Bay of Plenty's Natalie Walford breaks through Manawatu's defence during their win last weekend. Photo / George Novak
Bay of Plenty's Natalie Walford breaks through Manawatu's defence during their win last weekend. Photo / George Novak
Bonus points and table position are not on Rodney Gibbs' radar as his side take on defending champions Canterbury in the final round of the Farah Palmer Cup on Sunday.
The Volcanix are in fifth place in the premiership and can sneak into the top four and earn a semifinalspot, but will need to knock over Canterbury in Christchurch, or earn two bonus points in defeat, and have Waikato upset Counties Manukau.
Gibbs says the team has not talked much about bonus points and the like and have focused on what is a great challenge this weekend.
"We understand the magnitude of the challenge and we are just excited about giving that a go. Against a team going that well, if we can go down there and pick up a win that would be outstanding.
"Our confidence is growing and we are just focused on being better each week. We don't want to change that model so we are not going worry too much about bonus points," Gibbs said.
The Volcanix had a slow start before wins over Waikato and Manawatu showcased their ability to compete at the top level.
"It is quite a short season and it took us a few weeks to get in the groove. There have been some big learnings for the coaches as well. It is a matter of finding what works for you.
"It [making the semifinal] would be magnificent, if that eventuated I would be confident we could carry on. We have had good energy at training and the area around the breakdown has been really positive for us, the girls have responded magnificently to being more physical in that area. We don't ease off on that any week."
Gibbs also wants to see his side improve defensively this week - another great challenge as unbeaten Canterbury have not scored less than 32 points in a game this season.
Karli Faneva in action for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix against Manawatu last weekend. Photo / George Novak
"We want to create an attacking mindset even when we don't have the ball. The danger getting up and saying you will smash them is you tend to have people going on their own. It is really around ensuring we work really hard to get in the right areas to match up on the attack and making sure we are communicating really well."
Volcanix captain Christie Yule says the team is excited about what lies ahead.
"There is a different vibe with the girls this week. We are going in with confidence and we are really starting to put out stuff in our game that we have been practising all year. We are really starting to get those connections going," Yule says.
Injuries to key players has meant some of the younger members of the squad have had to step up.
"They have done really well and they haven't held back," Yule says.
"They have been presented with opportunity and they have been taking them. The way they take feedback and learn from that has been great. When things don't go our way we rally around each other and the make sure the next movement is a positive one."
Farah Palmer Cup: Sunday, October 13 Canterbury v Bay of Plenty Volcanix 2.05pm, Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
