The Wakatipu Premiers and Arrowtown rugby teams are perennial Central Otago comp semifinalists — the former even won last year — but are both struggling to make the top four this season with only two rounds to go.
Arrowtown put on their best performance last Saturday, beating Maniototo 36-30 at ‘home’ — the Queenstown Rec Ground, as Jack Reid Park was frozen.
But with only three wins — ironically, two in Queenstown — they’re lying sixth out of seven teams.
And with a bye this weekend, before playing Alexandra away, they’ll be hard-pressed to make the top four.
Coach Simon Harper, however, says ‘‘there’s still a chance if a couple of results go our way’’.
‘‘Never say never, but we’re the victims of our own sort of creation, because we dropped some games you would expect us to win.’’
Meanwhile, Waka didn’t help themselves by losing to Cromwell 27-7 last weekend, meaning they’ve slipped to fifth and are fighting with Alex and Maniototo for top-four spots.
Today they play undefeated Upper Clutha at home — kick-off’s 2.30pm — before tackling bottom-placed Matakanui Combined at home the following week.
Coach Brett Anderson is treating Upper Clutha as a do-or-die game, as if they lose ‘‘the writing might be on the wall’’, he says.
● Wakatipu High’s 1st XV play Otago Boys’ at home this afternoon, at 12.45pm, having retained division one status for the Otago Schools Rugby Championship’s second round.
They kicked off the round with a narrow 10-8 loss to John McGlashan College in Dunedin last weekend.
The week before, despite missing a few key players due to injuries, they lost 21-5 to Otago Boys’ in Dunedin, after trailing 7-5 at halftime thanks to a brilliant team try by Cooper Gilchrist.
