COB, through their offloading, piled on five more tries to be 36-0 up and a cricket score beckoned in the second spell. One try was a beauty from a restart when Andre Taylor ran from his own line, Johnny Galloway crosskicked and Andrew McDougall scored 100 metres upfield. Instead, Freyberg won the second half 19-5 after they reconfigured their backline and rumbled on the oldest club player in Manawatū, 42-year-old lock Karl Stewart. COB began conceding penalties and injuries hit badly including serious ones to lock Jared Goodson (ribs) and wing Awatere Kiwara (knee).
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
College Old Boys first five-eighth Stewart Cruden, right, tries to push off Freyberg fullback Beau Hourigan.
David Unwin/Stuff
College Old Boys hooker Cory Purton, centre, goes up the guts against Te Kawau at the Arena on Thursday night.
RUGBY: When Jubilee Cup winners Feilding soared to 17-0 as if on a training gallop, Varsity coach Scott Lewis might have sent out a mayday call at Johnston Park on Saturday. But after 80 minutes it ended only 27-20 to the Jubilee Cup champions Yellows who also regained the Stuart Freebairn Cup after the students had dominated for long periods even without 12 on the injured list including eight starting players. So come the heart of the second round, if the Varsity wounded can be repaired and they can unearth some attacking flair in the backs, they could re-emerge as threats.
Matenga was expecting it to be a big clash, and he said College had to keep doing what they had been doing and keep their discipline. His job will be helped this weekend by the return of backs Cyrus Baker and Awatere Kiwara from injury this week, and Patrick Tafili-Reid who has been unavailable the past two weeks. Manawatū Turbos flanker Johnny Galloway should be back from injury this week too. Back Andrew McDougall returned from tonsillitis last week and lock Massimo Kirikiri returned from concussion last week. It offsets the loss of suspended forwards Cory Purton, Kodie Albert-Papuni and Hamuera Burn, as well as loosie Elyjah Crosswell, who is with the New Zealand Barbarians under-20s this week playing against the Super Rugby under-20 teams in Taupō.
Last year s finalists flex their muscles in opening round stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.