With an ounce of luck, the Mid Canterbury Combined 1st XV rugby team could have found themselves driving back from Nelson with a win under their belts on Saturday.

They headed north for their round two match in the Crusaders region’s secondary school competition, the UC Championship, and gave Waimea Combined a real run for their money, but fell just short, 17-15.

Mid Canterbury Combined coach Brent Middleton said it was a tough battle which his side could easily have come out on top in.

The visitors struck first, with Tom Middleton crossing for the day’s opening try to give his side a 5-0 lead, and another looked set to follow, but instead it went the other way.

A 90-metre intercept try put Waimea on the board, and they added another soon after to go ahead 14-5.

But Mid Canterbury struck back with a try late in the half – a well-worked team try finished off by Thomas Henderson – which gave the Ashburton College and Mt Hutt College combined side a narrow 15-14 buffer at the break.

The second half was to-and-fro from start to finish, with neither side able to break through the other’s defence.

With around 10 minutes to go Waimea were awarded a penalty, which they slotted to go ahead 17-15.

Then with about five minutes to go Mid Canterbury were awarded a kickable penalty, but the attempt it hit the post.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the right result that we would’ve liked, but the boys did play well and they have improved again,” Middleton said.

And, really, that was all you could ask for.

“I was a bit gutted for the boys because, really, they played some good rugby at times, and unfortunately it didn’t happen.

“But they can hold their heads up high,” Middleton said.

Waimea Combined was a side made up of players from four schools, and Middleton said hopes had been high that it might have been one that Mid Canterbury could win.

Mid Canterbury Combined didn’t win a game in 2017 and while they were disappointed not to notch up a victory over Waimea, the performance gave both the players and the coaching staff confidence, and a great platform to continue building on.

Mid Canterbury’s forward pack dominated the Waimea scrum, with Henderson and Ben Donald – who tackled himself to a standstill – standing out along with Tom Middleton and Mark Gabriel in the backs.

In their week one loss to Marlborough Boys’ College, Middleton said Mid Canterbury’s defence let them down, but the performance against Waimea was much improved.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 13 May 2019