A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
The 2022 Lochore Cup final has tongues wagging nationwide.
And Hosea Gear of the host Ngāti Porou East Coast Kaupoi — and his opposite, John Sherratt of the visiting Mid-Canterbury Hammers — are not the only head coaches of Heartland Championship teams with a keen eye on events to unfold from 1.05pm this Sunday at Enterprise Cars Whakarua Park in Ruatoria. Here's what other coaches say —
Miah Nikora, of Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay: “The Coast are a cohesive unit with a big pack who work hard and lay a good platform for their backs. Sam Parkes at No.9 and Carlos Kemp at 10 have thrived on the back of that — those two have had a big influence on the team's results this season.”
Nigel Walsh, of reigning Meads Cup champions South Canterbury: “It will be a ferocious game, forward-orientated from East Coast — with a warm welcome from their supporters to Mid-Canterbury I'm sure — even as the Hammers try to run the home team around. Mid-Canterbury have got to get their ball-runners into the game and they've got to keep the ball alive.”
Jason Hamlin, of Whanganui, who hope to take the Meads Cup from South Canterbury in Timaru: “Both sides just need to be who they are as that's what's got them into this final.
“The Sky Blue pack versus the green and yellow will be a contest worth watching, plus Mid-Canterbury have some real strike weapons out in the backline that need to be accounted for. If they get space, they're lethal.”
Craig Jeffries, of King Country Rams: “My head and heart say the mighty Ngāti Porou East Coast are going to have a big weekend — it won't be easy for Mid-Canterbury to get their heads around the emotions they're going to come up against. NPEC were relentless in their attack when they had the ball against us. It's going to be an epic weekend on the Coast.”
Dave Perrin, of West Coast: “What I've enjoyed about the Coast this year is that they've had the right people in the right positions and they know what to do. If they can do it for 80 minutes, it'll be like they've won the World Cup final up there. Hosea's been great for them.”
Joe Murray, co-head coach of Thames Valley Swamp-Foxes: “I think previously the Coast were stronger at home but now they've shown that they can win anywhere. Playing them at home, there's no escaping their mana, whanau and tikanga, and it makes them all that much stronger. They have a core group of guys who are striving for excellence and that makes them extremely dangerous.”
Chris Wilton, of Horowhenua-Kapiti: “Even in East Coast's hardest days, we could never afford to take them lightly and especially not in Ruatoria. We have a tremendous amount of respect for them. Their supporters are unique (in many ways like ours), and after the drive up to such a beautiful part of the country, teams need to embrace it, be grateful for the opportunity to visit and make the most of the occasion.”
Nathan Thompson, of Buller: “Mid-Canterbury have got a really good lineout drive; they're strong there. They shouldn't change too much but they will have to absorb pressure, chop the Coast's big boys down and know that Sam Parkes is the spark-plug. You'll never lock him shut completely, so you've got to limit him. East Coast's rise under him and Hosea this season has been impressive.”
Jason Forrest, of North Otago Old Golds: “Both the Coast and Mid-Canterbury are very physical. When the Mid-Cantabs' Fijians get go-forward, they're hard to stop. We haven't played or seen the Coast but they certainly play with speed and move the big bodies around.”
Mark Rutene, of Wairarapa-Bush: “The Coast have momentum — if they can keep rolling, they'll get a result. As for Mid-Canterbury, they can't allow themselves to be distracted. It's a one-off contest, and so my advice to the visiting team would be to look to play a good territorial game.”
It's a truism that time heals all things, but for two head coaches who have been to Ruatoria's Whakarua Park and experienced the Sky Blue tide come in at a home final, the memory remains vivid.
Jason Caskey, a six-time Meads Cup champion and twice-Lochore Cup champion as head coach of Whanganui: “It's very tough up there — intimidating. We thought we'd done enough when we played some of our best rugby that season in the first half of the 2012 Meads Cup final, but we couldn't stop them in the second half. The Coast are undoubtedly at their best when they throw the ball around and play with flair.” (East Coast beat Whanganui 29-27 after Whanganui had led 27-3 at halftime in the 2012 Meads Cup final at Ruatoria.)
Brett Fell, head coach of the Poverty Bay team who lost 18-15 to Joe McClutchie's East Coast team in the third-division National Provincial Championship final at Ruatoria in 1999: “At home, the Coast play with huge aggression. Any teams hoping to be successful must win the physical battle, starve them of the ball, kick smart to space. You need to believe totally in what you're doing and thrive on the pressure.
“In 1999, we failed to capitalise on critical moments and when you play up the Coast, those moments are the difference between winning and losing.”