Craig Smith broke the record for most games by a Pirates-Old Boys player on Saturday. Photo: DEBBIE FAHEY

Rugby’s highest of highs and lowest of lows were all squeezed into 80 minutes at Surrey Park in Invercargill on Saturday – and in many different ways.

Pirates-Old Boys run in 16 tries in a 106-0 demolition of Blues.

It was one of the most dominant and ruthless displays seen in Southland’s premier club rugby competition in many, many years. Potentially ever.

Seventy-three of Pirates-Old Boys’ 106 points came in the second half alone, while Greg Dyer finished with a personal haul of 37 points, which included 11 conversions and a hat-trick of tries.

It was a performance fitting of honouring a Pirates-Old Boys great as lock Craig Smith made his 264th appearance for the club. It broke Jimmy Aflleck’s record for the most games played for Pirates-Old Boys.

Much to the delight of the Pirates-Old Boys supporters, Smith was even handed the kicking tee to convert one of his team’s 16 tries to add to the occasion.

But despite all of that, a cloud did hang over Pirates-Old Boys’ win on Saturday, given that first five-eighth Kaea Nikora-Balloch was stretchered off the field just over 10 minutes into the game with a broken ankle.

Nikora-Balloch was in just his second game back after returning from a rib injury, and usual first five Greg Dyer had handed him the No 10 jersey to help Nikora-Balloch mount a case for Stags selection in 2026.

Cruelly, Nikora-Balloch now looks set for a lengthy stint on the sideline, and any hope of pushing for Stags selection also looks to be over.

Blues were also dished up plenty of pain on Saturday, but more of the emotional variety.

The 151-year-old Blues club is a proud outfit. After all, they do hold the record for the most Southland premier club rugby titles.

However, the club appears to now be struggling to hold it together in the top-flight competition. That was exposed on Saturday.

They are delving deep into the playing stocks to put out a premier team, which included a couple of veteran backs in Pale Tuilagi and Mana Harrison taking to the field on Saturday.

On the flip side, Pirates-Old Boys is a club stacked with quality young talent at the moment, and that showed in the second half with the calibre of players they were able to roll off the bench.

It included Stags hooker Shaun Kempton, who showcased his wide range of skills as he caused havoc in a team that had all of the ball and momentum in the second half.

If we are going to be truly honest about it, Saturday may well have been Blues’ darkest day, in terms of scorelines at least.

And for Southland rugby’s sake, there will be hope that brighter things are ahead for Blues, given the province’s premier competition is at six teams and losing one of those in the coming seasons would prove problematic.

For the moment, though, let’s toast one of Southland club rugby’s greats in Craig Smith.

The Eastern-Northern Barbarians’ class of 2016 gathered in Waikaia on Saturday to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Barbarians’ first and only Galbraith Shield title.

That group got to have a look at the current-day Barbarians team, which is putting a pretty good case forward for the Barbarians’ second Galbraith Shield.

On Saturday, they recorded their fifth straight win, a 13-6 victory over Star, to remain the only unbeaten team through the first round of the competition.

There were a few reasons why the Barbarians decided to take Saturday’s game to Waikaia – the first premier game played in the Northern Southland town since 2014.

One was the fact that there was a decent Waikaia presence in that 2016 Galbraith Shield-winning team.

Secondly, it was a chance to honour Waikaia Rugby Club stalwart Malcolm McKee, who was recently awarded a Rugby Southland life membership.

Just as importantly, it again helped take Southland’s premier club rugby competition to another part of the province.

Earlier in the season, the Gore-based Barbarians chose to play a game in Tokanui.

“I think the more we take these games away, the better they get supported, too. There was a massive crowd there, and Waikaia is as good as anyone else in terms of hospitality,” Barbarians coach AJ Aitken told The Tribune.

Those in attendance were dished up a tough, physically demanding encounter which featured just two tries as Star turned in one of the best performances of the season against the table-topping Barbarians.

Star was bolstered on Saturday by the return of halfback Jackson Hughan, who is back from a stint playing in the Rugby Championship in South Africa with the New Zealand Under-20s.

The hope is his return for Star will be a brief one, with the plan for him to be on the plane to Georgia for the U20 World Championship starting on June 27.

Hughan was good for Star on Saturday, while his good mate Sam Mustchin, playing at second five-eighth, was again a key figure for Star on Saturday, which included a couple of penalties to have Star within striking distance at 8-6.

The Barbarians’ second try pushed it out to 13-6 in the second half, but the spirited Star outfit wasn’t about to roll over, hammering away at the Barbarians late in the game searching for at least a draw.

Aitken credited his team’s defensive resolve as they got through the 80 minutes without letting Star cross for a try.

“They seemed to do all the attacking, and we did all of the defending, but defence again got us the result. Star were looking really sharp in the last 10-15 minutes, and we held them out, so pretty happy at the end of the day,” Aitken said.

Looseforward Ben Hill turned in a big performance in the win for the Barbarians, particularly at the breakdown, where he featured in many turnovers.

Banuve Dretiverata on the wing was also good for the Barbarians, as was Rylee Stewart at fullback.

New Zealand U20s halfback Jackson Hughan lined up for Star against the Eastern-Northern Barbarians in Waikaia on Saturday. Photo: DEBBIE FAHEY

An injury-hit Woodlands has rallied to dish up a bonus-point 40-27 victory over Marist on Saturday.

Woodlands were missing a host of frontline players, including the likes of Jason Rutledge, Caleb Karangaroa, Sloane Lankshear, Nathan Va’atausili, and Tianua Poto.

The headaches were added to when Liam Howley, playing at first five-eighth, was forced from the field early in the game with a hamstring injury.

Woodlands and Marist then went about trading try after try, scoring 11 tries between them in an open game of rugby that was set up by a clear Southland day.

Marist remained in the contest until a late Koen Rarare try eventually broke them, and Woodlands was able to bank the five competition points, while Marist had to settle for a single four-try bonus point.

With Woodlands down on troops, Robbie McKenzie returned from his own injury and put in an 80-minute shift that helped get his team home.

Fellow looseforward Ryley McRae was also good, while the experience of Tauasosi Tuimavave in the midfield proved important.

For Marist, lock Luka Cassiday had a strong game, as did prop Ollie Harris.

Liam Howley was forced from the field with a hamstring injury early in Woodlands’ 40-27 victory over Marist on Saturday. Photo: DEBBIE FAHEY

Premier Women
Star 41, Pioneer 22
Wakatipu 55, Blues 10
Marist – Bye

Division 1
Pioneer 25, Waikaka/Riversdale Vikings 14
Riverton 31, Waikiwi 24
Edendale 83, Tokanui 19
Wyndham 33, Albion 27

Division 2/3
Pirates-Old Boys 55, Blues 10
Star 26, Collegiate 0
Woodlands 48, Marist 7
Otautau-Ohai-Nightcaps 37, Te Anau 15
Mossburn 40, Waiau Star 5
Midlands 70, Bluff 17
Drummond-Limehills-Star 88, Wrights Bush 26
Central Pirates 32, Wakatipu 29