The Upper Clutha Rugby Club’s premier rugby side (The Rams) celebrated the club’s 125th Jubilee with a 28-14 win over Maniototo in Wānaka on Saturday (May 17) to begin the second round of the Central Otago Premier Rugby Competition.

The match also served as a defence of the White Horse Cup, with the Rams overcoming a 10-14 halftime deficit to hold a determined Maniototo side scoreless in the second half.

“We knew Maniototo were going to be tough, the White Horse Cup and all that,” Rams’ head coach Alex Dickson said.

“We let ourselves down a bit in the first half, but came right in the second half.”

Maniototo threw everything at the Rams in the first half, controlling the ball for long periods and deserving to be ahead at the break.

The second half belonged to the Rams after an improvement in ball retention and a solid scrum that troubled the Maniototo side.

The Rams scored three tries in the half: two in the final ten minutes, and a penalty on full time.

Rams’ prop Ben Mckeitch had a strong match, supported by lock Andrew Horne. The side’s loose forward trio of Lachie Garrick, Joel Turnbull and Jake Burtenshaw were omnipresent.

The Rams missed six kicks at goal in the match which will be of some concern as they eye the finals at the end of season, although three kicks hit the upright.

Alex said he felt his side was tracking well with a number of players returning from injuries.

The Rams hold a slender one point advantage over Alexandra at the top of the Central Otago Premier Rugby ladder and will play lowly ranked Arrowtown in Arrowtown this Saturday (May 24).

Points:

Tries: Ulysee Martineau (2), Ben Mckeich, Caleb Dixon, Sean Murray

Penalties: Brady Kingan

In other matches:

Cromwell 26-40 Alexandra

Matakanui 42-29 Arrowtown

TABLE: Tribe