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2010.02.13 13:50:14

Shane Manawatu

Saturday night  at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast of Australia saw the first ever Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars rugby league challenge, the brain child of current Queensland Cowboys star Preston Campbell.

This was fantastic for not only rugby league in Australia but also for the indigenous people of Australia and I suspect it would have done some good to help the division in race relations in that country.

It was a chance to raise money for all NRL clubs to be able to contribute to community projects in their areas. It was also to raise awareness of the contribution indigenous people have in the game and inspire their people to follow and achieve their goals in life. Fitting also that it was played on the 2^nd anniversary that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the stolen race.

The Indigenous played with a lot of pride and passion and were able to come back and win with just minutes to go when Jaime Soward raced almost the length of the field after Thurston delivered a miracle pass. The final score was 16-12.

The game had some very big stars put their hand up to play in it. For the Indigenous there were the likes of Preston Campbell himself, Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday, Scott Prince, Nathan Merrit, Carl Webb and of course playing in his last game Wendell Sailor after 17 years in first grade and 37 tests behind him.

The NRL All Stars had some current greats like Lockyer, Hayne, Gidley, Falou, Watmough and three Kiwis Manu Vatuvai, Adam Blair and Benji Marshall the latter two only selected on the basis that they were the Kiwis captain and vice captain. Frankly I saw no credible reason for Marshall to be on there and his performance was just the same as his end of season form for the Kiwis, dismal. Although he did score a try it was a gift set up by someone else and he had to do nothing but fall over the line.

There are however some players who just give their all every game and one of the best players in the game today was deservedly named the Preston Campbell Gold Medal winner. Johnathan Thurston, the Queensland Cowboys and Kangaroos half back was an absolute inspiration for the Indigenous side. If this is the kind of form he is in before the NRL season actually starts then just how good will he be when he really hits his straps.

Other players who really look like they are ready for the season to start were Thaiday, Gidley, Hayne, Campbell, Michael Jennings and British Lions international Sam Burgess who looks like he will make a huge impact in the NRL.

Anyway, the whole concept went off with a bang and seemed to be very successful. I foresee this as becoming an annual event and with sponsors like Kerry Packer giving a couple of million of their own money towards the campaign it should gain more momentum in the future.

Well done to all those that made this event a reality and I look forward to next year’s game.

Shane Manawatu

Freelance Journalist

0272999289

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2010.02.13 01:13:17

Shane Manawatu

Saturday night saw the Super 14 campaigns of the Crusaders and the Highlanders get underway at the revamped AMI Stadium in Christchurch in front of over 20,000 fans. A great start to the attendance levels for the season.

The Crusaders went into the match with no less than five All Blacks on the side line including Richie McCaw, who is sitting out the first three weeks of the competition. With the exclusion of McCaw, Kieran Read took the captaincy and like all Crusader captains led by example throughout the match. One of the highlights for Crusader fans was the return of Daniel Carter who was on sabbatical overseas throughout the 2009 season. By Carters standards he actually had a rather quiet game but his presence was still invaluable to the Crusaders notching up their first win of the season as they fought off a valiant Highlanders team.

The Crusaders would be a little disappointed with the score at the halfway mark only managing to put 10 points on the board after dominating territory and possession throughout. They should however be pleased with the continuity with which they managed to retain the ball at the breakdown. That, along with great discipline is a very good sign that they are able to gel as a team at such an early stage, when I’m sure other teams may struggle a little to find their rhythm at the start.

With the departure of Leon MacDonald to Japan I believe Colin Slade now has an opportunity to play himself into a specialist position now that he has taken over the custodial role as the Crusaders fullback. He has the skills and talent to play anywhere in the back line but it’s normally position specialists that are selected for higher honours such as the AB’s and with the retirement of Mils not too far in the distance now is a great time for him to shine.

Zac Guildford has continued his great form from last season with Hawkes Bay and the AB’s and has proven that he was a great buy for the Crusaders. His work rate was huge and he was rewarded with a try in the second half.

Another new comer to the Crusaders line up is Robbie Fruean. He replaces Casey Laulala who has gone to the Cardiff Blues. Personally I have never seen the guy before this game. Tonight he made me sit up and take notice. He is big and strong not unlike a rugby league centre. A couple of times he busted the line and showed great pace off the mark for such a big guy. It takes a couple of players to take him down and he has all the attributes that a very good centre should have, speed-size-strength-ball security and awareness. I think, for me anyway, Fruean is one of the players to really keep an eye on this season and the Crusaders really know how to develop players to utilise every asset a player brings to their game and the young fella will only get better.

The only disappointment for me in this game was the lack lustre game of Isaac Ross. This is a guy who needs to have a big season to regain his AB’s spot. He has gained a bit of bulk as he was asked to do by Graham Henry. 5kg he’s put on and even looks a little bigger for it but he wasn’t really in the game. I saw him standing on the fringes of the ruck alot but in my mind for someone who needs to make every game count didn’t get involved enough.

Both teams utilised the new ruck rules to their advantage by chancing their arms and keeping the ball in hand rather than kicking possession away. This gave a better flow to the game and a much better spectacle for the fans as a running game is far more exciting to watch than a game of force back.

As for the Highlanders, well they played great footy. Their defence throughout the first 60 minutes was awesome. They held out the Crusaders attack time after time and kept themselves in a winning position until the last few minutes. The score of 32-17 was actually a little flattering for the Crusaders and doesn’t give a real measure of the Highlanders effort.

When they actually had possession the Highlanders used it well and were unlucky not to have the scores closer than they were. They have shown that they will be a force to be reckoned with this campaign. New signings Matt Berquist (Hawkes Bay), James Paterson (Canterbury) and Wellington & Blues five-eighth Michael Hobbs, son of Jock Hobbs, showed that they are ready to make an impact in the Super 14. Great form was also shown from Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Adam Thomson and of course Tom Donnelly who never has a bad game and my outstanding player of the match Josh Bekhuis.

With only losing games by the slimmest of margins last season I think the Highlanders have a realistic chance of making the top four.

In summary, this was a great game to help start an exciting season of Rugby. We will see some great new talent being developed if these two teams are anything to go by. I know it’s only early days but already the Crusaders are playing structured well thought out rugby and they must be the favourites to win yet another title.

A mention must go out to the Crusaders and organisers at AMI Stadium for allowing the fans to come onto the field to greet and congratulate their hero’s at the end of the game. It is a touch that has been gone from the game for too long.

Shane Manawatu

Freelance Journalist

O272999289

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2010.01.26 16:48:38

Shane Manawatu

Golf courses are a plenty here in Christchurch and green fees vary from $20-$120 per round. Most are within about 15-20 minutes drive from where you live. Memberships start from around $350-$1,000 per year. Unfortunately there are very few courses here now that charge the $20. Most are from $30 upwards.To golfers in most other regions around New Zealand that would seem pretty damn cheap but us Cantabs who really have been spoilt for choice in the past when it comes to where to play and green fees averaging around the $20 mark have over time watched our choices become somewhat limited due to affordability.

For the weekend golfer who was used to paying $20 for their round at certain courses have found that to play those same courses they would now be paying $35. If you were playing a course a little classier and paying $30 you are now looking around the $50 mark.

Well, all this inspired me to look a little further out of town and leads me to the purpose of this blog. I'm not here to whinge about the price of the green fees and memberships here in Christchurch as in comparison to most regions they are still very reasonable. I am however going to tell you about a wee gem of a course that I stumbled on a few months back and have since been back several times. Today, I became a member.

Earlier I mentioned that most courses were reachable in about 15-20 minutes drive,  from wherever you live in Christchurch. Okay, now add on about another 15-20 minutes and head west towards the Alps, get to Darfield and turn left and go for about another 5-6 minutes and you will come to a small town called Glentunnel. On your left hand side as you enter Glentunnel is the Hororata Golf Club.

Pull in anyday, except Saturday morning's before 1pm as thats club day, and you'll be lucky to see anymore than 7-8 cars there, so you know you're not going to be held up on your round. Head to the office and give a lovely old fellow, Fred, your $20. Thats right just $20 dollars. Or leave your money in the honesty box, please do, it is well worth it. Next stand on the practice green and look out over the course, take a deep breath, that's it, let it out and go WOW!

From the road you would never know this place existed. From the practice green you can see almost half the course down in the valley below. Look towards the back of the course and looking down on it is beautiful green forest and the Selwyn river running beside it. Behind you there is an incredible view of the Southern Alps. They really seem so close and are majestically visible the whole way round. Early spring is an amazing time to visit this course. A beautifully clear crisp morning the forest is at it's greenest, the course is in great shape, all year round actually, and the mountains are covered in snow. To me this is golfing at its most picturesque. If your game isn't going too well it doesn't matter, just being there is well worth it and at the end you are glad you came.

The course itself is very well looked after. The fairways are mostly open great for big hitters but plenty of trouble if you go too far off line. The greens are in excellent condition but are not overly big in size. There are some challenging holes and some very agreeable holes which set the scene for an enjoyable round of golf for all levels from hackers to the scratch handicapper. Summer golfing is great for the long game. If your'e on line the fairways will allow your ball long runs, you will be amazed at how far you've hit the ball. The rough is well maintained also and forgiving in most places.

Anyway, this really is a must visit course. $20 green fees you can not go wrong, I often felt guilty about paying such a low fee for such a great and well maintained course. In fact I'm not sure how they afford to keep it in the condition it's in year round. So, what will you get from your visit. Cheapest fees anywhere, a fantastic course, no hold ups as most times you have a pretty clear course but most of all a sense of awe about where you are and the spectacular scenery surrounding you. This is not Terrace Downs but it's not a $180 a game either.

By the way, if you like it so much as I do and want to become a member it's only $285 per year. The Hororata Golf Club, Glentunnel, 30-40 minutes west of Christchurch.