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.
Captain Jamie Booth will be on the comeback trail after a knee injury marred his 2020 campaign. Recent Turbos such as wing-fullbacks Adam Boult and Ben Werthmuller and first-five Ben Wyness must play their way in via club rugby. Lively Varsity wing Korie Winters, back from playing for Edinburgh in the Pro 14, deserves a look. There s a glut of young halfbacks. Bryn Wilson took over when Jamie Booth was injured last season but three other challengers for the No 2 spot include Griffin Culver (Feilding) and plying the Kayne Hammington route are Wellington training squad and Petone halfback Logan Henry (Feilding Old Boys-Oroua) and College Old Boys Ben Stephens (formerly Marist-St Pat s).
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.