Last roll of the dice for reigning champs

Leader of the pack: Lock Eru Wharerau (with the ball) is not the captain of YMP but he is the pack leader and will be a key man when YMP play HSOB tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

IT’S the last roll of the dice for High School Old Boys tomorrow as they try to keep alive their slim hopes of retaining the Lee Bros Shield.

Earthwork Solutions HSOB must beat East Coast Farm Vets YMP at Rugby Park to have any chance of making the premier division top-four playoffs.

YMP have clinched a spot in the semifinals but coach Steve Smith was adamant his side would not be taking HSOB lightly.

“They may be in trouble but when I asked the boys at training this week who we were playing . . . they all said the ‘Lee Bros Shield champions’,” Smith said.

“They are still the champions, despite the position they’re in (fifth, 12 points behind OBM, who can end HSOB hopes if they beat Ngatapa tomorrow) and they are a proud club who have some good players, who will give it everything as long as they have a chance of defending their title.”

HSOB must win their remaining three matches, starting tomorrow and hope that other results go their way.

YMP go into the match determined to make up for last week’s 26-15 loss to competition leaders GT Shearing Waikohu, who have booked top spot and a game against the fourth-placed team.

The Magpies led 15-7 at halftime but were outscored 19-0 in the last 40.

“We were all disappointed but we’re still in a good position, second, and it doesn’t really matter where you finish at the end of the round-robin.

“Semifinals are all about who turns up on the day.

“We learned some things about ourselves, myself included, from last week and I’d rather we learned them last week than in the semis.

“There may be changes for tomorrow’s game, due to injuries and some because of the impact made by players who came on.

“At the start of the season we had six front-row players, but we’ve had a couple of props receive injuries, including Walter Shepherd, who disclocated his shoulder last week.”

Jayden Milner, who transferred to Ruatoria City three weeks ago, returned to YMP and came off the bench against YMP. He did enough to suggest he will start tomorrow.

HSOB blew a good chance to put pressure on OBM last week at the Oval but will take hope from a late rally that could have seen them win. They squandered three good opportunities to score tries, before going down 22-17.

Siosiua Moala is back in the side, having benefited from a run last week. And with the likely return of Poverty Bay skipper and prop Tamanui Hill, who missed that defeat, HSOB have bolstered their pack, which also includes captain and hooker Jody Tuhaka and openside flanker Stefan Destounis.

In utility back Andrew Tauatevalu, HSOB have one of the most dangerous players in the competition.

When he is in full flight, there is not a better sight in local rugby as he carves huge holes in defences and runs around defenders.

But the big fella needs to back himself more when he is close to the line.

¦ Waikohu lead the competition with nine successive bonus-point victories and should make that 10 when they host Roseland Tavern Tapuae at Te Karaka tomorrow.

Waikohu coach Jason Tuapawa said he was going to rest some players and give others game time as he prepares for the playoffs.

“It’s not that we disrespect Tapuae; we have faith in the squad that whoever we pick will do a good job,” he said.

And when you can bring players such as Lynden Manuel, Tristen Morten, Hamuera Baker, Sandy Hohipa-Campbell, Matt Rutene, TK Tane, Te Miini Kohere-Smiler and KC Wilson off the bench, it is not hard to see why Tuapawa has that confidence.