Rangitikei chuck away cup lead

WARWICK SMITH/The Manawatu Standard

THE STICK MEN: It's neck and neck between Port Hills' Englishman Davy Allen, left, and Rangitikei's Gary Vickers on the opening day of the Savile Cup tournament at Tangimoana yesterday.

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Rangitikei might already have done their chips after just one game in the 103rd Savile Cup tournament at Pukemarama yesterday.

The men in white didn't mark up well enough in the final chukka against Canterbury club team Port Hills and saw their 9-7 lead turn into a 10-9 loss.

Rangitikei have to beat Wanstead today and Kihikihi on Saturday to entertain any chance of reaching the final on Sunday.

Rangitikei's London-based professional of 11 years, Angus McKelvie, 29, seemingly took it hard afterwards, barely responding.

"We weren't quite sharp enough and we're going to have go better than that," he said.

Brother Cam McKelvie didn't consider it a bad performance, but felt the team were a bit too loose.

"We weren't quite well. They hit just about all of their penalties and we missed a few."

Gary Vickers was strong in the field, but missed three costly penalties.

Among his string of seven ponies, Cam McKelvie returned with his mare Snip, who had moodily stomped on him when he fell heavily in the 2008 final at Tangimoana.

Once fractious, she has since settled and has been forgiven.

McKelvie keeps fit by dagging hundreds of sheep and riding, but has never yearned for a fulltime polo career like his brother's.

"Four months is just about enough for me," he said.

The westerly wind meant most field goals were scored downwind yesterday, the players having to battle to swing their sticks into the wind.

It was close all the way, Port Hills up 5-3 after two chukkas and 6-all at halfway.

Rangitikei trailed until the end of the second-last chukka when they led for the first time, 8-7, after a 30-yard penalty from Angus McKelvie. They went up 9-7 when he hit a lofted shot from the re-start.

Port Hills had two English professionals, former Rangitikei player Will Lucas and Davy Allen, whose deflection off a pony made it 9-all with 2 1/2 minutes left.

Guy Higginson got the winner with a minute to go.

History is against a South Island team winning the Savile.

It hasn't happened since Christchurch won in 1925. Port Hills is the sole South Island team at the tournament. Overall, there are 12 teams fewer than at Tangimoana two years ago (17 in total).

It was just as tight in the other Savile game, Kihikihi beating Wanstead (central Hawke's Bay) 11-10 after being up 11-7. Kihikihi have former New Zealand players in Andrew Parrott, Robert Watson and Paul Kay.

It was a grotty day for the Rangitikei Polo Club yesterday. Only their 3-goal team won: 9-0 over Wanstead. The B team was trounced 16-3 by Kihikihi and the 0-goal side lost 7-0, also to Kihikihi.

Savile Cup match: Port Hills 10 (Davy Allen, 5, Will Lucas 3, Guy Higginson 2). Rangitikei 9 (Angus McKelvie 4, Glenn Sherriff 4, Cam McKelvie 1). HT 6-all.

- © Fairfax NZ News