Otago Rugby Union eNewsletter

Editorial

Good afternoon Otago supporters & welcome to our weekly newsletter

James Doleman will make his test debut this year when he referees Australia vs France. While Chris Hart will make his test debut in the TMO box when he officiates Samoa vs Tonga. This is a huge moment for them and their families and we would like to congratulate them on their success! Go well boys and smash it!

Last Saturday 5th June, we had our annual Otago Country Day hosted by Alexandra RFC at Molyneux Park. Despite the strong winds and forecasts of rain, the weather held out most of the day which was a plus. The day began with numerous junior rugby games across the park. This was followed by a Secondary School Girls game between OC Kawarau vs OC Clutha, final score 35-15 Kawarau.

The curtain raiser to the Premiers was Central Development vs Southern Development, final score 19-13 to Southern Region. The winning streak continued for the South, the main match between Central and Southern Premiers saw the Southern Region take the Topp Cup, final score 12-5. The Topp Cup was last held by the Southern Region in 2016. Congratulations to the Southern Region teams, you definitely made your region proud.

Well done to our coach of the month Tiff Pickering! Check out our article on Tiff below to see what makes her such a valuable leader in the coaching community.

Congratulations to the Carisbrook Under 85 Bush Pigs who took a huge win on Monday against the Pleasant Point Mud-Dogs 25-16. It was a physical game, but free flowing rugby to watch. Trent Freeman was player of the day, Wilson Driver had a strong performance and Tom Rance scored two tries on the wing. Thanks to the people of Pleasant Point for hosting us. The Bushies now progress to Round 2!

We are quickly approaching Bunnings NPC season which means it's almost time to start renewing season memberships and locking in your seats for our NPC home games! Keep an eye on our social media for season memberships renewal dates and all things Bunnings NPC!!!

Our Website has had a makeover and we couldn't be happier about it! Go check it out for yourself, for all things Otago Rugby click here.

Interesting Reads from Otago Daily Times:

Otago ref set to officiate in his first test match
Century for Taieri now aim for Hammer
Fine time had by all at Sharks’ 150th
Interest in top-four tussles

This week we have Erin Doherty as our featured referee. Erin is from Outram and did her schooling at Kavanagh College. Erin keeps us safe on and off the field, as you can find Erin in another blue uniform as a Police Officer. Until recently, Erin was one of only three female referees in our association and she has been such a valuable part of our metro referees. This is only Erin’s 5th year refereeing but she is rising through the ranks and we hope to see her push for higher honours in the next year or two. This weekend Erin will be in the middle for the Dunedin vs Southern, Premier Development game played at Kettle Park 1 from 12.45pm. Get out and support her and our referees this weekend. OUR Game, OUR Referees. If you are an official in another sport and may be interested in finding out more about refereeing in rugby then please email tumua.ioane@orfu.co.nz . OUR GAME, OUR REFEREES.

Central Match of the Round - Upper Clutha Rams vs Alexandra Armadillos

In the last round of rugby before final’s footy both the Armadillos and Rams have plenty to play for. The Rams need to win big so the coaching staff are hoping for a fast and positive start to the match, if they can score plenty of points they may claim a home game next week. A handful of injuries to crucial forwards like Sam Calder, Matt Templeton, Lachie Garrick and Scott Cunningham won’t help their cause. The Rams do have plenty of depth and welcome back Matt Long at prop and Jaydon McDonald at flanker. With a full squad, the Armadillos are looking to try a few new combinations as a lead into sudden death finals footy next week. The incentive for the Armadillos are two trophies for the cabinet, the Neil Purvis cup and the Phillip Cowie shield. This match is to be played at Tarras and with one side looking for a large score and the other with nothing to lose, expect a festival atmosphere at this historic ground.

Metro Match of the Round - Southern vs Dunedin

This week’s Match of the Round takes us to Bathgate Park for the Ron Reggett Memorial match between Southern and Dunedin. This match always lives up to the hype and typically has been settled by the barest of margins. It is one of the major trophies contested for the Magpies and is always played with high levels of commitment and effort that is equally matched by the Sharks men when this contest rolls around. The Sharks know how much the trophy means to the Southern men and the high regard the Reggett family is held in by both clubs. The Sharks will look to bounce back from their last-minute loss to AU in their 150th weekend, a win all but locks them in to the top 6 after a red-hot start to the Gallaway Round. They are missing Sam Rainger who sits out this week, but the capable Ayden Lloyd will start at hooker. Another milestone will be chalked up as Hame Toma will play his 100th match. For the Magpies they will again lean on the reformed halves pairing of Urquhart and Kitahara who have both been out with injury at various times. Also, try scoring supremo Macca Haugh makes a welcome return on the bench. Don’t be surprised if this ends in a draw.

Women's Semi Finals

University vs Alhambra Union

University has fiercely defended their title for the last 3 seasons and will have plans of going for the 4th year in a row. They have been in the final for the last 8 seasons. Finals footy experience will come in handy for the Bookworms. Many of the girls in this side have played many semis and finals and understand how finals footy is a different ball game. They will be feeling confident ahead of the clash as they have beaten Alhambra-Union in both clashes this season. They have a high success rate against the Crazy Horses with consistent wins over the past 8 years. Julia Gorinski has been in mighty fine form this year getting through a huge amount of work this season. She was a standout in last weekend's clash. Keely Hill and Teilah Ferguson will be going head-to-head in the mid field both players being very strong for their respective sides in the 2021 season. The Bookworms loose forward trio will be fizzing to get into their work on Saturday.

In 2020 the Crazy Horses made their return to the final for the first time since 2013. They will have every intention of bringing the Bookworms winning streak to an end. They have had a positive season this year, remaining competitive with the top dogs till the final whistle. The young side have some unreal ball carriers, who are great at making the gain line and drawing in multiple defenders to bring them down. Fualole Moananu has been an amazing addition to the Crazy Horses as she is dominant on both attack and D, she thrives in the contact zone. The Church sisters will be causing all sorts of trouble for the University side on Saturday. Jamie has been all class this season scoring upwards of 13 tries while Paige brings great experience to the side as she looks to play her 77th game for the Crazy Horses. She will be looking forward to locking horns with Bookworms hooker Amber-Jane Mckenzie at scrum time.

Pirates vs Big River Country

This match will be huge with both teams desperate to find themselves in the final spot. These two sides are full of massive hitters and dominant ball carriers, fitness will be the winner on the day.

Pirates Wahine pipped at the post in the 2020 season. They will be looking to rectify things this weekend and maintain their spot at the top of the table. They will be missing Gemma Miller this weekend as she has an exam which will be a big loss for the Wahine. Last week against University, Pirates had a devastating off load game creating amazing momentum for them. Pirates have the home advantage with the game being played out at Hancock Park. Sheree Hume will be fizzing for prime time footy! She is one to watch this weekend with her exceptional speed. The Pirates back line has been exceptionally dominant this season stretching opposition majorly. They will look to run Big River Country all over the park.

Big River Country has done exceptionally well in their first season in the comp. They have had some tough clashes in the last few weeks. They will be determined to cause an upset and get the green light to the final.

10 Karen Nicolson has been spoiled for the side this year, converting massive kicks from all around the park. For some of the BRC girls this will be their first final in the premier women's comp. Those who have been there before will have a large role to play in keeping the team cool under the pressure of the occasion. Big River have played some great footy this season and will bring huge physicality and aggression to this match, they have been great over the ball, winning themselves many turnovers and penalties. They have a very good forward pack who will set the platform for the backs.

Round 10 Snapshot

Crescent vs Owaka

The Greg Smith Memorial is back on the line at the Colliery in Kaitangata as fifth placed Crescent host sixth placed Owaka. Crescent held onto the trophy by the skin of their teeth in round one as Owaka formed a stunning comeback to level the match on fulltime. Crescent will be favourites at home and need to start winning to have a chance at making the finals. A loss for Owaka would further increase the gap between themselves and the top four.

Clutha Valley vs West Taieri

A huge match between the two in-form sides of the competition. First vs second with two pieces of silverware on the line, as well as first place. Clutha Valley went through the first round unbeaten including a morale boosting win at Outram over the Pigs. West Taieri will be looking for redemption but will go into the match as underdogs for probably the first time since joining the Southern Region competition.

Clutha vs Heriot

A top four battle which will be hard fought and very physical. These two teams deserve their places inside the top four after round one. Heriot have had a fortnight off after having the bye in round nine. Clutha fought strongly against Owaka and came away with a confident win. The winner of this match further cements their position inside the top four whilst the loser will have the chasing pack hot on their heels.

Clinton vs Roxburgh

A bottom of the table match between two sides desperate to show their worth. Clinton is coming off a huge win over Toko in round nine after demolishing them up front. Queens Birthday weekend happened at potentially the wrong time for the home side as they will have wanted to keep the momentum. Roxburgh didn’t win a match in the first round and with the team that finishes ninth after this round dropping out, the Roosters need points and fast.

Would You Do Tackle Practice Alone?

I am sure you would agree the coach plays a massive role in player development and overall experience.

When it comes to experience, research shows that the coach and parents are the most influential individuals on the player’s journey.

Phew, no pressure coaches!

When it comes to parents, it is a pretty good strategy to only give advice when you have been asked, or at least check if it is alright if you impart your wisdom. Obviously, those long car rides home with dad ranting about all your mistakes and what you can do about them do not happen in Otago, that is more of a problem in the other regions right…

In general, we tend to coach how we were coached. This is what we know so it is easy to roll out. Same session structure, warm up, couple of drills, split backs forwards and then team run to finish, which was fine back in the day. The All Blacks were dominating the world using the same session structure so things couldn’t be too bad.

But what about if our understanding of how we learn and become adaptable rugby players has evolved since the 80’s and 90’s.

When looking at the NZ landscape Wayne Smith was one of the pioneers bringing a “more games-based” approach to training, heavily influenced by different training methodologies that he experienced in France and Italy. He questioned the standard narrative.

Fast forward twenty years and Smith is still considered one of the best coaches in the world and affectionately known as “the professor” by his players.

Games give context for our learning. The game shapes how we move and what decisions we make.

To a large degree our response is driven by the environment physically and emotionally. Let us consider this in a more practical sense.

If I were to say to you, “I want you to go and practice your tackle technique by yourself”. You would probably give me a strange look, then say “Azza, you have lost the plot that is not going to help me get better!” You would be dead right, the transfer over to what happens on a Saturday would be next to nothing.

We need another player to work with. We add a player into the environment. We react to our environment. There is a perception and action coupling, change the environment and you change the action.

A common complaint I hear from premier and first fifteen coaches is how frustrated they get with the level of catch and pass ability. Their point being, how many reps of catch and pass have these players accumulated over their life? Probably tens of thousands, and yet still, in that critical moment on the field it all falls apart. Either a poor pass is thrown, or the player chooses not to pass at all because they lack the confidence.

Maybe it is not the player’s fault. Maybe it is the way we are coaching!

My hypothesis is, and please challenge me on this if you disagree, we spend too much of our time coaching catch and pass without opposition. Think tackle practice but alone.

We do not create an environment with a strong perception and action coupling that looks like the game on a Saturday. Yes, there will be more balls that go to ground if you have defence involved in your catch pass drills, but that is why we train, not to be perfect but to get better.

Passing waves can be a thing of beauty and may serve to build a bit of confidence pregame, but that is different to learning.

As a coach we should always be asking, why am I doing this?

Do you critically think about your session or are you just doing what you have always done?

I would love to hear your thoughts around this.

Let me know if there are any specific questions you’d like answered on the coaching front at aaron.callaghan@orfu.co.nz

Keep up the great work!!!

Cheers, Azza

The Topp Cup will be heading to the Southern Region after the Southern Region Premier side defeated their Central Otago opposition 12-5 in the main match at Alexandra over Queens Birthday Weekend.

Southern Region had the wind behind them in the first half and managed to keep Central on the back foot for the majority of the half. Southern lacked the killer edge on attack, however, and remained scoreless in the opening stages through offensive errors. Central opted to hold onto the ball to combat the wind and did make metres up the middle. The Southern defensive line lacked intensity although the breakdown was hotly contested and physical. Southern opened the scoring through winger Robin Fesilafai who was put into a gap after a nice shimmy from hooker Dylan Mackenzie to score in the corner. Thomas Johnson converted well from the side line to give Southern the extras. The rest of the first half ebbed and flowed with Southern using the wind to push Central back and Central struggling to clear their lines thanks to the wind. As the half drew to a close, Southern mounted one last attack at the line which resulted in Fesilafai crossing for his second try in the right-hand corner. Johnson’s conversion was away to the right and Southern went into halftime 12-0 ahead.

The second half was a good old slugfest with both forward packs competing strongly for the ball. The wind decided to die down which will have annoyed the Central side, but it added to the spectacle of the match as both backlines finally began to feature. Central had the lions share of territory and possession in the half but ran into a solid Southern defensive wall which didn’t take a backward step. Both sides were guilty of making handling errors at key times on attack which lost them momentum. Southern’s dominance at scrum time forced Central into delivering sloppy ball which put their backs on the back foot at times. Central opened their account in the match with 15 minutes left on the clock as replacement loose forward Brad Cross scored to set up an intriguing final quarter of the match. The try went unconverted, but Central only needed a draw to retain the Topp Cup. Central controlled the final stage of the match, pushing for the match defining try. Southern showed huge amounts of ticker and mental fortitude to keep them out for the remainder of the match. Southern conceded some penalties on defence towards the end of the match but came up with three massive turnovers at crucial times to see the match out and give them a famous win, their first since 2016.

The Southern pack was very strong from the outset and their reserves offered just as much intensity in the second half. Prop Ben Millar had an outstanding match both at set piece and around the park. Lock Steve Green was an absolute work horse and secured the final turnover in the 81st minute to give his side the win. Replacements Luke Moeke, Damian Wilson and Mark McKenzie added plenty of fire up front in the second half. The Southern backs were marshalled well by captain Jared Edwards who was always a menace around the ruck, making plenty of metres. Jonny Sargent was a constant threat ion the midfield and Robin Fesilafai showed his finishing ability on the wing.

Central’s pack were strong also and very combative at the breakdown. Open side flanker Dave Fraser had a strong match on both attack and defence, Fraser didn’t die wondering in a tackle or a clean out. Hooker Jake McEwan also gave a good account of himself. Central were hampered by a first half injury to flanker Danny Hurring who was easily the best on the field before leaving towards the end of the half. Rhys Harrold and Tyler Ford tried to spark the Central backline into action but were met by a fairly solid Southern defence.

Southern take Topp Cup honours for 2021. They will host the Central teams next year and will be ready for some retribution and no doubt the Central side will come out firing,

Southern Region Premier 12 (Robin Fesilafai x2 tries; Thomas Johnson 1 con) beat Central Otago Premiers 5 (Brad Cross try) HT 12-0

Article author: Francis Parker

The Southern Region Development team have come away from Alexandra with a 19-13 win over Central Otago in the curtain raiser to the Topp Cup match.

The wind was always going to play havoc in this match, it was just a case of whichever team adapted first would more than likely take the win. Southern played with the wind behind them in the first half but struggled to use it to their advantage. Central opened the scoring the lock Stefan Blakeborough as they looked to assert their dominance up front. Southern finally managed to find field position and from there, scored through first five Logan Cornish who looked to have had a shocker before beating five people to cross the line handy to the posts. Ethan Jane converted to put Southern in the lead. Cornish was in the action again moments later as he intercepted a pass to run forty metres to extend Southern’s lead. Jane kicked the conversion to give Southern a 14-5 lead at the break.

The second half was a scrappy affair with plenty of mistakes from both sides. Passes didn’t stick and continuous knock on’s and forward passes scuppered any momentum either side would create. Lineouts were abysmal thanks to the wind and the scrum battle was fairly even for the most part. Central managed to score midway through the second half through replacement winger Daniel Adam after a Brady Kingan penalty had closed the gap further. Southern led 14-13 with less than ten minutes to go and managed to force their way down field where captain Josh Turnbull scored what would be the match clinching try. Central threw everything they had at Southern at the end of the match, but the Southern defence held strong for the win. The second win in a row for the Development team after their last match in 2019 was also a positive result.

Josh Turnbull was a beacon of light up front for his side. Turnbull led from start to finish, ran the ball well and didn’t miss a tackle. Number eight Conor Beaton also had a strong match with ball in hand, making plenty of metres. Flanker Liam Turnbull was a nuisance over the loose ball and secured numerous turnovers. Logan Cornish and Sean Aitken-Boyle were the best of the backs with limited opportunity thanks to the conditions. Tyson Adams and Josh Cook added power and patience off the bench.

Central were served well up front by hooker Brad Allan and lock Stefan Blakeborough who got through plenty of work up front. Jesse Porter and Taura Wilson were the pick of the Central backline. Daniel Adam and Adam Fleming made their presence felt off the pine.

Southern Region Development 19 (Logan Cornish x2, Josh Turnbull tries; Ethan Jane 2 con) beat Central Otago Development 13 (Stefan Blakeborough, Daniel Adam tries; Brady Kingan 1 pen) HT 14-5

Article author: Francis Parker

Tiff Pickering is the coach that we wish to acknowledge this month. Tiff coaches the Year 6 Green Island Green team as well as a first year tackle team.

She is the coach that every parent would want their child to have. She loves what she does and the kids adore her. It is never about winning for her but rather, all about playing as a team, showing respect to each other and the opposition and just getting out and having fun! She is the kids #1 supporter, and she just loves the team like they are all her own.

We hear that Tiff herself, hubby Bruce (who also coaches both teams with Tiff) and their 4 kids are massive Rugby fans and it is our pleasure to offer a 2021 Bunnings NPC season pass as a very well deserved treat to say thank you for all that you do to help our game.

Shoutout to Kerri for sending in the nomination!

Know of a coach who should be recognised for their efforts? Send in your nomination to aaron.callaghan@orfu.co.nz or flick us a message on Facebook.

The Otago Rugby Union is acting as an ambassador for Veo. We are using the camera's for developing our representative players and match officials as well as allowing our clubs and schools to borrow the camera's. If a club or a school likes the camera, they can then contact Veo direct and make a purchase of the hardware and a monthly licence to use their software. As a partnership, the Otago Rugby Union receives a small fee, and the club or school receives a discount on the recommended retail price.

For more information about Veo and their camera, click here.

Or, if you would like to book a call from the Veo experts, click here.

HOW DOES MY CLUB OR SCHOOL BOOK A CAMERA?

Email Paul Thompson: paul.thompson@orfu.co.nz

Match Day Programme - Metro, Central & Southern Region

Secondary Schools First XV Match Day Programme