The AshHutt Girls’ Combined 1st XV were able to overcome Timaru Girls’ High School on Wednesday night to finish the season unbeaten. Photo Jaime Pitt-MacKayAfter a long season, the AshHutt Girls’ Combined 1st XV have wrapped up another successful season with a trophy, also with the added bonus of finishing the season undefeated.

They played their last game of the season against Timaru Girls’ High School on Wednesday evening.

Despite eventually running out 62-40 winners, coach Grant Elvines said the match was a lot closer than the scoreboard showed.

“We had to work bloody hard to get the result,” he said.

“They made us work for it and it was a good final.

“There was some good running rugby.”

Elvines said to see over 100 points in a finals game was a sign of the high level of rugby on show.

“Some points were good but some points did get a bit ugly and fell apart,” he said.

“In set pieces we were dominant but there were times where we let them in.

“We were 30-odd points up and just let them back in to the game and it was 43-26 at half-time.

“There was a lot of soul searching from the girls and a few motivational speeches at half-time to get them over the line.”

The win wraps up an unbeaten season for the side, where Timaru Girls’ were their toughest opposition throughout.

After two close results during the season, Elvines said the girls knew what they would be up against coming in to the final, and that the result could have easily gone either way.

This was the first year Ashburton College and Mount Hutt College had combined their girls’ rugby teams, and Elvines said the process could not have gone any better.

“There is a great atmosphere and the girls just get on really well,” he said.

“They just have fun playing their rugby.

“I remember back when I was playing in boys’ rugby everyone would be quiet and head in to the game, but these girls are yahooing and dancing before the game, and they are doing the exact same afterwards.”

While the challenge of entering the University of Canterbury girls’ competition nearly happened, Elvines said they made the decision to stay in the Aoraki competition for logistical reasons.

Removing the opportunity for girls to be selected for the Hanan Shield XV, as well as them having to take several periods off school every Wednesday just would not have worked, he said.

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 11 August 2017