Wet weather skills on display

• Published date: 14 July 2022
• Publication title: North Canterbury News

The two leading teams on the points table going into the match still share that honour after they battled out a tryless affair to end locked up at 6-6

In the other top-four clash, Glenmark-Cheviot backed up its combined countrywide championship victory over Saracens, with another victory over the home side, this time posting a 13-7 win.

These two teams are now third equal on points, just one behind the leaders.

The evenness of this season’s competition is highlighted by the top four teams winning just four of their six matches.

Hurunui’s win over Oxford leaves it as the only other team that could yet force its way into the semi-finals.

There will be some nervous moments in the Saracens camp as it contemplates a trip to Culverden on Saturday to meet Hurunui.

Hurunui is never easy to beat at home, and is in a very rich vein of form having won each of its last four matches.

Another victory to Hurunui next Saturday will almost certainly see it earn a semi-final spot, and it will almost certainly come at the expense of Saracens.

Kaiapoi v Ashley

There was plenty of silverware at stake when Kaiapoi hosted Ashley, but neither team was able to rise above the conditions and turn in a commanding performance.

It’s not very often that a team leading the competition goes two weeks in a row without scoring a single try.

Yet, that is the fate that has befallen Kaiapoi.

Neither side could score a try. Neither team scored a point playing into the strong southerly wind.

Both teams kicked just two penalties, Kaiapoi’s in the first half, Ashley’s in the second.

Kaiapoi had the best of the first half, territorially which was rewarded when it kicked two penalties.

Towards the end of the first half Ashley seemed to hit its straps, and did spend a considerable period on attack.

It had a more attacking mindset, spurning no fewer than five kickable penalty opportunities to twice set up lineout drives, and three times to take the feed into an attacking scrum.

But to Kaiapoi’s credit its defence held firm.

For Kaiapoi, Matt Etheredge, as usual, had a commanding presence while Dante Love carried the ball strongly and co-ordinated Kaiapoi’s defensive efforts effectively, while half-back Codey Grimes adapted his game well to the conditions, especially with his box kicks.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Kaiapoi’s prop, Nathan Cassidy-Richards, was sent to the sin bin.

Until that point Kaiapoi had a slight edge in the set scrums, but with him no longer there to provide the anchor...