Dewar Cup polo: Bay professional class act

HB A's Johnny Coddington (right) races away for the first of his 10 goals yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown

Spare a thought for Johnny Coddington and Jared Thompson in the countdown to the naming of the Hawke's Bay A team for this week's Dewar Cup polo tournament in Hastings.

It must have been tough for Kiwi professional Coddington to tell his partner and English professional Lucy Taylor her services weren't required after playing for the team in 2015 and likewise Thompson and his 68-year-old uncle Phil "Curly" Thompson after he told him last year he would be saddling up in the top grade again at the Bayleys Hawke's Bay Open which began yesterday and ends at Elwood Park on Sunday.

"They didn't mind at all and they're both playing for our other Hawke's Bay team in the Nelson Cup low-goal section.

Curly played in the winning team at the Wine Country Cup tournament a couple of weeks back," Thompson explained.

If the form the new-look Hawke's Bay A team of No4 Thompson, No3 Coddington, former New Zealand rep Aaron Vowles, who is a Hawke's Bay-based farmer these days at No2, and Bay-based former jockey Richard Dee at No1, is an indication the host club team could taste Dewar Cup glory for the first time since 1994 on Sunday.

Hawke's Bay A beat Auckland-based Morningstar 10-5 with Coddington, 34, scoring all 10 of the Bay's goals. Old timers among the spectators couldn't remember the last time one player scored 10 in a Dewar Cup fixture but Coddington wasn't getting too carried away with the feat.

"It's a team game and the whole team was on the ball," Coddington remarked.
He agreed Vowles' assists were spot on.

Hawke's Bay A were always in front but Morningstar stayed in touch.

The Aucklanders trailed by three on two occasions.

"The Aucklanders were no mugs. They play in a strong club competition up there and they had a couple of professionals too," Thompson said.

He was full of praise for the manner in which Vowles and Coddington combined in the first outing together since playing for Hawke's Bay at last year's Savile Cup tournament.

"At the same time there were occasions when we just put JC [Coddington] into space and hung back on defence American football style.

You heard the ground announcer ... he said JC walked on water today. That was definitely the case ... it was his day."

A polo player for 16 years, Coddington, is playing in his ninth Dewar Cup tournament and while he was a member of the winning Wanstead team five years ago, Coddington, has yet to pose in a winning Dewar Cup team photo with a Hawke's Bay side.

"Today's win will give us confidence but like in most sports winning titles is an on-the-day thing," Coddington said. In 2008 he played No1 for New Zealand in an 8-3 win against Malaysia in Hastings.

Another of his highlights is winning the Savile Cup, the country's most prestigious polo trophy, with an Auckland team which included Kiwi legend Cody Forsyth.

Coddington has another stint in England during the Kiwi winter and has been back playing in New Zealand since October. He will return to England again in March.

Hawke's Bay A have a rest today and a win against Rangitikei B tomorrow will secure a berth in Sunday's final of the seven-team Dewar Cup grade.

Six teams are playing in the Nelson Cup low goal section which begins today.