Southland Sport
Congratulations to the Lonestar Cowboys on winning their second Grand Final since winning their first one back in 2011 when the club was established.
This was He Tauaa ‘s 7th straight Grand Final appearance. After losing their first one in golden point to Cooks back in 2012 , the club has gone on to win the last 5 Grand Finals and creating history for the club and Southland.
This was the Cowboys third Grand Final in a row and like they say ( third time lucky ). Cowboys deserved the win today , they were the better team on the day and have been all season.
There was a good crowd watching and supporting either clubs.
He Tauaa tried their hardest to restrain the Cowboys and worked some good plays , but handling errors let them down. He Tauaa fought back in the second half and had their opportunities cut short by a well drilled Cowboys team. He Tauaa never gave up even when the score was slipping away from them.
Cowboys worked hard to keep He Tauaa from gaining any momentum. He Tauaa were on the back foot for most of the game and the Cowboys knew they couldn’t let up , not even an inch , if they wanted to stay in front. They knew that He Tauaa could turn it around in a heart beat and make a come back.
Both clubs showed each other respect after the game , with He Tauaa admitting that they were just outclassed by a better team and wished the Cowboys all the best in their next game against the Otago champions.
Cowboys will have a couple of weeks off before they face the Otago champs down here.
Half Time : Cowboys 18 / He Tauaa Nil
Full Time : Cowboys 42 / He Tauaa 16
Credit for the write up : Southland District Rugby League.
Photos by Dave Loudon Photography