FRANCIS PARKER
TOKO has lifted the South Otago banner for the first time since 1992.
Toko beat Crescent 44-14 in a one-sided match in front of a bumper home crowd at Milton on Saturday.
The home side flew out of the blocks and was 17-0 ahead inside quarter of an hour.
The middle stages of the first half were hard-fought, and neither side managed to score. Toko led 20-7 at halftime.
The second half was dominated by Toko, which scored four further tries and conceded just one.
It was a fantastic result for the club which has been in top form this season. Toko retained the McIntosh Cup, Speight’s Jug, and Eddie Scott Memorial as well as giving skipper Dylan Greer something to smile about in his 100th match.
Owaka caused the upset of the round, beating Clutha Valley 26-19 at Clydevale.
Owaka dominated the opening half and scored four tries to lead 26-0 at halftime. Valley charged back into the match in the second half but could not quite chase down Owaka’s solid first-half score.
Owaka’s scramble defence was on point in the second half.
Valley threw everything it had at the Owaka defence towards the end of the match, but Owaka held on for a well-deserved victory.
West Taieri and Heriot played out a 15-15 draw in their top-of-the-table clash at Outram.
In a tight first half, dominated by the whistle, West Taieri scored the only points with a penalty to lead 3-0 at the break.
Poor discipline on attack was the major theme for West Taieri in the second half as it repeatedly conceded penalties.
It would get into a good position on the field before giving away a penalty which Heriot gladly accepted.
Heriot’s forwards were strong in the tight exchanges and its backs enjoyed a territorial advantage, but key errors at crucial times stopped it from running away with the match which it could have well and truly won.
Lawrence beat Clinton 29-19 in their match played on Friday night in Lawrence.
Lawrence was the dominant team from the outset and built its win on hard, crunching defence and strong forward carriers.
Lawrence brought physicality which Clinton could not match, especially in the forwards.
Lawrence controlled the breakdown, and its midfield runners were strong on both attack and defence.
Clinton scored two opportunistic tries to stay in the match, but never looked like taking the game by the scruff of the neck.
Lawrence well and truly deserved the win.
