News
Heartland Review vs North Otago
Holcim Buller found North Otago too strong in the second round of the 2010 Heartland Championship going down 44-20. Buller trailed the home side 18-6 at the halftime break but found themselves right in the hunt after Peni Nabainivalu dotted down right after the break to close the score to 18-13. From there a number of costly errors enabled the home side to gain the assendancy and finish off a number of well worked tries. Buller never gave in against the powerful North Otago side and were well rewarded with a late try to Rory Kennedy. Final Score - North Otago 44-20 Buller
Heartland Round 2 Preview - North Otago vs Buller
Holcim Buller and North Otago will meet for the 36th time this Saturday in Oamaru when the second round of the 2010 Heartland Championship gets underway. Of these encounters, North Otago have won 18 and Buller 17 dating back to the first fixture in 1935. North Otago have very much had the wood over Buller in previous years and will want to continue that as they look to cement their place at the top of the table on the back of their demolition of East Coast 116-3 in the first round.
Holcim Buller had a credible first up performance against Wairarapa Bush in the first round, going down 23-16. They will look to build on that performance but know they will have to perform at their peak to match it with the classy North Otago side.
Holcim Buller go down narrowly
Holcim Buller completed their first match of the 2010 Heartland Championship with a narrow loss to Wairarapa Bush in Westport last Saturday. After early penalty goal exchanges by both teams, Buller took the lead with a well worked try to winger Joe Bradley. Their lead was short lived however as the visitors hit back with a try themselves and in doing so, a halftime lead. The second half was dominated by some excellent defence from both sides as neither could cross the opposition line. In the end, the Buller infringements in their own half enabled goal kicking ace Jeremy Te Huia to kick his side to a 23-16 victory.
Buller to tackle The Bush this weekend:
Holcim Buller will start their 2010 campaign off this weekend as they meet Wairarapa Bush in the first round of the Heartland Championship in Westport on Saturday. The boys from the Wairarapa have had a comprehensive build up to the Heartland Championship and will be looking to get their campaign underway with a victory. The Buller team has a number of new faces this season with only 6 players returning from last years squad of 28. They will be keen to start their season off well in front of their local supporters.
Be sure to catch the action this Saturday at Victoria Square. 2-30pm Kickoff
2010 Development Squad Named
The following players have been selected to represent the 2010 Buller Development team:
Mark Crackett, Damien Kohrs, Zac Johnston, Drew Venrooy, Lucas Hateley, Lionel Barker, Johan Maartens, Jareth McKay, Jason Thomas, Henrick Kloppers, Lyell Patterson, Johno Grant, Blair Smith, Reuben Elley, Hamish Turnball, Jesse Donaldson, Glen Martin, Tyson Walsh, Michael Lucas, Grant Fussell, Kelly McSharry, Moana Manawatu, Thor Manawatu, Vaughan Oldham, Jesse Elley, James Murphy, Josh Mitchell, Steffan Paul, Andrew Norton-Taylor, Isaac Wilson, Adian Bonisch, Kevin Thompson, Scott Neighbours, Isaac Taylor, Dylan Boyer
2010 Buller Heartland Squad Named
The 2010 Buller squad to contest the Heartland Championship has been named.
The team is: Simon Abel, Craig Adams, Logan Balsom, Scott Beckingsale, Phil Beveridge, Matt Bonisch, Joseph Bradley, Luke Brownlee, Stephen Crackett, Andrew Duncan, Glen Duncan, James Foster, Ricki Jacobs, Graham Kimber, Stephen Lowe, Brad Mackenzie, Blair McIlroy, Sam Marris, Logan Mundy, Pene Nabainivalu, Philip Rossiter, Andrew Stephens, Nathan Thompson, Rory Kennedy, Michael Mumm.
White Star 2010 Senior Shield Champions:White Star have accounted for Ngakawau in this season's Senior Shield final by 9-3 played in wet conditions at Victoria Square. White Star played with a stiff breeze at their backs in the first half and took a 6-0 lead into the half time break. James Murphy kicked his third successful penalty goal to make the score 9-0 with 15 minutes remaining before Matt Morgan replied for the country side. Ngakawau attacked the White Star line relentlessly in the final closing 10 minutes but couldn't break the staunch defence of the town side. White Star holding on 9-3 in a tense and exciting grand final.
Earlier in the day Reefton held out Westport 31-24 to claim the WA Craddock trophy for third place. Reefton held a 26-5 lead with just 20 minutes remaining before a late Westport onslaught almost carried them over the line. In the end it was all in vein as Reefton hung on in a high scoring match.
Blaketown win 2010 Jubilee Final
Blaketown have defeated White Star 30-25 to claim the 2010 Jubilee Trophy in a high scoring match at Rugby Park in Greymouth. After getting out to a comfortable lead midway through the first half, Blaketown let White Star back in the match. It was the visitors who held the lead heading into the last quarter however a late try to Blaketown secured the win and with it, the 2010 Jubilee trophy.
Blaketown 30 White Star 25 (Sam Marris, Scott Beckingsale, Kevin Thompson tries. James Murphy 2 conv, 2 pen)
Under 52kg Final Report - Congatulations Tanira Ngatai!
At the conclusion of the tournament the organisers name a Tournament Team. It was with great pride that Tanira Ngatai was selected in this side. He was also named the tackler of the whole tournament. This is a huge accolade for a very talented rugby player.Players to shine in the tournament for Buller were: Alex Paterson for his gutsy defence and strong, willing running. Jayden Topp, for leading by example in both attack and defence. Joseph Stevenson showed great determination to even get to the tournament. After losing 3.5kg over the last 6 weeks he still had to run around for twenty minutes with five jerseys and a beanie on to get through the weigh in. He was the strong man of the front row of the Buller forward pack showing strength on both attack and defence.The Buller management team also named a Promo Safety Player of the Tournament which was Tanira Ngatai for his determination in defence and his natural ability to control his backs and attack from anywhere.The Promo Safety Runner Up Player of the Tournament was Tristan Abbott for his committed defence and strong running all week.The Promo Safety Most Improved Player was Liam Kake who came to the team as a back and ended up playing the whole campaign as a very strong running, hard hitting hooker.
Although winless the tournament gave the boys experience into the level and standard of rep rugby. Buller showed that they can compete with any of the Seddon Shield teams. However, to win at this level you need to play to your highest standard for the whole game.
With only five of the twenty boys Year 8 next years side looks to be a strong one. This will also depend on the ability to stay under that magical Under 52kg weight. So boys, stay off the couch, please!
A massive thank you must go to the fantastic support from parents all week. A very vocal and supportive Buller embankment was evident in every game. Thanks to the strong management team and the new, visiting RDO for their knowledge throughout the week.
By Craig Adams
Under 52kg Primary Report Day 5:
The last game saw Buller take on old foes, West Coast. Having the bye on Monday meant that this was the Buller sides fourth game in a row. After defending hard for three games the fatigue levels were huge. Buller started really strong, hard on attack for 15 minutes. However, they just couldn’t get over the line. After this West Coast controlled the game and were able to score at regular intervals through hard running.It was pleasing to see Ciaran Neilsen stand up on defence. Zack Armstrong, in his first start, showed great determination and commitment on defence. Tristan Abbott had his usual strong, fearless game. Blair Nixon stopped many of West Coast attacks with some great spot tackles. Alex Paterson continued his impressive week on both attack and defence.Final score 37-0 West Coast.
Donaldo’s Player of the Day: Ciaran Neilsen. Rainbow Work Horse: Tristan Abbott. Cosmopolitan Tackler of the Day: Alex Paterson.
Under 52kg Primary Report Day 4:
The Solid Energy Buller Primary School Under 52kg Rugby Side played Golden Bay Motueka in their third game of the Seddon Shield Tournament.
Buller were able to start stronger than in previous games. Buller regularly attacked the Golden Bay half but simple errors at crucial times really cost Buller. On the other hand when Golden Bay entered the Buller half they left with points. They were able to score three tries to lead 17 – 0 at halftime.
After halftime Buller let in an early try. This sparked the Buller side into life. In the mid-field Zach Coote and Bailey Whitnall were rock solid on defence and offered plenty on attack. Alex Paterson showed true guts, tackling anything that ran his way. Joseph Johansen came off the bench and added much needed impact.
The Murchison Machine, Jack Grooby, tackled anything that ran his way and gave his opponents no room.
Tanira Ngatai scored the individual try of the tournament when he ran 80 metres along the sideline beating multiple defenders with ease.
Golden Bay did end the game with a try. Second half was Golden Bay’s, 10 -5.
Final score 27-5 Golden Bay.
Donaldo’s Player of the Day: Zach Coote. Rainbow Work Horse: Alex Paterson. Cosmopolitan Tackler of the Day: Jack Grooby.
2010 Jubilee Final Fixture
Blaketown v White Star, Rugby Park 2.45pm. Referee G.Inch (Nth Canty). Touch Judges S.Menzies/A.Jones. R.Blair (sub).
Final Rules: If, at the end of regulation time, the two teams are equal then 10 minutes each way of extra time will be played. The teams to start the period of extra time must be the same teams that finished the game in regulation time unless a player is injured at the very end of the game. If teams are still equal at the end of this time the trophy will be shared.
White Star to meet Blaketown in Jubilee Final
12/07/10. This coming Saturday, White Star will travel to Greymouth to take on the unbeaten Blaketown side in a bid to become 2010 Jubilee winners. The format of this competition sees the highest ranked team from each association compete for West Coast supremacy. Blaketown are worthy hosts for this clash as they have gone through the competition unbeaten. White Star have finished well clear of fellow Buller clubs and are also deserving of their chance to take on the Greymouth based club.
After a slow start to the season White Star are beginning to hit top gear at the right time of the year. They will look to assert their dominance up front with their big and well drilled forward pack. If they get assendancy in the forwards then they can look to set their attacking backline in action to pose some serious questions to the Blaketown defence.
BULLER RUGBY GOLF DAY THIS SATURDAY
The Buller Rugby Union is holding its annual golf day this Saturday at the Westport Golf Club. Teams are to be made up of 4 players each with a $20 per player entry fe. There are plenty of prizes, raffles, food and beverages so get along to the Golf Club and show your support for the Buller Rugby Union.
Teams should assemble out at the golf course by 12.30pm. The format is 12 holes of ambrose golf.
RUGBY SEASON FAST APPROACHING
The 2010 senior club competition is fast approaching with the season projected to start in late March. This season see's the introduction of an extra senior team to Buller rugby which should add an exciting new flavour to our senior competition. Keep checking the club rugby section on our website where the draw will be posted as soon as it is confirmed.
This season also see's the introduction of a new U18 competition which hopefully will be a big step forward for teenage rugby in the Buller. This competition will see the best up and coming talent on display with teams from throughout Buller and the West Coast set to compete. This competition is set to begin after the Easter school holidays so teams will be starting to organise themselves for this competition also.
SUPER RIPPA STARTS
Touch-Rippa, also known as Super Rippa started last night (Wednesday 3rd February). The new game which is a cross between rippa and touch was well received by the players. With this being the first night of competition of a new game it was expected that there would be a little confusion around the rules and how to play the game but everyone approached their matches with a positive outlook and in the end the majority of players enjoyed the new game over the traditional touch and rippa versions.
For the 2010 competition 11 sides have entered with more than 100 players participating. Each team requires a minimum of 7 aside as this is the maximum number of players allowed on the field. Teams can however have up to 12 players so they can have 5 reserves waiting on the bench to ease the workload.
From the first round 2 leading teams have emerged with both Senz'oids and Westport RFC getting 2 wins out of 2. Senz'oids had 2 comfortable wins firstly over We.r.s.h.*.t by 19-11 and then by 20-11 over workplace rivals WallaBlacks by 20-11. Nathan Thompsons experience proved invaluable for Senz'oids. Westports wins were both comeback efforst with the side trailling in both games. Firstly Cri Mystics looked a good side but despite leading most of the match ran out of puff and Westport gained a flattering 24-15 win. In their second game Westport narrowly beat Dirty Dogs, who also look to have a handy side by 17-12. For Westport's Tristan Walter was involved in everything and produced some great runs and was well supported by Regan Jones and Craig Adams.
With a number of sides playing just the one match on the day there are a further 3 unbeaten sides with Dash, Half Cut and Indeeds all winning their only game of the day. Dash and Bambury were involved in a great contest with the lead changing several times before Dash scored 3 late tries to take the match 18-10. For Dash Laurie Ward and the Wilson brothers showed their ability and Bambury were well served by Matt Parata.
Half Cut look to be a potential title challenger with Buller rugby reps such as Sam Marris in their midst and they held out a decent but unlucky WallaBlacks team by 22-16 in an exciting encounter. Also the Indeeds quickly grasped the new format and played well to dispose of the Solid Energy Centre by 21-12, but SEC looked dangerous at times with James Lyver and Brian Shaw carrying the ball well. Phil Hurst and Wes Tait played well for the Indeeds.
Next weeks draw is now published on the Super Rippa page (click on the link on the right)
BULLER 7's FINISH 15TH
The Buller sevens team completed their National tournament on Sunday with a loss to Tasman which saw the side finish in 15th equal position in the Pub Charity New Zealand National Sevens event.
On day one the side produced some encouraging results. The first match of the day was played against defending champions North Harbour and Buller were expected to struggle, however the side played well and only went down 21-12 due to a late North Harbour try. Game 2 was against Otago and Buller struggled from the outset due to the physicality and strength that the Otago team played with and eventually Buller were well beaten. In the final match of day one Buller faced an Auckland team who needed to win by 9 or more points in order to qualify for the quarter finals. After trailling 12-0 early Buller stormed back into the match and trailled by 7-12 with half a minute to play and were producing some strong defence. Buller earned a penalty 30m out from Auckland's line with time up on the clock but unfortunately couln't score a try despite going very close. Buller had denied Auckland the chance to play in the quarter finals with this result and had certainly put themselves on the tournament radar with this promising result.
On day 2 of the tournament Buller struggled to re-produce the form of the North Harbour and Auckland matches and in their first game against Horowhenua (The shield quarter finals) were well beaten 26-5. This had been a crucial game for Buller against a fellow Heartland Union as the winner was certain to finish no worse than 11th position and Buller were disappointed with the outcome. However Horowhenua had a strong side and proved this by going on to beat Wellington and Auckland to win the shield. In the final game of tournament Buller faced a familiar Tasman side. These 2 teams had played pre-tournament warm-up matches against each other and honours had been shared in theses matches. Buller scored first but in the end Tasman powered away as Buller's fitness levels tapered off and Tasman went on to win 31-7. Tasman also went home with silverware as they beat Northland in the bowl final.
Despite not grabbing a win Buller certainly surprised a number of pundits who had put Buller at $250 to win the tournament. The side was competitive in most of the matches and can leave the tournament with their heads held high.
BULLER 7's TEAM QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS
The Buller seven aside team has qualified for the New Zealand Nationals (Pub Charity Sevens) tournament to be held on 9th and 10th of January 2010. The annual tournament at Queenstown features the top 16 provincial Unions in New Zealand and Buller has qualified as the 5th team from the South Island zone.
This is a great chance for Buller players to get the opportunity to play against Air New Zealand Cup opposition (a rare opportunity in the professional era).
Buller has been placed in the unofficial 'Pool of Death' with defending champions, 2009 winners, North Harbour and 2008 champions Auckland. The final team in Buller's pool is the home Union and last years bowl winners Otago. Buller however will relish the chance to play the big boys and will fancy themselves of causing a few surprises given their performances in warm-up games against Tasman where they recorded a win a draw and a loss.
An interesting bit of trivia is that no South Island Union has won the tournament since Canterbury in 1993 (that's 17 years). Marlborough is the only other South Island Union to win the title winning the first two National Sevens titles in 1975 and 1976. Needless to say the South Island is well overdue for a win so here's hoping Buller can bring home some silverware.
MOORE MAKES DIVISIONAL XV AGAIN
CAPTION: Buller's Kevin Moore (middle) pictured with West Coast Divisional XV reps James Ferguson (left) and Josh Cornish (right) after their match against the NZ Marist XV.
Kevin Moore was again selected in the New Zealand Divisional XV for the second year in a row. The side played against the NZ Marist XV in Masterton on November 14th. NZ Marist proved to strong winning 23-11, the Divisional teams first loss since 2006. The NZ Marist XV was a strong side however containing a number of players with Air New Zealand Cup experience including 2008 All Black Scott Waldrom. The Marist XV also contained many players who had played in this years Heartland Division One championship.
RUGBY SEASON ENDS
The 2009 rugby season is all but over here in the Buller district and we look ahead to next year with great anticipation. Club rugby will likely start at the end of March next year and it will be interesting to see who is playing for which teams in the local senior competition.
The Junior grades will also be interesting and we may see some additions to our teenage grades which should help to keep a few more of our secondary school aged rugby players in the game. More information will be posted soon so keep visiting the site to check for updates on next season.
AWARDS DINNER ON FRIDAY
The Buller Rugby Union awards dinner will be held on Friday and this will be the last act of the 2009 rugby season here in the Buller. Awards will be handed out for the U16, U18 and Senior grades at both club and representative level and this should be a good way to recognise the achievements of many of the players and coaches from throughout the year.
The Buller senior NPC player of the year will also be announced and this will be waited on with much anticipation. Other major awards will go to the club coach of the year, U16 player of the year and the administrator of the year. The team trophies will also be handed out for Sportsmanship and for the club team who played the most attractive rugby during the year.
SEASON ENDS ON A LOW NOTE
Buller headed to Greymouth for their Lochore Cup semi-final against West Coast with high hopes of a win and subsequent appearance in the Lochore Cup final however the side put in a disappointing performance to be well and truly outclassed by their neighbours. West Coast flew out of the blocks and after 25 minutes already led by 31-3. Buller were shell-shocked and from this far behind their hopes of a win were vanguished. Eventually with the introduction of some fresh legs off the bench Buller managed to score some points of their own in the second half but the final score of 53-22 left the Buller players and supporters stunned.
It was a disappointing way to end a season that had promised so much particularly losing so heavily to a side whom Buller have such a good record against particularly over the last 4 years where Buller have dominated their near rivals. However credit must be given to a West Coast side who have recruited well this year and who played some outstanding rugby. Their confidence will be high given their impressive showings in the last 2 weeks where they have also had a big win against the highly fancied North Otago outfit, the very side they will face in this weekends final at Greymouth.
Buller finish with 3 wins out of 9 matches in this years Heartland Championship, but up until Saturday's results they had been more than competitive in every game and only lost 2 games by more than a try. Unfortunately Buller were just not able to win the close games this year as they have done in the past 2 seasons and there were plenty of matches that got away including the round robin match against West Coast which was lost 26-20 after Coast scored off he bounce of a post with 5 minutes remaining. Also the 13-7 loss to Heartland Championship super-powers Wanganui shows that the side were more than capable and they will be disappointed to finish so far down the table.
BULLER WIN CLOSE MATCH
Playing a Thames Valley side who looked much stronger than their 8 loss record would suggest the Buller side left it to the last minute to make the game safe. Buller were trailling by 17-12 late in the match and it wasn't until the 68th minute that Buller regained the lead. Even with time up on the clock Buller led by only 7 points until a try in the last act of the game secured the win by 29-17.
The side scored 5 tries to get the bonus point but weren't able to improve on the competition ladder as both West Coast and King Country won also. Buller will now face West Coast in the semi-finals at Greymouth and Buller will be very pleased with the way the semi-final fixtures worked out as playing in Greymouth will certainly mean a much better travelling schedule than having to play at either Taupo or Oamaru.
Buller will need to improve if they are going to beat West Coast in this weekends vital semi-final. It was a very awkward looking effort from Buller against Thames Valley as the side seemed to struggle to gain any fluency after the first phase of play. Again it was a pretty solid effort from the forward pack but the backline certainly didn't function as well as the side would have hoped. There were plenty of good individual efforts from backs particularly Matt Bonisch who had an outstanding first 40 minutes particularly with his left boot carving out good territory for Buller, however as a unit the backline just couldn't seem to assert any dominance in this match.
THAMES VALLEY IN TOWN
This weekend Buller will face Thames Valley for the first time since 2006. Thames have struggled in the 2009 season and are yet to grab a win in the Heartland Championship this year. However they lost to current table toppers Mid Canterbury by only 2 points and like Buller have gone close to winning a number of games this year against some strong opposition. They will be disappointed to have lost to East Coast last weekend and will be determined to grab a win this weekend to finish their season.
Meanwhile Buller will desperately want the win to make it 3 wins out of 8 starts in the Heartland Championship this year. They will also want the 4 try bonus point which would give them an outside shot at a home semi-final in the Lochore Cup playoffs. However to gain home field advantage for the semi's they will be relying on upsets in the other Heartland matches.
Given the time passed since the 2 sides last met little is known about Thames Valley. They appear to have a reasonable kicking game through experienced captain David Harrison and this is their main avenue of point scoring. Their biggest problem this year would appear to be defence and the side has conceeded an average of just under 30 points a match this year. Also a lack of try-scoring has meant that points can dry up when the kickers are having an off day.
Make no mistake Thames are certainly capable of causing an upset so get down to Victoria Square at 2.30pm on Saturday and lend your support to help Buller get a win in this vital match.
Also this weekend at 1pm there is a curtain-raiser between the Buller Development XV and the Buller Juniors. The Development XV will be a powerful team with most of the players having played NPC First class rugby for Buller in the past. The Juniors will be made up mostly of players who are Under 21 and will feature a number of players from this years well-performed U18 rep side. This should be an open and exciting game and expect plenty of tries.
LOCHORE CUP SEMI FINAL SECURED DESPITE LOSS
Despite losing to North Otago 14-29 in Oamaru in the weekend, other results in the Lochore Cup have seen Buller gauranteed a semi-final spot. The lowest Buller can now finish in the Lochore Cup Round Robin is 4th but they could possibly finish as high as 2nd which would get them a home game for the semi-finals. To do this Buller will need to beat Thames Valley with a 4 try bonus point as well as having North Otago beat West Coast (without Coast gaining any bonus points) and having East Coast produce the upset of the year and beat King Country up in Ruatoria. Buller will certainly have a keen eye on other results next weekend if they do manage to beat Thames Valley as they will want to finish at least 3rd and avoid having a possible repeat of this weekends arduous trip to Oamaru which saw the side on 5 seperate flights and a number of bus trips as well.
On Saturdays game Buller started well playing into a stiff breeze. The side were creating mismatches in the backline and pressured North Otago at the breakdown. North Otago were content to try and use their big forwards to gain yards around the fringes but overall Buller's defence was pretty stable and only leaked 1 try in that first half. With Peni Nabainavalu scoring for Buller just before halftime to make the score 11-13 in Otago's favour this match was there for the taking for Buller who would have a good breeze at their backs in the second half.
Unfortunately the second half saw Buller struggle and they didn't use the wind well at all. Buller were guilty of looking to go to far when in possession rather than just getting into opposition territory immediately as the strong wind would have allowed. In the end this played into the physical North Otago's hands and they had ample possession within the Buller half throughout the second stanza. Eventually they scored a couple of tries to take the match 29-14.
BULLER GET WIN IN FIRST LOCHORE MATCH
Buller have won their first match in the opening games of the Lochore Cup Round. Playing King Country up in Te Kuiti it was expected to be a close match. With Buller having beaten King Country a number of times over the past few seasons there was confidence within the squad that a win could be attained. With a blustery wind blowing across the ground it was difficult to pick who had the advantage of the breeze but it would have seemed to be slightly in King Country's favour for the first half.
Buller managed to grab an early penalty from Nathan Thompson and also grabbed a converted try to winger Tema Faifua not longer after. King Country also grabbed some early points and by halftime the match was evenly poised. It was King Country who struck first in the second half with a try to give them a 17-10 lead which they held for a good deal of the seecond half before Scott Higginson ran 30m off the back of a scrum to score. This saw the points locked at 17-17.
With about 15 minutes to play a spilt ball at the back saw Tema Faifua decide to take a chance at the posts and he struck a sweet dropped goal from 30+ metres out which gave Buller a 20-17 lead which they held on to.
At this stage of the season it is a vital win and while the side can still make improvements a win was desperately needed to boost confidence within the squad. Hopefully this will now see Buller move onwards and upwards in their charge toward the Lochore Cup semi-finals.
BULLER GO DOWN TO WAIRARAPA AND ENTER LOCHORE CUP
Playing against a good Wairarapa Bush outfit Buller struggled for continuity in their match at Masterton on Saturday. Having a strong wind in the first half Buller missed many scoring opportunities and 50-50 passes were hurting the side. By halftime the score was tied at 6-6 and this was never going to be enough given the strong wind that Wairarapa were going to have in their favour for the second half.
Wairarapa didn't take long to score in the second half and within 15 minutes had already scored twice. Again Buller were putting themselves under pressure with risky play and eventually Wairarapa scored again off a charge down. Trailling 28-6 with 15 minutes to go Buller started to play with more passion and eventually were rewarded with a Jamie Paul try but it was to little to late and Buller eventually fell well short by 13-28.
Buller now enter the Lochore Cup section and will be joined in that competition by West Coast, East Coast, North Otago, King Country and Thames Valley. Buller will need to improve dramatically from this last game if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Lochore Cup and the side will have to put on their thinking caps to try and find a successful formula.
ROAD TRIP FOR BULLER
Buller head up to Masterton this weekend for the fifth and final match of the first round of the Heartland Championship. In this corresponding fixture last year Buller defeated Wairarapa Bush by 11 points to 8 in a close match. Buller have a huge task if they want to again make the Meads Cup top 6 section this year and to do so they will need to win this game with a 4 try bonus point and hope that West Coast lose to Wanganui without any bonus points.
If Buller are to be consigned to the Lochore Cup section this match is still very important as points carry over. A Buller win would gaurantee them 2 home games in the Lochore Cup round of matches and would also go a long way to securing Buller a home semi-final in the Lochore Cup playoffs.
WANGANUI SNEAK VICTORY
For the third time in this years Heartland Championship Buller has lost by less than a try, this time to competition favourites Wanganui by 13-7. Buller has the third best points differential of the 12 teams in the competition yet find themselves well down on the table at the moment. Unfortunately despite having a strong side this year Buller just haven't won the close games as they have done over the past couple of seasons.
Buller had chances in this game against Wanganui but while making good ground on attack too often the side looked to throw the extra pass and play broke down as a result. Wanganui also had chances to stretch their lead but some casual play on attack saw them bomb a couple of certain tries also.
For Buller first five eight Matt Bonisch gave the side good momentum with his kicking game and his left boot was invaluable at getting Buller into Wanganui territory particularly in the first half. Mitieli Kaloudigibeci was dangerous on attack throughout and he scored a nice try after only a couple of minutes. Kevin Moore was again strong with his running game and the tight 5 put in another consistent effort particular kudos goes to replacement prop Stephen Crackett who was called into the squad only 30 minutes before kickoff and ended up playing 60 minutes of the match.
WEST COAST RECAPTURE RUNDLE CUP
West Coast have beaten Buller by 26-20 in the third round of the Heartland Championship. The match also doubled as a Rundle Cup encounter and West Coast broke Buller's 5 year hold on the trophy with this victory. Buller led the match throughout but with 8 minutes to go a West Coast penalty attempt bounced off the post and straight into the arms of centre James Ward who crashed over the line for the winning try.
Buller will be disappointed with the result especially given the fact that they had a comfortable lead through most of the match. However West Coast's defence was strong and Buller, despite their territorial advantage struggled to break the defensive line. In the end the vocal home crowd provided much motivation for the West Coast team and they played with the greater hunger and were deserved winners.
RECORD DAY FOR BULLER
In a vastly improved effort Buller have thumped East Coast by 47 to 9. This scoreline is a first class record for Buller in that 47 points is the most scored by any Buller team and surpasses the 41 points scored against Marlborough in 1992. Also the winning margin of 38 points is a record and this beats the 77 year old record which was set by the 1932 Buller side who beat Golden Bay-Motueka by 40-3. Finally Nathan Thompson set an individual record for most conversions ever kicked by a Buller player in a first class game with 6. He surpasses a number of players who had 5 and these players included current squad member Stu Neighbours who kicked 5 conversions against East Coast 2 years ago.
Buller's skill level was vastly improved and some nice tries were scored by the backline with Mitieli Kaloudigibeci and Daniel Hooper grabbing doubles. Also scoring in the backline were Mracus Taylor and Kevin Moore, who made a big impact in his return to the starting line-up. The forward pack were again strong and the ageless Phil Beveridge continues to play consistent rugby in the front row. Number 8 Scott Higginson had some strong bursts off the back of the scrum and he was well supported in the loose by Shane Christie and Luke Brownlee. Ben Coman and Craig Moore were again rock solid and worked hard all game.
BULLER GO DOWN IN SEASON OPENER
Buller have been beaten by Horowhenua-Kapiti 17-13 in their Heartland Championship opener. Although Buller grab a bonus point they will be disappointed with the result particularly as the had plenty of chances. The Buller error rate was very high and the side will look for a vast improvement when they take on East Coast next week.
Horowhenua look to have a more than decent side this year and certainly look capable of being top 4 prospects. The side was strong on defence and were physical at the breakdown. They also look to have some attacking backs so expect to see them produce some good results throughout this season.
The Buller forward pack were their usual industrious self with Ben Coman, Craig Moore and the front row to the fore. Unfortunately poor option taking and bad handling blighted the backline effort and they will need to improve combinations quickly before East Coast arrive in town.
Try scorers were Marcus Taylor and Scott Higginson and Nathan Thompson kicked a penalty.
HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS THIS WEEKEND
This weekend Buller will open their Heartland Championship campaign with a match against Horowhenua Kapiti. Horowhenua has the largest population of all Heartland Unions and they always manage to put together a strong team. The Horowhenua side is generally known for its talented and pacy backs and this years team looks no different. Horowhenua will be strong contenders for the top 4 of the Meads cup this year and Saturdays game will give Buller a great idea of where they are at.
Buller also has its own 'flyers' this year in the backline so this game could be an open and entertaining spectacle if the weather is dry. The Buller side looks more than capable this year and the 2 preseason games against Marlborough and Nelson Bays have been very encouraging. With the usual experienced heads in Buller's forward pack again this year the side should go well in this years Heartland Championship.
CLUB SEASON CONCLUDES
The 2009 club rugby season has come to a conclusion and it has been a very successful season for Buller's clubs. The White Star Old Boys senior side had the greatest success and they claimed the prestigious Jubilee Trophy when they beat Blaketown in the Buller -West Coast combined competition final played in Greymouth. This was a great achievement considering the side at one point looked unlikely to even make the playoffs but a late season revival got them the silverware. WSOB's successes continued when they won the Senior Shield for being the champion side in Buller and this was their third consecutive win of that title. Congratulations WSOB!
Westport RFC were beaten finalists in the Senior Shield and they receive the Max Elley Memorial Trophy for finishing as runners up. Westport will look back on the 2009 season as being a successful one for them as well, and their highlight will have been winning the Albion Cup for first round honours. Westport finished fourth in the combined competition which was a vast improvement on their 10th place finish last year and were one bonus point away from playing in the final.
Ngakawau RFC won the 3rd-4th playoff and tyook out the Craddock Trophy for doing so. They too had a fine season and they ended up finishing 5th in the combined comp which meant 3 of the top 5 clubs in this competition were from Buller. Ngakawau also made the Albion Cup final for the first round but were pipped by Westport in that match.
Reefton RFC had a tough season but battled away admirably. They too finished with some silverware having beaten Grey Valley in their traditional "battle of the saddle". While not reaching the heights of the previous season Reefton did put in some strong performances and at full strength were more than a handful for any team in the competition.
CLUB RUGBY ROUNDUP
The Senior club rugby Jubilee Trophy combined competition has now passed halfway and there are still 3 Buller teams battling it out for the Buller spot in the combined final. Westport RFC lead the trio with 18 points and 2009 has really been a good year so far for last years strugglers. Westport have so far this season played an open exciting brand of rugby which saw them win the first round Albion Cup. They will hope that their open style of play will see them finish top of the Buller sides. WSOB are starting to come good at the right time of the season and having beaten Westport 22-15 in the weekend they have brought themselves right back into contention and trail Westport by only 5 points. With Westport still to travel away to Blaketown, South Westland and Marist, WSOB will sense that they have a great chance of being the Buller representative in the final. Ngakawau trail WSOB by just 2 points and they also are starting to show improvements at the right time of the year. The Ngakawau side has picked up a couple of extra players and they now look to have a well balanced side from 1 to 15. Always strong defensively Ngakawau will certainly be challenging both Westport and WSOB for that finals spot.
The U16 West Coast/Buller combined competition has now completed 3 of the 7 rounds and in the weekend White Star beat a much improved Westport side 14-10 in the curtain-raiser to the Westport v WSOB senior game at Craddock Park. Down in Hokitika Reefton U16 narrowly went down 34-36 to West’s which was disappointing for the country side. Reefton, who were the Buller U16 first round champions, now sit in 3rd place in the combined comp and will need to beat 7th placed Westport U16 this weekend if they hope to make the top 2 for the combined final. White Star are currently 5th but have the bye this weekend so will hope that they don’t lose to much ground on the leaders.
After 5 rounds of JAB rugby we are starting to get a better picture of how the teams are stacking up. In the U14 grade we are seeing one of the most evenly contested competitions in many years and all of Karamea, White Star and Westport are in with a real shot of winning the competition. The White Star U14 side has done particularly well so far and despite been very small in stature they sit atop of the table with Westport after having toppled Karamea 36-25 in the weekend. Both Westport and White Star face off this week in the U14’s in what is a crucial game.
In the U12’s it is the well drilled White Star side who are the runaway leaders but Westport, who beat Reefton in the weekend are still also in the hunt and will try their best to topple White Star U12’s this Saturday.
The U10 grade is currently a race for second as Old Boys are looking very strong and are currently unbeaten, including having beaten Greymouth Marist in the combined round 2 weeks ago. They are almost certainties to finish in the number one slot. Reefton however will look to upset the Old Boys side this weekend in the local Buller derby match while Westport and White Star U10’s head to Greymouth to take on Marist and West’s respectively in the combined U10 matches.
The U8’s start their second round this weekend and the players have now progressed to tackle rugby and are growing in confidence each week.
The U6’s have a real local derby feel to them this weekend with White Star taking on club-mates Star Blue and Westport Black facing fellow Bumble Bee’s Westport Yellow. Reefton U6’s will face Old Boys.
The following weekend (20th June) will see the re-introduction of Town v Country rep trial matches for the U14 and U12 grades. All teams, players and coaches in the U12 and U14 grades should turn up to Craddock Park on the 20th June ready to play for either the town or country side and players will be allocated to teams on the day as will coaches. Any other players who are U14 and U12 are also welcome to turn up. More details will be in next Thursday’s rugby page.
New Rules for 2009 Community Rugby
Below are listed the 13 global ELV's which will be used in all community rugby in New Zealand this year. The IRB will make a final decision on August 1st on what the actual rules willbe for the future of the game but until that point we will be playing with these new laws. The Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship will however be played under the rules that are to be annouced on August 1st.
THE ELV's
Law 6 - Match Officials
1 Assistant referees are able to assist the referee in any way that the referee requires.
Law 17 - Maul
2 Remove reference to head and shoulders not being lower than hips.
3 Players are able to defend a maul by pulling it down. NOTE: (not to be used at U19 level and below)
Law 19 - Touch and Lineout
4 If a team puts the ball back into its own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked directly into touch, there is no gain in ground.
5 A quick throw in may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s own goal line.
6 There is no restriction on the number of players from either team who can participate in the lineout.
7 The receiver at the lineout must be 2 metres away from the lineout.
8 The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the 5-metre line and the touch line but must be 2 metres away from the 5-metre line.
9 Lineout players may pre-grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in.
10 The lifting of lineout players is permitted.
Law 20 - Scrum
11 Introduction of an offside line 5 metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.
12 Identification of scrum half offside lines.
Law 22 – Corner Posts
13 The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch-in-goal except when the ball is grounded against the post.
Moore and Stephens selected in Heartland XV
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| KEVIN MOORE | ANDREW STEPHENS |
Both Kevin Moore of the Reefton club and Andrew Stephens of the Westport club have achieved national honours by being selected in the New Zealand Heartland XV for their tour of the USA in early November. It has been many many years since a Buller player achieved selection in this side (formerly known as the NZ Divisional XV) and it is a welcome accolade for both players to get the chance to wear a national jersey. It also reflects well on the whole Buller NPC side who performed so well throughout the Heartland Championship and can be proud that two of their own were selected.
Matt Bonisch of the White Star Old Boys team was also shortlisted in the 30 man extended squad but unfortunately missed out on making the final 24 to tour the USA, nevertheless he also can be proud to get so close. Other Buller players certainly played well enough to have gone close to selection but a number of these were ruled out due to the eligibility criteria or faced stiff competition in their respective positions. But overall Buller can be pleased to get 2 players into this squad and we wish them the best of luck.
NOTE: The NZ Heartland XV played their first game against the Pacific Coast XV and they comfortably won 35-12 with congratulations going to our own Kevin Moore who was among the try scorers in this match.
The NZ Heartland XV also won their final match on tour beating the USA Select XV 19-14 on November 8. The USA Select XV was a strong side and was basically the USA national 2nd XV in disguise. The match also doubled as a curtain raiser to the USA Eagles National team versus the Uruguay national side.
Prizegiving a success
The Buller Rugby Union held a formal prizegiving this year down at the Westport Motor Hotel on Friday night. A fine meal was put on for the evening and thanks must go to Dennis and Margaret Grant for hosting the event. There was a good turnout at the event with upwards of 80 guests present. Also present as the MC and guest speaker was former Buller player and Buller Centurion Michael Bonisch who kept the guests entertained with some anecdotes from his years as a player, and with some interesting jokes.
The prize winners were:
| INDIVIDUAL AWARDS | |
| Speights NPC Player of the Year | Phil Beveridge (WSOB) |
| Points NPC Player of the Year | Casey Gibson |
| Most Dedicated NPC Player | Paul Clarkson (Ngakawau) |
| Club Rugby Player of the Year | Nathan Thompson (WSOB) |
| Most Promising Back in all grades | Kevin Moore (Reefton) |
| Most Promising Forward in all grades | Reuben Elley (Westport) |
| U18 Most Dedicated Tournament Player | Jareth McKay (Westport) |
| U16 Player of the Year | Andrew Norton-Taylor (Reefton) |
| Volunteer of the Year | Murray Watt (Karamea) |
TEAM AWARDS | |
| Senior Shield (Club Champions) | White Star Old Boys |
| Spence Cup (Sportsmanship) | White Star Old Boys |
| Ngakawau Trophy (Most Attractive Rugby) | White Star Old Boys |
Buller lose but season a success
Buller went into Saturdays Heartland Championship game against Mid Canterbury with a realistic chance of making the Meads Cup semi-Finals for the first time ever. Unfortunately Mid Canterbury proved to strong as they ran out 32-17 winners. Then in a cruel twist of fate for Buller, West Coast had managed to turn around a 0-22 deficit into a 24-22 win in their match against King Country thus leapfrogging Buller to gain the valuable 4th semi final spot.
Buller can feel proud of their season however as it continues a golden run for Buller rugby covering the last 4 seasons. And Buller again tied their best ever finish in the Heartland Championship by finishing 5th out of the 12 teams involved and only losing 3 games in doing so (each to the top 3 teams). Buller also finished the season with 2 important trophies, those being the Strachan Cup for beating South Canterbury and the Rundle Cup for victory over West Coast.
In the end Buller finishes with one of the best records in the competition but unfortunately the bonus point system didn't work in our favour. So now all rep rugby is completed it is time to look forward to next season and we await next years version of the Heartland Championship with great anticipation.
Buller Under 18's Finish on a high
The Buller U18 representative side finished their rep season on a high by beating a powerful Canterbury Metro U17 side 12-0 at Westport on Saturday. The match was played as the curtain-raiser to the Buller V King Country match in the Heartland Championship and as a result a good sized crowd was on hand to support the U18's. Both sides had the chance to win the title of South Island Under 18 Division 2 champions, but both needed to score 4 tries in winning in order to usurp Mid-Canterbury.
The Canterbury Metro side went into the game as firm favourites but the wet and slippery conditions certainly affected their ability to play the wide ranging game that has been their lifeblood in the tournament so far. This combined with some determined Buller tackling managed to stifle any attacks that Canterbury could mount and much to the pleasure of the Buller coaching staff Metro were kept to 0 points for the match.
All the Buller players played well and it was certainly a squad effort as the reserves certainly made an impact when they came on. However a number of individuals also stood out and played extremely well. Stand in Captain Marty Banks was exceptional in all aspects of the game from his booming punt to his solid defence. Scott Neighbours was again solid as always and managed to defuse any dangerous situations at fullback. Scott Beckingsale had a good game at halfback and has proved somewhat of a valuable tryscorer for Buller scoring his 4th try in 4 games.
The forward pack were without a couple of crucial players in captain Matt Coles, and talented number 6 Reuben Elley, but the side certainly didn't miss them as their replacements had great games. Vincent Dalzell secured a lot of ball at openside and Tyson Walsh defended very well and made some inroads with ball in hand. Also the entire tight 5 all put in a great effort and it is here where the match was won as Canterbury couldn't compete with Buller in this area. The Buller tight 5 tackled all day and their counter rucking forced Canterbury into uncharacteristic errors. They also played a much more intelligent game and understood the conditions and how best to play in them.
So in the end a great result to finish a great season. 4 wins out of 5 games and 2nd place in the South Island U18 tournament (missing the title by 1 bonus point) was a great reward for the side. Also to stay unbeaten in all 4 of our home games showed the pride that the team plays with in defending their home turf. So congratulations to the 18's who finish the 2008 season with the best record of any Buller rep team. Well Done U18's.
Buller move into top 4 with good win over Rams
For the first time in the history of the Heartland Championship at least one team from the West Coast of the South island will be in NZ's Meads Cup semi-finals. The question is will it be Buller or West Coast. Buller have leapfrogged West Coast to sit in the all important 4th spot but West Coast are only two points back in 5th. Buller can finish no worse than 5th at this point (Buller's final position in last years very successful campaign) putting us in the top 20 provinces in the country. However a semi-final spot would bestow a level of greatness on this current Buller squad that few Buller teams have been afforded since the advent of the NPC in 1976.
On Saturday against King Country Buller continued their good play from throughout the tournament and dispatched of the KC Rams 25-8 in sodden conditions. Buller absorbed good King Country pressure for the first 25 minutes of the match and King Country did take an early 5-0 lead through centre Hone Wanden, but from this point on it was all Buller who despite the conditions displayed good handling. In the end Buller scored 3 tries and narrowly missed out on getting a 4th try bonus point but given the conditions and the margin of Buller's victory, Buller should be giving themselves a more than equal chance of toppling the heavily favoured Mid-Canterbury side this weekend.
Mitieli Kaloudigibeci was the hero in Saturdays match scoring 2 excellent tries for Buller, and he was always a threat with ball in hand. Lock Casey Gibson was also immense displaying excellent aerial skills in the wet and also using his physicality to good effect in the contact area. Casey also managed a deserved try near the end of the first half to cap off an impressive performance. Also to the fore was Nathan Thompson whose field kicking was solid throughout, and he directed play well. His goal kicking was also crucial in this match and this kept the points, and the momentum, ticking over for Buller. Damian Bailey, receiveing his first start of the campaign, delivered a solid performance and his mobility and was a good asset to a very competitive Buller forward pack. The depth throughout this years squad has certainly helped with the teams success and whenever a frontline player has been unavailable whoever has come into the side has always added something and Saturday was again no different.
THE SEMI-FINAL PERMEATATIONS FOR BULLER:
A win for buller this weekend against Mid Canterbury will guarantee a semi final and a return trip to Wanganui next weekend.
If Buller lose we can still make the semi's if King Country beat West Coast.
Finally If Buller lose but get 2 bonus points (1 for 4 tries, and 1 for being within 7) and West Coast win without a 4 try bonus we will make the semi-finals.
-So the moral of the story is just win and we wont have to worry about anyone else.
Buller battle hard but Wanganui too classy
Playing against Meads Cup favourites Wanganui, up at Cooks Gardens, Buller showed some heart in their Heartland Championship game but despite causing Wanganui plenty of concern for 50 minutes a win was well out of reach by the end of the game. With Wanganui dominating the competition things didn't look good when a couple of minutes into the game Wanganui scored a try with ease. However this was the wakeup call that Buller needed and they then began to get into the game. In particular it was the defence of Buller that was concerning the Wanganui team and Buller were forcing Wanganui into many mistakes. Buller also started to make breaks through the Wanganui defence and eventually they scored a well worked try to Marcus Taylor which Nathan Thompson converted. Then more good play from Buller put pressure onto Wanganui and this was eventually turned into points through a well executed drop goal by Nathan Thompson. By halftime the score was 10-10 and with Buller having played into a mildly strong wind hopes were high for an upset in the second half.
Buller began the second half where they left off in the first and had some good chances early on. Then on about the 50 minute mark Wanganui halfback Josh Edwards was sinbinned and Buller had a penalty shot. With Wanganui being down to 14 men and a kickable penalty in the offing thing were looking very good for Buller but amazingly Wanganui went on to score 3 tries while Edwards was in the bin and a shell-shocked Buller couldn't revive themselves after this. Wanganui began to string multiple phases together and their passes were now sticking and numerous breaks were made by Wanganui in the last half hour. Buller began running out of defenders as the speed of the game went up another level and in the end Wanganui were deserved winners by the somewhat flattering scoreline of 42-10. Despite the scoreline Buller can take heart from the fact that they caused Wanganui so much concern for so long and with a bit more luck the game could have been a lot closer than it was. Credit must also be payed to the ability of Wanganui who when they get it right are certainly a very dangerous team especially with the multitude of athletic ball carriers that they have in their side.
Buller Fight Back Earns Rundle Cup Victory
Buller travelled down to Greymouth on Saturday to play one of the most anticipated provincial rugby matches of the year. The match was a vital Heartland NPC encounter a Rundle Cup match and was flanker Luke Brownlee's 100th match for Buller. Things didn't start well for Buller who were 3-12 down early in the game, and also had First Five Matt Bonisch go down with injury. A reshuffled backline and a rampant West Coast loose forward unit started to cause great concern to Buller supporters and it looked as if it could be a long day at the office for the Buller boys, however Buller started to show a bit of heart and slowly started to work their way back into the match. Playing with a slight breeze Buller began to kick for territory and started to gain some ascendancy. Eventually this paid off with a Nathan Thompson penalty followed quickly by a Marcus Taylor try. However Coast fought back and broke through the midfield to score and take a 19-13 halftime lead.
Turning around into the wind and being 6 points down Buller were certainly going to be up against it in the second half, but the wind seemed to work in Buller's favour as Coast were content to kick rather than run the ball through big booted first five Corey Simpson. Buller were able to return any kicks with ease and despite playing into the wind had a good share of the territory statistics. In the end it was Mitieli Kaloudigibeci who proved the spark as he chased down a chip kick and scored a try to take Buller into a 20-19 lead which they would defend with vigour. On the final whistle the Buller Supporters and players were jubilant and the journey home was made that much more enjoyable as the Rundle Cup was still in Buller's possession for the 4th year in a row. The win also earnt Buller a spot in the top tier Meads Cup section for the 2nd year running, and the win was a great way for the team to celebrate Brownlee's 100th game.
Under 18's show their skills
The Buller U18's put on an excellent showing in their curtain raiser to the Buller NPC match on Saturday. Playing against the Sydenham U18's from Christchurch Buller displayed plenty of ability and were to strong in the end winning the match 25-10.
A number of players had good games and given this was the first hitout for the U18's since July there certainly didn't appear to be any rustiness amongst the players. Scott Neighbours has obviously benefitted from his involvement in the Buller Senior Squad and showed plenty of good touches during this match. Also playing well were the loose forward trio of Matt Coles, Reuben Elley and Number 8 Tyson Walsh. Their ability at carrying the ball allowed the U18's to make good ground whenever they had possession. The tight 5 also performed well and both Jareth McKay and Shaun Bowe in the front row showed good strentgh and power in the tackle and at ruck and maul. The inside backs went well particularly Ricki Jacobs who plays for Woodend in the North Canterbury competition and his distribution skills allowed the likes of Brett Cutbush, Simon Abel and Scott Beckingsale plenty of space to run at in the centres.
Buller's next match is the South Island Div 2 opening match and this will be against Mid-Canterbury at Culverden this Saturday. A win is a must if the side are going to challenge for the division 2 title this season as their games only get harder after that with Canterbury Country and Metro coming up in the following weeks.
Buller make history
The 2008 Buller side made history on Saturday by being the first ever Buller side to beat Wairarapa Bush in Masterton. The match won 11-8 by Buller was played in cold windy conditions and was never going to be a high scoring affair. Playing into the wind in the first half Buller's defence was rock solid both individually and collectively. Bush had their chances, including dropping the ball over the tryline when a certain try looked likely, but the defence of the Buller side forced Bush into errors and by halftime all Bush had to show for the use of the wind was a 3-0 lead and that was never going to be enough.
Nathan Thompson kicked an angled penalty early in the second half to tie the game up but apart from that the first 10-15 minutes of the half were all Wairarapa's and they dominated possesion and territory despite playing into the strong wind. They were rewarded when the ball was moved wide and a try was scored on the wing to former Buller player Junior Togia. This was just the push that Buller needed however and they began to play much smarter rugby after this point and eventually scored a well worked try to Mitieli Kaloudigibeci. Thompson failed with the difficult sideline conversion but Buller were now on level terms at 8-8. Then with about 12 minutes to go Nathan Thompson kicked his second penalty of the match to give Buller a lead that they wouldn't surrender and the final whistle was greeted with much celebration from Buller players, management and supporters.
Buller along with Wanganui and Mid Canterbury are now the only unbeaten teams in the 12 team Heartland Championship. Their win also took them to first position in the Pool B standings, but to illustrate the closeness of the competition the team in last position (Horowhenua) were able to come away from Westport with a draw, and they were disappointed with that!!!
Buller remain unbeaten in Heartland Championship
Buller snatched a late draw on Saturday as Nathan Thompson slotted a drop goal with time almost up. Opponents Horowhenua-Kapiti had all the early running and through the boot of ex Buller player Rob Aloe they completely dominated the territory statistics in the first half. With Buller making many errors and looking bedraggled the halftime score was an intimidating 0-16 to Horowhenua-Kapiti.
Buller came out in the second half after a stern team talk and started to make some inroads. Assisted by a strong wind Buller's kicking game improved as the second half wore on and eventually the territorial advantage led to Marcus Taylor scoring a good try when linking with Kevin Moore on the left wing. Add to that a couple of penalty goals and Buller had worked their way right back into the match. Down 13-16 with just over a minute remaining Nathan Thompson stepped up to slot a 40m drop goal and keep Buller's unbeaten record intact with a 16-16 draw.
Buller along with North Otago are now the only two unbeaten sides in Pool B of the Heartland Championship, but Buller have a tough assignment this weekend travelling up to Masterton where they will face 2006 Heartland Champioship winners Wairarapa Bush. Buller will typically go in as underdogs but if they are able to play to their potential then a win is certainly possible, just as West Coast showed in Masterton last week.
Buller start AA Rewards HC with vital win
Holcim Buller have beaten South Canterbury 18-17 at Victoria Square Westport. The one point victory could prove crucial at the end of the season and it is very important to win any close matches in such an even competition as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship. Playing under the new rules both sides were often guilty of giving away free kicks at the ruck and tackle area but Buller were able to make better use of the ball they got and scored two excellent tries to both wingers Kevin Moore and Mitieli Kaloudigibeci. Nathan Thompson was named man of the match and his organisational skills and his kicking game helped give Buller vital territory throughout the match.
Buller now look ahead to the visit of Horowhenua Kapiti this Saturday. Horowhenua lost to North Otago in Round One, but other than that little is known of them this year. With a number of new players in their squad it will be interesting to see what sort of squad they bring to Westport. With Horowhenua having the largest player numbers in Heartland Rugby we would certainly expect a strong challenge from them this Saturday so get down to the square and cheer on the Holcim Buller Boys.