Rugby: Patrick Morrison saves the day

Old Boys Marist's Matt Harrison on the charge in his side's 33-25 victory over Kamo. Photo/Michael Cunningham

Winger Patrick Morrison covered himself in glory in Wellsford's 8-7 win over Mid Western at Maungakaramea on Saturday.

Morrison scored what turned out to be the winning try midway through the second spell but also featured in the tough, uncompromising defensive effort that finally got them the points they needed to secure a home semifinal in the Bayleys Southern Districts Premier competition.

After his side was trailing 3-7 at the break Morrison finally finished one of Wellsford's attacking chances and then was involved in a try-saving tackle in the closing moments of the game to deny the home side a comeback victory.

The winger tackled Mid Western's Northland prop Will-Griff John as he lunged for the line and was joined in the tackle by lock Louis Smith, who ripped the ball out before John could ground it.

"Both teams' defences largely cancelled each other out, and I think on balance we probably came up with more scoring opportunities throughout the game, but as the score showed there wasn't a lot in it," a relieved Wellsford coach Mick Sweetman said.

Sweetman said both teams were still well short of reproducing their first-choice line-ups and he was hopeful that in the next few games the side would get four of their top players back in time for the semifinals.

Brothers Matt and Ross Wright and veteran lock Stu Oldfield are still out through injury while halfback Shane Tetzlaff injured his ankle playing for Northland last Friday.

Another win for Hora Hora sees them clear at the top of the top of the table, followed by Wellsford and Mid Western but a real battle is shaping up for the final semifinal spot.

Otamatea coach Dean Kenny was frustrated after his club's second consecutive loss - this time 48-17 to Mid Northern - which left his side just one point ahead of three clubs breathing down their neck for the final semifinal place.

Old Boys Marist and Waipu both had bonus-point wins to join Mid Northern on 42 points.

"Our team has been decimated in the past couple of weeks from players out with injuries from Harding Shield matches and with players unavailable because of the way that our Northland contracted players have been managed," he said.

He said a "meaningless" match against the Blues last week had left three of their Northland players unavailable for the upset loss to Hikurangi but if they had been given only half a game for Northland, they would have been able to play in at least some of the club match.

Kenny has several more complaints with the way club rugby was being weakened by wider professional commitments - like the current unavailability of Matt Moulds playing in a Blues 10s team at a tournament in Kuala Lumpur - but his main problem was the Harding Shield schedule.

"They should get rid of it - or play it in March or at least have it over and done with by the end of the first round so there is less disruption when it gets to the business end of the club competition," he said.

Kenny said other teams were having similar problems just getting a team together when the competition should be reaching its finest moment, and something should be done about it next season.

An indication of the desperation of Otamatea's current plight was perhaps better demonstrated by the early game at Hukerenui on Saturday with the Mid Northern Reserves annihilating Otamatea 112-5.

Southern Districts Premier competition

Mid Northern 48 beat Otamatea
Old Boys Marist 33 beat Kamo 25
Wellsford 8 beat Mid Western 7
Waipu 36 beat Western Sharks

Reserves

Mid Northern 112 beat Otamatea 5
Kamo 44 beat Old Boys Marist 3
Mid Western 16 beat Hora Hora 24
Hikurangi 45 beat Waipu 0