Champs out to lift their game

RUGBY

Week 1 was mouth-watering. Week 2 looks even juicier.

The Oval and Barry Park are the current venues for Civil Project Solutions premier club rugby tomorrow, with all three games kicking off at 2.45pm.

On Oval 1, Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates host GT Shearing Waikohu, Oval 2 features Larsawn Ngatapa against Contract Consultants HSOB while Enterprise Cars OBM face East Coast Farm Vets YMP at Barry Park.

Defending champions OBM are determined to raise their game a notch from the three point-loss to HSOB last Saturday.

“We expect a hard physical encounter up front, with no quarter to be given, while looking at how much time we spend with the ball in hand playing rugby at YMP’s end of the ground,” said OBM head coach Trevor Crosby.

“We’re trying to improve our accuracy in set phases, decision-making and continuity.”

Crosby is taking a step-by-step approach but needs captain/lock Jacob Cook and the likes of hooker Ethan Brett, No.8 Rikki Terekia and openside flanker Nicolas Carrizo to lead in the forward exchanges.

In the backs, Crosby will be looking for first five-eighth Jake Holmes — OBM’s Most Valuable Player on Tiny White Opening Day — and vice-captain/ fullback Scott McKinley to direct OBM around the park.

If OBM get the space to work in tomorrow, they can produce more than the two superb tries Carrizo and left-wing Hunter Tangira posted last week.

YMP skipper and rake Shayde Skudder is wary of the bulk and heft of the OBM pack.

“We’re fit but they’re strong. We have to do it at scrum-time,” said Skudder. “It’s a challenge, as is , being captain of YMP, but that motivates me to try to be a better role model.”

YMP head coach Brian Leach has great raw material with which to work.

Niko Lauti, who last year played centre for the Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15, is making a successful transition to No.8.

Forwards coach Colin Skudder has been impressed with Lauti’s improvement.

“Niko’s still learning the role but he’s big, strong, fast and has a huge work-rate,” said Skudder. “He asked if he could have a go as a loose forward this year, so we’re giving him a crack while Jesse Kapene is playing openside flanker.”

Tomorrow will be OBM and YMP’s first meeting since the grand final last year when OBM inflicted a record-breaking 65-5 defeat on the black and whites to claim their first championship in 15 years.

Ngatapa don’t ask for much, nor do they need much.

Within the confines of Patutahi Hall due to last night’s awful weather, head coach Steve Hickey’s men got things done.

“The boys did a walk-through, practised a few line-outs, threw a few passes. You’ve always got things to work on. The big thing is to be consistent in your methods.”

Ngatapa captain and loosehead prop Jason Jones spoke of the impact of their bench in their Week 1 win over Pirates. The score was 5-all at halftime and 8-all at the three-quarter mark before Ngatapa ran in late tries for a 32-8 win.

Experience could be key tomorrow and HSOB have the epitome of that in captain and No.8 Tamanui Hill, a player who has focus and skill and inspires his troops.

Whatever was said before their clash with OBM, HSOB had a glint in their eye and tackled ferociously. They hit every opposition ball-carrier hard from the get-go but that came at a price.

“It’s taken most of the week for these boys to get over that game,” said head coach Danny Boyle.

“We have three injured players who won’t take the field tomorrow. Our resilience is going to be tested.

“It doesn’t get any easier against Ngatapa — they’ll be determined. We’ll just have to deal with the situation.”

HSOB loosehead prop James Jenkins has moved to hooker for the injured Matekairoa McGuire, while Russell Burns is at No.1 and giant Myles Muir-Tawa, who was brilliant against OBM, the anchor.

Scott Tallott is the starting halfback and his combination with first-five Baxter Mackay will be one of the points of interest.

Interest in the game will be heightened with it being chosen as the Gisborne Glass Pick the Score match, the total having jackpotted to $200 after no one picked Waikohu’s 24-10 win against YMP last weekend.

Waikohu’s match with Pirates could bring new meaning to the term “physicality”.

As expected, Buccaneers captain and No.8 Will Bolingford hit the ground running last weekend.

Club rugby has been the proving ground for many fine back-row forwards in the last five years — Bolingford, Lynden Manuel of Ngatapa and 2019 Poverty Bay Player of the Year Adrian Wyrill of Waikohu to name a few.

Tomorrow Bolingford and Co must bring fetcher Wyrill, hooker Tapu Dixon, anchor Toru Noanoa and powerful No.8 Tristan Rutene down at the first attempt.

If they can, then Waikohu coach and halfback Ra Broughton may at least be pressed for time.

If Waikohu are allowed to run straight, they are near-impossible to contain.

Pirates head coach Willie Waitoa knows that but has belief and confidence in his side.

“Willie Bolingford is a great leader who’s grown in leaps and bounds, our fullback Rico Walters is fearless and Jayden Akurangi is an up-and-coming young lock,” said Waitoa.

“I think Jayden has the potential to be a great blindside flanker. He loves to tackle and he has good, natural aggression.”

Waikohu proved last Saturday they can tussle with the best in the wet but captain Geoff Pari was nonetheless upfront about his team’s performance.

“YMP gave us a lesson at set-pieces so we want to work hard in that area against another very physical team in Pirates,” said hooker Pari, who will come off the reserves bench tomorrow.

“They can be difficult to stop in broken play. When their confidence is high, you can find yourself behind on the scoreboard very quickly.”