Southern rules

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

SOUTH thumped North 28-18 in a tough encounter to claim the National Zone Cup and inaugural Don Fox Shield in the grand final of the national zones championship in Lae on Sunday.

Highlands escaped with an 18-16 win over the New Guinea Islands through their successful conversions in a close encounter to finish third despite both teams scoring three tries each.

Ted Vere-coached Southern Zone beat John Milba’s Northern in a brutal clash with crowd favourite Nao Boge bagging the man of the match award.

Vere praised the team work of his troops after they heeded his call for greater possession and ball security.

“It’s been hectic but we stuck to our game plan,” he said.

“I told my boys after we beat them in the first game on Friday they are going to come back hard.”

“But I saw that the Northern players were tired in the first half and I told the boys that we have to hold the ball more in the second to dictate play, which we did.

“Southern was last in the last zones championship in Goroka five years ago but now we have it.

“It is a good year for us in the Southern region after the Port Moresby Vipers took out the Digicel Cup,” Vere said.

He said they would vigorously defend their title in next year’s national zones championship.

Southern’s John Ako, Steven Gia and hooker William Mone’s tries were matched by Northern’s Justine Mark, lock Scott Gorosahu and winger Paul Barekano.

That saw the hosts leading 18-16 into the second half.

Capitalising on a tired Northern pack, Southern halfback William Teko and fullback Baker Tiba strolled into their try lines in the space of five minutes to surge ahead.

Tiba managed a personal haul of 11 points after converting three tries and a penalty, while Northern prop Francis Aihi was the standout forward for Northern.