaikorai 25 (Sam Cadogan 2, Jye Cormack, Clark McNab tries; Cam Rutherford con, pen), Dunedin 10 (Tumua Ioane try; Liam Edwards con, pen). Halftime: 10-3. Referee: Jeff Grubb.

Brad Weber has bolted home to Hawkes Bay but says he hopes to play for Otago in the near future.

The rising halfback had only just returned to Dunedin from New Zealand Under-20 duty at the world junior championships this week when he was whistled into the Magpies squad for the ITM Cup.

Brad (20), who has been studying health sciences at the University of Otago and playing for the Dunedin club, has been on a minor Hawkes Bay contract for two years.

He was half-hoping a loan deal could be arranged to keep him in the Otago system this year.

But the opportunity to play top provincial rugby sooner with his home province has emerged and is too good to turn down.

“Hawkes Bay has upgraded my contract to NPC status,” Weber told the Otago Daily Times.

“That’s quite exciting. I guess I feel on a bit of a roll with rugby and I just want to take the opportunity.

“I’d certainly like to come back. But whether Otago want me  back or not is another story.”

Weber signed his first contract with Hawkes Bay when he was playing First XV rugby at Napier Boys’ High School.

“That contract gave me the financial support to come down here, which is where I wanted to study,” he said.

“Looking back, I wish I didn’t sign that contract. I’d rather have come to Otago and tried to get a contract here.

“But in saying that, I didn’t really expect my rugby to accelerate that quickly.”

Weber’s studies have understandably taken a back seat. He missed his mid-year exams while in Italy with the New Zealand Under-20 team, and he is not sure when he will get back in the lecture theatre.

He started against Italy and Argentina at the world junior  tournament, and got the last 20 minutes of the final as New Zealand beat England 33-22.

“We were pretty confident but we knew teams would be after us.

“We couldn’t just turn up and win. We really had to work for it and I think we played really well.”