NZ shearers 2-0 up in series against Wales

July 21, 2019

NZ shearers 2-0 up in series against Wales

The CP Wool New Zealand shearing team has taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead to give the country the chance for a first shearing test series win in Wales in eight years.

The Kiwi team of Rowland Smith, of Maraekakaho, near Hastings, and north Wairarapa farmer David Buick, of Pongaroa, beat the Welsh team of Lloyd Rees and Aled Jones comfortably in two tests at the weekend.

The tourists won by 3.55pts at the Cothi Shears on Friday, and by a resounding 11.5pts at the Lampeter Shears on Saturday.

The tests, of 20 lambs each were dominated by Smith, who in the first test was the best individual, 8.5pts clear of best-performing Welsh shearer Rees, and who repeated the achievement 24 hours later as the New Zealanders finished 1-2.

Earlier in the tour New Zealand were beaten at the Lochearnhead Shears by eventual World champions Scotland but beat England at the Great Yorkshire Show.

New Zealand has now won seven test matches in a row against Wales, the latest successes five victories to previous tour pairing Buick and Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford, over Welsh World Championships pairing Richard and Alun Lloyd Jones in Corwen last July and in four tests against Rees and Aled Jones in New Zealand earlier this year.

The tour is expected to get tougher at the Royal Welsh Show on Wednesday, with a new Welsh team to be named, possibly including Richard Jones, who beat Smith by 0.15pts to win the World title in France on July 7. The last test will be at Corwen next Saturday.

Results from the Shearing Sports New Zealand CP Wool test series against Wales:

First test at Cothi Shears on Friday, July 19 (20 sheep): New Zealand 117pts (Rowland Smith 14min, 51.1pts; David Buick 15min 38sec, 65.9pts,) beat Wales 120.55pts (Lloyd Rees 15min 25sec, 59.6pts; Aled Jones 16min 27sec, 60.95pts) by 3.55pts.

Second test at Lampeter Shears on Saturday, July 20 (20 sheep): New Zealand 112.65pts (Rowland Smith 13min 59sec, 54.7pts; David Buick 14min 13sec, 57.95pts) beat Wales 124.15pts (Lloyd Rees 13min 31sec, 58.3pts; Aled Jones 16min 42sec, 65.85pts) by 11.5pts.

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