Polo: Hunter's helping hand crucial

SUPER SUB: Lachie Hunter (front) wins this tussle for possession during Hurunui's 12-8 win against Cambridge. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

HURUNUI Savile Cup polo team captain Peter Dormer labelled Hawke's Bay professional Lachie Hunter a saviour yesterday.

Dormer wasn't wrong. A product of the Porangahau-based Wanstead club Hunter, 33, was a late replacement for the South Island-based team for this week's Hastings-hosted nationals after Guy Higginson, a son of former All Black and Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby lock Graeme Higginson, had to withdraw after having surgery.

Hunter was inspirational in the No4 role as Hurunui beat defending champions Cambridge 12-8 to secure a berth in Sunday's final at Elwood Park. Several spectators commented it was as if former New Zealand rep Hunter had been playing for the mainlanders all summer and Hunter later revealed he had.

"While I only found out on Friday I would be playing for them at this tournament, I've played for them for the last four years in the South Island Open professional league which is played for three weeks before Christmas. We gel pretty well and I play in the same teams as Olly over in England," Hunter said, referring to Hurunui's English import Olly Tutill.

Hunter started playing polo as a 12-year-old and first ventured overseas at the age of 17. The 2008 World Cup player will this year spend his first New Zealand winter at home in 16 years.

"We had to get dispensation for Lachie to play for us this week and I'm glad we did. The Hawke's Bay club has been very supportive," Dormer explained.

His team travelled north from North Canterbury with three trucks and 28 horses 10 days ago. After playing at the Rangitikei tournament last weekend, they arrived in the Bay on Monday. Because of the damage caused by the Kaikoura earthquake an extra 4 hours of travel was added to their journey.

On their way home, Hurunui will play in a Blenheim-hosted tournament.

For the Cambridge team, which includes New Zealand's highest goal players, seven-goaler John Paul Clarkin and his four-goaler wife, Nina Clarkin, the world's best female, yesterday's loss was their second for the week after losing 10-9 to Mystery Creek on Wednesday.

They won't have the opportunity to try to retain one of New Zealand's oldest sporting trophies on Sunday. Three of the Cambridge team, John Paul Clarkin, and Zane and Alan Browne, were in the side which won the cup in Auckland last year.

Mystery Creek and Hurunui will clash in the feature game. It will be interesting to see how both teams treat the match as they both know they will clash for the cup 48 hours later.

It hasn't been a memorable week for the Hawke's Bay A and B teams which had high hopes in their respective Equissage Wilson Cup and Pryde's Riddiford Levin Cup divisions.

Hawke's Bay A were knocked out of final contention with a 7-4 loss to Auckland A on Wednesday. A former New Zealand rep, four-goaler Cody Forsyth, was classy and full of authority for Auckland A. Hawke's Bay B had their second consecutive loss when beaten 4-1 by Kihikihi A on Wednesday. However, the Hawke's Bay C team, which includes 69-year-old Phil "Curly" Thompson in the No4 role, is unbeaten in the Wood Trophy section and tipped to win tomorrow's final.