Eskeroma Nabuka scored a try for the Stratford Eltham premier team. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Eskeroma Nabuka scored a try for the Stratford Eltham premier team. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Stratford Eltham’s premier rugby team is through to the finals.
The Streltham Thunder played against Southern in front of a strong crowd on Saturday at Victoria Park. The team looked in control for the entire match.
Elusive wing Eseroma Nabuka started the game strongly with back-to-back tries down his wing. Only one try was converted by Rocky Olsen, but it gave the home team the head start it was after when Southern were on the back foot defensively.
Stratford-Eltham continued to pile the pressure on the attack. That let prop Jordan McFarlane in along with a runaway try to Olsen before halftime.
Southern were on the board before the break when they enjoyed possession inside Stratford-Eltham’s half, a rarity in the match. Taranaki midfielder Meihana Grindlay busted through, with Brent Landers able to kick the conversion.
Olsen slotted a penalty after the break, while Jordan Masters toed a loose ball through to score under the posts. By this time, the game was over and Stratford-Eltham enjoyed some time on defence but managed to slow play down well enough so Southern couldn’t capitalise.
They now move on to face New Plymouth Old Boys in the final.
At their semifinal game, Old Boys were under early pressure from Clifton when the visitors were penetrating inside their half for the opening 10 minutes, despite first five-eighth Matty James missing an early penalty attempt.
Rocky Olsen getting ready to kick a conversion. Photo / Alyssa Smith
But once Old Boys found their rhythm, they were hard to stop like they have been all season. Their defence was excellent and even contained Chiefs midfielder Daniel Rona and Hurricanes wing Kini Naholo, who both started.
An early Brayton Northcott-Hill penalty opened the account, and followed a long buildup from the home team. Mason Milham finished up scoring on his wing, with Northcott-Hill adding the sideline conversion to give Old Boys confidence heading into the remainder of the first half.
Northcott-Hill scored and added another conversion just before the break to give Old Boys a 17-0 lead.
Immediately after halftime, Clifton were on the board. Patience was rewarded after plugging away at the Old Boys defence.
Hooker Kimo Faogali picked up a loose ball from the base of a ruck and snuck around the short side to score. James kicked the conversion, in what were Clifton’s only points of the game.
The final score was 39-7. It will be OId Boys’ first finals appearance since 2018, when they beat Coastal 29-9 at TET Stadium, and the joint club’s first outing in a premier final. As separate clubs, Stratford or Eltham haven’t played Old Boys in a final since the current format started in 1983.
In other grades, Old Boys and Southern will compete for the division one title, Kaitake will play Pātea in the division two finale, and Inglewood are the top seeds in the Colts final against Stratford-Eltham.
