Injuries mean no rest for HSOB before semis

MAN ON: Ngatapa halfback Cameron Rowden (left) stops High School Old Boys loosie Trent Proffit from getting quick, clean ball out to his backs. These sides meet again in the premier competition tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

HIGH School Old Boys coach Wayne Ensor will not be resting players ahead of the premier playoffs when his team play Ngatapa at the Oval tomorrow.

“We don’t have that luxury with all the injuries we have, so we’ll just box on,” said Ensor, whose Woodbank HSOB side sealed top spot with two games remaining before the semifinals.

“In terms of finishing positions, these last two games don’t mean anything but we want to continue the momentum, and if and when we get all the players on board, we’ll have some tough decisions to make.”

Ensor said he was looking forward to the game.

“I wasn’t there when we played them in Round 2 (a 16-10 win to Ngatapa). It will be good to get a look at them before the semis.”

While all their premier rivals have battled with injuries, Ensor has one of the strongest squads in the competition. Skipper and loosehead prop Jody Tuhaka, lock Tanieiu Miikosi, loosie Trent Proffit and backs Corey Reihana, James Warren and Zane Boyle have been consistent performers.

In Scott Leighton (first five-eighth), Kolo Fonohema (utility) and Russell Burns (hooker) they have three of the most experienced players in the district.

Larsawn Ngatapa coach Will Faulks said his team had talked about the parts of their game that needed to improve from last week (a 60-14 loss to OBM).

“We trained hard on those, focusing on HSOB and on starting well and increasing our overall intensity,” said Faulks, who will be without key players prop Campbell Chrisp and loosie Paddy Allen. Chrisp has a knee injury, while Allen is not available.

“We have a lot of cover in the front row but we’ll miss Campbell’s experience and leadership,” Faulks said. “Paddy’s absence will put pressure on the loose trio to get us good front-foot ball. The boys are keen to put on a performance that we and our supporters expect.”

YMP v PiratesFarmvets YMP should cement fourth spot and maybe move above Ngatapa into third when they take on Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates at the Oval.

YMP are only four points behind Ngatapa and are favourites to pick up five points against a Pirates team who have conceded over 200 points in their past two outings.

“We take nothing for granted, no matter who we’re playing,” YMP player-coach Reihana Wyllie said.

“That would be disrespectful to the opposition. You never know who will turn up for Pirates, so we’ll give them the respect we give all the teams.”

Pirates coach Steve Smith said his depleted squad deserved credit.

“No one likes to be on the end of heavy losses like we have been in the past two weeks but I commend the guys who have fronted.

“They could so easily have defaulted but they did some soul-searching before both games and were still ready to go out and give it a go.

“I’m proud of them.”

YMP go into the match on the back of a very good first 60 minutes against Waikohu last week, when they opened a 20-0 lead.

The YMP pack of Rocky Kingi, Isaiah Leach, Phillip Coetzee, Callen Whaitiri-White, Eru Wharerau, Riwi Williams, Shayde Skudder and Willis Tamatea dominated their opposites.