Kiwi revenge in woolhandling test

Kiwi revenge in woolhandling test

New Zealand woolhandlers Keryn Herbert and Tia Potae tonight exacted a crushing revenge defeat over Australia in the New Zealand leg of a bi-annual woolhandling competition against Australia.

Competing in the second night of the 54th Golden Shears in Masterton, Herbert, from Te Awamutu, and Potae, from Milton, dominated in all departments against a New Australian combination of Sarah Moran, of Ararat, Vic.., and Mel Morris, of Cressy, Tas., scoring easily the best points for time, table throws and the wool sorting elements of oddments and fleece.

In October, Herbert and Potae lost a transtasman test in Warrnambool, Vic., but Herbert, in particular, wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“We had to dig deep,” she said. “We had a bit of a boo-boo in Australia last time, so we had to make sure it was never going to happen again…and not on our home turf.”

Moran and Morris will represent Australia in the World Championships in Ireland in May, with Herbert one of four woolhandlers chasing the two New Zealand positions in a selection series final being contested on the last day of the Golden Shears tomorrow (Saturday).

It was the 32nd woolhandling test between New Zealand and Australia since the first in 1998. New Zealand have won 24 and Australia 8.
A transtasman shearing test is a feature of the last day of the Golden Shears, with the home side of Rowland Smith, of Hastings, John Kirkpatrick, Napier, and Dion Morrell, of Alexandra, also hoping to make amends for a defeat in Australia last October.

ENDS

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