Hosts sneak home against unfortunate Thames Valley

Thames Valley had the resources but didn't get the result when South Canterbury sneaked home 16-13 against them in their Heartland Championship rugby match in Timaru yesterday.

At halftime Thames Valley led 13-8 but were run down thanks to a Grant Johnston try for South Canterbury and a Kyle Reif penalty.

In spite of laying siege to the South Canterbury line for most of the half, Thames Valley could not get across the line.They were unfortunate to miss three penalty attempts, allowing South Canterbury, down to 14 men for the last seven or eight minutes to get home.

The Thames Valley forwards were dominant with Gene Waller ruling the lineouts and they disrupted the South Canterbury scrum.

Poverty Bay skipper Scott Leighton slotted a penalty in the last act of the game to bring his side home 19-18 against King Country in a pool B match at Gisborne.

Poverty Bay looked out of the game after 45 minutes, trailing 3-18, but they showed commitment and tied down the visitors' attacks with first five-eighth Leighton leading from the front.

He stroked the ball beautifully for three penalties and one conversion in the last 30 minutes.

Wairarapa-Bush made it three from three with a 10-6 win over East Coast in Ruatoria. But the pool A joint leaders were made to look ordinary by an East Coast team who came close to causing a a major upset.

A try to winger Junior Togia converted by first five-eighth Patrick Rimene in reply to a Gene Peterson penalty gave the visitors a four-point lead at the break. Rimene and Paterson traded penalties in the second half in which defences were on top. Both teams had chances, only for the final pass to go astray.

The return of J J Skipworth, Tyrone Delamere and Morgan Wirepa jun to the East Coast pack was a huge boost as they shaded their opposition.

West Coast proved they will not be the bunnies of the Heartland Championship after an impressive 24-9 win over Mid Canterbury on a damp Rugby Park in Greymouth yesterday. They scored two tries to none, with victory coming on the back on an aggressive 10-man style.

Their loose forward trio of captain Neil Linklater, Ofa Misa, Alan Monk, as well as lock Lomina Va'aelua were pivotal to West Coast's success as they dominated the rucks and mauls. Mid Canterbury spent most of first half deep in their own territory.

West Coast's Canterbury Country import Cory Simpson had an excellent match with the boot, netting 14 points.