The Dunedin Rugby Football Club (Inc)

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.”

Liam Edwards was the inspiration for an enterprising Dunedin team that scored six tries and retained the Centennial Trophy against Alhambra-Union at Kettle Park.

Edwards, returning from a month break after injuring his shoulder, added spark to the Dunedin backline.

He scored two brilliant long-range tries and was dangerous when he entered the backline.

His best try came when he picked up loose ball on his own line, sprinted 60m, kicked over the defence, gathered the ball and scored the try. He added 16 points with his boot to score 26 points.

A feature of Dunedin’s play was the ability to break out from its own 22m. The side had the confidence to counter-attack  from turnover ball.

The other back to stand out was first five-eighth Louis Tili, who directed play efficiently.

The best forward was No 8 Gareth Evans with his skills at the breakdown and his strong tackling.

Hooker Finnbar Boyle was a tiger on the drive and prop Will Henry was skilled with the pick and go in his 100th game for the club.

- Dunedin 46 (Liam Edwards 2, Sione Pulu, Tumua Ioane, Daryl Caldwell, Richard Thompson tries; Edwards 5 con, 2 pen), Alhambra-Union 8 (Regan Turoa try; Peter Breen  pen). Halftime: 32-3. Referee: Ben O’Keefe.

The clubs own Brad Weber featured in the final of the IRB Junior World Championship/Trophy in Padava, Italy on Sunday. Bought on as an impact player by the coach 20 minutes into the second half, he helped the ‘Baby Blacks’ to a 33 – 22 win over England. A great result.

Brad  being tackled by Sam Jones during the
IRB Junior World Championship Final match between England
and New Zealand at
Plebiscito Stadium on June 26, 2011 in Padova,
Italy.

Dunedin moved firmly into a semifinals spot when it outclassed University  47-19 in premier club rugby on Saturday.

It is now nine points ahead of fifth-placed Alhambra-Union and is not expected to be passed with only four rounds of the Gallaway Trophy competition left.

Dunedin’s next task is to close the seven-point gap to Taieri, to move into third spot and avoid playing Southern in the semifinal.

Dunedin played attacking rugby to score six tries when it beat University at Kettle Park.

A feature of the Dunedin style was for the loose forwards Hugh Blake and Mark Atkins to attack the breakdown and get turnover ball.

It was then moved wide, to speedsters Ashton Tuck and Sione Pulu, who had the gas to turn opportunities into points.

The best Dunedin try came midway through the second spell, when Atkins grabbed turnover ball on his own goal line and dashed upfield. Blake was in support to continue the movement and Atkins was the last to handle and score the try.

First five-eighth Louis Tili, the pivot, was always looking for attacking opportunities. He dashed down the short side shortly before the break and lock Richard Thompson was in support to score the try and Dunedin led 35-7.

Pulu scored his try after 25 minutes in the second spell and Dunedin led 42-7.

The last 15 minutes belonged to the students who scored two late tries. Their best players were veteran tighthead prop Chris Burke, flanker Jack Wolfreys and halfback Sam McLernon.

- Dunedin 47 (Ashton Tuck, Sione Pulu, Mark      Atkins 2, Hugh Blake, Richard Thompson tries; Louis Tili 4      con, 3 pen), University  19 (Anton Hones 2, Harry Pankhurst      tries; Stephen Fenemore 2 con). Halftime: 35-7. Referee: Liam      Scanlon.

Brad Weber evading a Argentinan Tackle

The clubs own Brad Weber a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team has had a part to play in all three matches played in the IRB Junior World Championship. The team is in a pool including Argentina which they defeated 48 – 15, Italy dispatched 64 – 7 . Brad scored a try in what has to be described as a 92 – 0 thrashing given to Wales. New Zealand tops their pool with 15 points.

Brad a Mako Colt in 2010, Otago Under 19 rep and 2011 Premier White Shark was selected in April and plays in the tournament thru to the 26th June