Coast still underdogs, but Parkes wants to see win-at-all-costs attitude

Chance for three in a row: Ngāti Porou East Coast captain Sam Parkes, with the ball, makes a run at the Poverty Bay defence during their clash at Rugby Park where East Coast beat Poverty Bay 12-10. East Coast travel to Te Kuiti for their encounter against King Country tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

Can the Sky Blues make it three in a row?

Sam Parkes's Ngati Porou East Coast Kaupoi have three wins in the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, and spirits are high heading into tomorrow's Round 6 clash with the King Country Rams at Rugby Park, Te Kuiti, at 2.30pm.

The ninth-placed Rams have won two of five games for 10 competition points, while the Coast — in sixth place — are chasing their fourth win. They have 14 points.

Captain and halfback Parkes won't hear of the Kaupoi being favourites.

“We're placed higher, but to me we're still the underdogs,” he said.

“All I want to see is a win-at-all-costs attitude this weekend, and for us to bring mongrel — put a team away, win comfortably.

“All three of our wins have been tight, but this weekend I'd like us to keep the pressure on.”

King Country Rugby manager Josh Standen reported that while it was raining in Te Kuiti today, the ground was expected to be in good condition underfoot tomorrow. The former Rams halfback and skipper expects a sou'westerly wind to prevail, and a crowd of 800 or more from as far south as Turangi and as far north as Kawhia.

Hooker Liam Rowlands, who will skipper the hosts, scored three tries in his debut season, 2018. The Coast will need to know where he and halfback Zayn Tipping are at all times.

“We're stoked to get back in front of a home crowd,” Rowlands said.

“We know the Coast are a physical side who play with a lot of passion and pride. We look forward to the challenge of matching this.”

King Country began the season on August 20 with a 30-22 win against Poverty Bay at Te Kuiti. The Coast began with a 32-14 loss to Horowhenua-Kapiti at Whakarua Park, Ruatoria.

Last Saturday, NPEC made their first defence of the Bill Osborne Taonga, a 29-27 win at home against West Coast (from whom they took the Arthur Wickes Memorial Trophy).

In Round 4, the Sky Blues' 12-10 win against Poverty Bay in Gisborne netted them the Anaru “Skip” Paenga Memorial Trophy.

The Hosea Gear-coached Coast have fired up.

The referee for tomorrow's match made his first-class debut in Poverty Bay's 35-15 win against Ngati Porou East Coast at Rugby Park, Gisborne, on September 16, 2017.

Nick Hogan, 32, Hawke's Bay Basketball general manager, officiated at the Rugby 7s World Cup in South Africa this month and refereed Taranaki's 25-14 win against Counties-Manukau at New Plymouth on Wednesday night.

In his 43rd first-class game, Hogan will have as his assistant referees Mark Anderson (AR1) and James Opie (AR2), both of King Country.