It’s not quite last Saturday’s Dan Coles v Codie Taylor’s Super Rugby push-and-shove, but the Wakatipu Premiers and Arrowtown coaches sure have differing views on their team’s pulsating derby, held the same day.
Playing at Arrowtown’s Jack Reid Park, Wakatipu won 36-31, but Arrowtown’s Simon Harper claims they were ‘‘a bit lucky’’.
‘‘At the end of the day, an intercept cost us the win, so we, if I’m being biased, probably dominated that game for good periods of it, but just couldn’t nail it.
“After being up 17-nil, they should have put us away, but the boys showed some resolve and came back.’’
Concerning the intercept, Waka coach Brett Anderson says his counterpart ‘‘would say that, but, at the end of the day, a try’s a try’’.
‘‘You might suggest his first-five threw a shit pass, who knows?’’
Anderson says he was very happy with the result.
‘‘We never like losing to Arrowtown, the local derby, there’s a bit riding on it, and a bit of pride at stake.
‘‘They tipped us earlier in the year, and we knew it was crucial for our season, but also crucial for the boys to get their confidence back up.’’
Wakatipu face Maniototo at the Queenstown Rec Ground this afternoon — kick-off’s 2.30pm.
‘‘They’re a second-round team, and they obviously knocked off Alex pretty comfortably at the weekend, so they’ve got a bit of a roll on.’’
Meanwhile, Harper says although disappointed with Saturday’s loss — their seventh from nine games — he’s ‘‘super-proud of the effort’’.
He acknowledges the contribution of his two front-rowers, Ben Carr and Tom McKenzie, who brought up their 100 games for Arrowtown.
Today they challenge undefeated Upper Clutha, in Tarras, for the White Horse Cup and the Neil Purvis Cup.
Four-week ban infuriates coach
Arrowtown coach Simon Harper’s furious his big Fijian centre, Laitia Rogoivalu, is serving a four-week ban for allegedly knocking out an Alexandra player last month.
‘‘We got stitched up there, absolute bullshit — he never punched him, it was an open-handed slap in the chest.
‘‘The player fell over back wards and was ‘knocked out’.
‘‘The physio was there, first on the scene, she said he was never knocked out, so much so he got up and continued playing for the rest of the game.’’
Harper notes his player’s still been selected for the Otago Country squad — ‘‘go figure’’.
Rogoivalu’s next available to play next Saturday.
