By LINDSAY KNIGHT
Josh Blucher marked his 100th premier game for North Shore in appropriate style on Saturday by leading his side to a comprehensive championship semi-final 38-0 win over Western to qualify for this weekend’s final.
The chunky open-side flanker was part of a powerful Shore pack which overwhelmed its Pioneers opposites for the entire 80 minutes. And Blucher further celebrated his landmark by scoring one of Shore’s six tries, bringing his tally for the club to another milestone figure of 21.
Now 25, Blucher played for the national secondary schools side in 2007, but so far has yet to deliver on that promise with selection for Harbour’s ITM Cup side. However, most Shore supporters would argue that he should have been given a run at that level.
He is probably perceived as lacking the height of a top level loose forward, though in physique he is not dis-similar to Australia’s Michael Hooper and David Pocock, neither of whom has found their relative shortness too great a handicap in the Super 15 and in their test appearances for the Wallabies.
Shore’s opponent in the final will be again the front-runner all season, Massey, to whom it lost last year. Massey made the final in slightly contrasting style to the cakewalk Shore had against the Pioneers. It prevailed in a battle of attrition against Silverdale’s well drilled pack 15-8.
The difference in two evenly matched sides proved to be Massey’s Argentinian first five eighths Rodrigo Costa, who scored 10 of the side’s points. The win, though, came at a cost for Massey, with Costa’s brother Nico being taken to hospital with concussion.
Massey was also without its stalwart prop Adrian Smith, who has an injured foot. Obviously it will want him back for the final, particularly as Shore is so strong up front, with other top class forwards like Alex Woonton and Brandon Nansen also in good form against the Pioneers.
Shore’s pack effort saw it, despite contending against a difficult easterly win, take an unassailable 24-0 half-time lead. That dominance, rather than wilting, was maintained through the second spell with another two tries being scored as the Pioneers struggled for territory and suffered a further handicap by mis-handling Shore’s kicks out of hand.
Complementing Shore’s forward edge was a competent backline, with inside backs Luke Hamilton and Willie Walker using their experience to good effect, and the consistent three quarters Ben Stewart and Sam Barton adding to their try-scoring feats.
It was an encouraging dress-rehearsal by Shore for the final, though its coaching staff headed by Frano Botica will fully appreciate how formidable Massey will be, particularly in light of the decisive and handsome way in which the west Aucklanders won last year’s final.
Northcote, an easy 48-19 winner over East Coast Bays, will meet Glenfield in the plate final, with Glenfield, helped by a hat-trick of tries by wing and captain Puavao Samoa, toppling a depleted, dispirited Takapuna side, 27-19.H H Samoa’s three tries gave him 14 for the season, level with Shore’s Stewart.
The loss completed a sorry season for Takapuna, its one bright note on Saturday being a try by prop Iain Hudson, in his 100th game for the club. And Takapuna’s reserves at least made the premier two final with a 19-10 win over Mahurangi. Takapuna’s opponent will Shore’s reserves who completed a good double for the Devonport-based club with a semi-final win over Northcote.
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