‘Nati Nation’ to back 45-man squad

HE RETURNS: Bay of Plenty's Te Rangi Fraser, here playing first five against Poverty Bay and being chased down by Poverty Bay's Aaron McLelland, is back to play another season and co-captain Ngāti Porou East Coast. Picture by Paul RIckard

Ngāti Porou East Coast aim to lift the bar another level in the 2022 Heartland Championship, which starts on August 20.

To achieve that, a squad of 45 have been selected to wear the Sky Blue jersey with the weight of a “Nati nation” behind them.

“I felt we laid some good foundations for ourselves (in 2021),” head coach Hosea Gear said. “So this year is all about going up another level and challenging ourselves some more.”

The 2022 squad features eight new faces — three of them loan players.

A fourth loan player, Bay of Plenty-based Te Rangi Fraser, who wore the No.10 jersey last year, is returning and will co-captain the side alongside forward Paddy Allen.

Fraser was a stand-out for the Coast last year, culminating in him making the Heartland XV.

He will be a key element in creating the chemistry the Coast will need to achieve top-level rugby.

The other loan players are former Māori All Black and veteran hooker Joe Royal (from Counties Manukau), who made one appearance for Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby Pacific competition this year; lock Josh Coffin (King Country), the son of 1996 All Black Phil Coffin; and midfield back Joe Wadman (North Harbour) from the Northcote club.

In line to make their Coast debuts are Trei Nepe Apatu (of Tokomaru Bay United), Blake Beard (Hikurangi), Rafael Tuhura (Hiku), Carlos Kemp (Uawa) and Renata Roberts-Te Nana (Ruatoria City).

The Coast finished eighth out of the 12 provinces in a memorable 2021 season during which they ended a 54-match Heartland losing streak.

They won three matches and Gear is keen to build on that progress.

However, they will have to do it without their inspirational leader.

“Hone (Haerewa) has gone on to a higher level (he has made the North Harbour squad) which is great and what we are aiming for,” Gear said.

“But at the same time it leaves a big hole to fill, not just on the field. We'll miss the mana he brought with him every day.”

Also absent are outstanding halfback Sam Parkes — who brought up his 50th game for the Coast last year, as did Haerewa — who is working overseas; and former All Black Ma'a Nonu, who was a heavy influence on the field and as a role model for the side last season.

The Coast have a pre-season game against Eastern Bay of Plenty in Whakatāne on August 13 (12 noon kick-off), then start the Heartland season against Horowhenua Kapiti at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria on August 20.

For the first time, Sky TV will be televising one Heartland game live each week championship on Sky Sport and the free-to-air Prime channel.

That includes the Coast's derby with Poverty Bay in Gisborne on September 10 and their Week 6 match against King Country.

Gear will be assisted by Morgan Wirepa and Lama Davies, with Kim Harris as technical adviser.

Two very good rugby brains will put their wares on display tomorrow.

Princess Street Reserve in Ōpōtiki, at 1pm, will be the venue for Ngāti Porou East Coast versus Eastern Bay of Plenty for the Basil Simpson Memorial Trophy.

Hosea Gear is in his third year as head coach of NPEC.

Tristan Healy, in his first year at the helm of Eastern Bay rugby, is looking to break new ground with an age-group programme filtering a crop of up-and-coming talent into the sub-union's senior side.

Healy took a 25-player EBOP squad to the Bay of Plenty under-18 tournament: 14 members of his side were selected in the initial cut of 30 for Bay of Plenty.

“The boys' rugby IQ is going up, and it's our passion to move forward that's lighting the fires here,” he said.

“Older guys have held this game up to us as being important, and we'll try to keep the Shield with up-and-coming players. It'll be a tough contest, so we'll have to match their passion.”

Bay of Plenty's Jaco Brouwer (with former Marist and Poverty Bay wing Dean Andrews as assistant referee No.1) will control the game tomorrow.