Marist knock over previously unbeaten Blues to claim women's title

Sunday, 16 June 2019

Marist wing Sophia Alaloto Taumafai pushes through the Blues defence to score a try in Marist's 10-0 win over Blues in the 2019 Southland women's club rugby grand final at Rugby Park.

On the face of it, it seems like one of those major sporting upsets.

Although, many close to Southland women's rugby seen Marist's 2019 triumph coming.

Marist prop Delayne Ryan runs with the ball in the Southland women's club rugby grand final against Blues at Rugby Park in Invercargill.

Marist took on Blues in the 2019 Southland women's club rugby grand final at Rugby Park on Sunday.

Blues had gone through the round-robin competition unbeaten, in fact, they hadn't lost a game in two years up until Sunday.

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Earlier in the season Blues had crushed Marist 49-17. You can see why many fancied Blues, but Sunday was Marist's day.

Marist scored tries in the 14th minute and 27th minute to lead 10-0 at halftime.

The green-and-blacks then held on in a scoreless second half to claim a 10-0 victory and the 2019 club title.

It has added to the golden run for the Marist club given its men's team claimed back-to-back Galbraith Shield titles in 2017 and 2018 and lead the competition this year.

Rugby Southland women's development officer and high-performance coordinator Mere Baker said, while many from the outside looking in might have thought Blues were hot favorites, she had seen a lot of growth in the Marist team this season.

Player numbers had grown and week-by-week Marist had improved, Baker said.

Baker said such an intense final in front of a couple of hundred spectators was another big step forward for women's rugby.

Meanwhile, a try in the last play of the game on Saturday has kept Woodlands' 2019 Galbraith Shield hopes alive and it has also just made an already tight playoff race even tighter.

Woodlands coach Derek Manson believed Woodlands' season was on the line when they took on Blues at Oreti Park on Saturday.

With time up on the clock and Woodlands trailing 37-34 the signs were not looking great.

However fullback Jack Dillon was able to cross for Woodlands to bank a bonus-point 41-37 victory and now has the sleeping giants of Southland rugby just two competition points out of the top four.

While Blues will be disappointed to let the win slip from their grasp they will still take two competition points out of the game which could prove vital in the long-run.

Marist is the only team assured of a semi-final berth as they sit 12 points clear of second-placed Eastern-Northern Barbarians.

Marist provided yet another glimpse of its ability with a 47-26 victory over bottom-of-the-table Pirates-Old Boys at the Les George Oval on Saturday.

While is in playoff preparation mode, just four points separated second-placed Barbarians (28) and fifth-placed Woodlands (24), while Star and Blues are both on locked on 26 points.

Star blew what looked to be an ideal opportunity on Saturday to all but lock in a semifinal spot but was undone by a startling defensive effort by the Barbarians.

Star scored after just two minutes of play through flanker Brayden Mitchell and dominated much of the first half.

Despite creating countless scoring opportunities Star was unable to capitalise and led just 10-5 at halftime.

Star's second-half chances were dealt a blow when Mitchell was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Star also lost another strong ball carrier in Jordan Stewart when Stewart and Barbarians prop Ben Holland was sent off following a fight.

The two teams traded shots in the second half before the Barbarians grabbed onto a 20-13 led.

With time up Star continued to throw wave after wave of attack at the Barbarians but as was the case throughout the majority of the game the hosts were unable to come away with points.

Barbarians first five-eighth Jake Lawlor impressed in the win, although defensively the entire team deserved plaudits.

For Star lock Jack Capil, prop Chris Apoua, and hooker Greg Pleasants-Tate all carried the ball well.

RESULTS

Premier

(Galbraith Shield)

Marist 47, Pirates Old Boys 26; Woodlands 41, Blues 37; Eastern-Northern Barbarians 20, Star 13.

(Ack Soper Shield)

Edendale 54, Waikaka 8; Midlands 21, Riversdale 15; Wyndham 19, Te Anau 15;

Division One

Blues 39, Star 14; Pioneer 24 , Waikiwi 17; Albion-Excelsior 39, Waiau Star 5; Mossburn 40, Wakatipu 19;

Division Two

Mataura 67, Marist 5; Tokanui 36, Blues 0; Ohai-Nightcaps 50, Collegiate 0; Riverton 27, Drummond-Limehills-Star 21; Bluff 64, Balfour 36; Woodlands 13, Bush Pirates 10.