Swamp Foxes into top four
Thames Valley’s Heartland Championship resurgence has now seen them reach top-four status, as they dare to dream of a maiden Meads Cup appearance.
The Swamp Foxes’ latest effort was a 45-36 victory over King Country in Te Kuiti – a result which has effectively ended the Rams’ hopes of also finishing in the top four for the first time, being the only other side not to have done so previously.
With five games gone, and three to go in the regular season, the Valley are now perched in third spot on the ladder, in a competition that looks the most open in several years.
In an entertaining encounter on
Saturday, both teams scored five tries apiece, and four conversions.
It was King Country’s discipline that eventually cost them, as the visitors knocked over four penalties to one, and made good on their strong start, after the hosts had made for a grandstand finish.
With prop George Lelenoa driving over from close range, getting on the scoresheet for a remarkable fourth successive weekend, Thames Valley shot out to a 10-0 lead after eight minutes.
However, into the breeze first, the visitors weren’t exactly clinical in taking all their chances.
First five-eighth Jarrod Goodall missed a couple of shots from handy range.
It allowed the Rams to level the scores near the half-hour, after lock Aarin Dunster charged down a kick and provided for replacement Rob Sherson, who had come on after blindside flanker Sisa Vosaki had left with an arm injury.
However, two tries in the space of three minutes nearing halftime spurred the Valley to a 22-10 advantage at the break.
Winger Harry Lafituanai broke through and offloaded well for Goodall to finish, then after a ranging run from No 8 Alex Bradley saw him find Lafituanai, a forthcoming penalty had captain and hooker Hayden Wisnewski over from a great lineout drive.
In danger of falling away, King Country scored a couple of minutes into the second spell, with a nice run from No 8 Anthony Wise.
He found prop Carl Carmichael, who gave a nice offload for halfback Alby Mathewson to scoot round under the bar.
But then the Valley struck back-to-back, with Lafituanai scoring a stunner as he twice scorched defenders on the outside with a great swerve, before fellow winger Tyrone Keith rounded some weak defence on the outside.
At 39-17 entering the final quar- ter, the game seemed as good as won, although the Rams then went on their own spree - 19 points in 14 minutes - to set up a big finish.
With Wise on another great charge he put first-five Kieron Rollinson under the bar, then a quick-tap penalty had the ball spun left for centre Stephen Turner to go over, before substitute winger Jesse Williams stepped inside and through the defence on the shortside.
All of a sudden it was 39-36 with six minutes left, but the Rams shot themselves in the foot by kicking to touch after carrying back inside their 22.
When awarded a penalty wide out on the right with three minutes left the Swamp Foxes opted for goal, with Chris Doak nailing the shot.
And right on fulltime he repeated the medicine, which took one of the Rams’ bonus points away.
The Valley’s victory has them four points behind competition leaders South Canterbury - who beat North Otago 36-29 in Timaru - and two points off second-placed Horowhenua Kapiti, who thrashed winless East Coast 52-3 in Otaki.
Buller are level with the Swamp Foxes after downing Wairarapa Bush 29-24 in Westport.
Wanganui and Mid Canterbury are a point back after the latter handed the two-time defending champions a second successive loss with a 40-39 thriller in Ashburton.
The other result saw Poverty Bay defeat West Coast 36-19 in Gisborne.