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Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Sport
24 Ashburton Guardian
Stadium gets new name P15
P18
TWO-POINT THRILLER
BY ERIN TASKER
ERIN.T@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Ellesmere got their hands on rugby’s Mid Canterbury Auto Electric Trophy for the first time in five years after beating Mid Canterbury 26-24 in Ashburton yesterday. Mid Canterbury were chasing from the start after Ellesmere capitalised on an early error to score the day’s opening try through number eight Daryl Lamborn, but the home side had a chance to snatch victory right at the very end when they were awarded a penalty on halfway. Called in at the eleventh hour due to the squad’s first-five injury woes, Christchurch-based Jarred Percival – who had been a loan player for Mid Canterbury in recent seasons – stepped up to the mark, sending many minds back to the side’s dramatic last-minute win over Wanganui in last year’s Heartland Championship.
That day, Percival sent the longrange kick over the crossbar to seal the win, but he was unable to reproduce those heroics and Ellesmere went home the victors. The day hadn’t started well for the home side. A hamstring injury in the warm up to Methven’s Kipi Manu’mua meant they had to do a late reshuffle of their backline, but Celtic’s Paovale Sofai showed he didn’t mind where he played when he crossed for his side’s opening try to level the scores at 7-all early on. The two sides traded tries, through Ellesmere prop Jim Cummings and Mid Canterbury’s hooker and captain, Jackson Donlan, to level things again at 12all before a big five metre scrum from Ellesmere right on the break changed things. From that, they were awarded a penalty try which took them out to a 19-12 lead.
Mid Canterbury made some changes early in the second half and it paid off with Fakatoka Penisimani scoring a try within a couple of minutes of entering the fray, before Percival ran in under the posts to give the home side the lead for the first time, 24-17. That lead was short-lived though, with Ellesmere replacement Mike Sheenan making a break up field moments later, with the move finished off by another replacement, Cameron Powell, leaving Harry Kirk with an easy replacement to give Ellesmere the 26-24 lead they were to hold on to. Mid Canterbury coach Sean Carter said he was proud of the way his side clawed their way back after the game got away from them when Ellesmere were awarded the penalty try. “It’s always disappointing to lose but it’s good to see the progress they have made.
Roger gets new clothes
“It provides confidence for the coaching group that the group of players that we have put together understand the patterns and plans we are putting in place,” Carter said. He said both sides attacked well and used the ball well. “I think at the end of the day it’s probably time together. “The Ellesmere team have probably had a little bit more and had their combinations worked out a bit better than we did.” But as the game progressed his side grew in confidence and things started to come together more. “I think if we just keep building on that and spend time together getting that confidence and continuity going, we’ll have a team that plays a good style of rugby.” With a number of players having made themselves unavailable for yesterday’s clash, Carter
Mid Canterbury’s Isireli Masiwini makes a break in his side’s loss to Ellesmere yesterday. PHOTO ERIN TASKER 170518-ET-008
said the game had been an opportunity for some of the squad’s younger players – many of whom were making their first appearance for the Mid Canterbury side – to step up, and they did just that. He said loose forward Logan Flett and 18-year-old Rakaia prop Henry Miller stood out for him, while Mt Somers senior B player Finn Cleary made a real impact in the forwards when he came off the bench. Mid Canterbury now had just two other pre-season games to prepare for – South Canterbury at Hinds and Canterbury Metro in Ashburton – before starting their 2018 Heartland Championship game against Horowhenua-Kapiti in Foxton on August 25. The Mid Canterbury Colts were also in action yesterday, but were also beaten, 42-12, by the Ellesmere Colts.
Huge stakes on offer at the Ashburton races today
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