Shield at stake

ON THE CHARGE: Waikohu prop Jarryd Broughton makes ground as YMP flanker Niko Lauti and first five-eighth Austin Brown combine to try to bring him down in club rugby this season. The two sides meet again tomorrow in the club rugby final at Rugby Park for the Lee Bros Shield. Picture by Paul Rickard

All the preparation comes to a head tomorrow as Waikohu and YMP face off at Rugby Park to decide who will be local club rugby champions.

At stake is the Lee Bros Shield, awarded to the winners of the Civil Project Solutions club rugby competition.

It's a repeat of the 2018 final. On that occasion, Waikohu won, but it's anyone's guess what will happen tomorrow.

GT Shearing Waikohu have been on a rampage in recent weeks, and have lost only one game all year.

Player-coach Ra Broughton says his team have hit their stride.

The Waikohu defence had kept opponents tryless in their past three games, in what Broughton said was testament to the work they had put in at training.

This week his team worked on their strengths and weaknesses.

They expected a strong YMP side and knew they had to give their all to triumph.

The only glaring weakness that Waikohu have shown is at lineout, where they've struggled to secure their own ball.

Broughton said they had identified the issue and worked on it during practice.

East Coast Farm Vets YMP are the only team to have beaten Waikohu this year.

The warm sunny weather that has been forecast will encourage both teams to utilise their strength running the ball.

YMP — with players like Louis Devery and Andrew Tauatevalu in the outside backs — will want to test the Waikohu defence out wide.

But Waikohu have a strong forward pack, and YMP coach Brian Leach knows his side must win the contest at the breakdown if they want to secure the ball his backs need to shine.

It's no easy feat; with players like Jarryd Broughton and Toru Noanoa in the tight five, Waikohu have a strong and robust pack.

Leach said it would take a full eight-man effort from the forwards to “link together”.

“It's going to be a forwards battle for us,” he said.

“We've got to win the battle up front to get the ball. Everyone's ready to go, and switched on.”

This is YMP's third final in a row. They lost to OBM last year and Waikohu (whose first premier title it was) in 2018.

Players in both teams are carrying niggling injuries from the heavy contact of a highly competitive club competition. But with only one more hit-out in the club season, they're prepared to leave it all out on the field.

Damien Macpherson will be referee, with Royce Maynard and Paul Brown as assistant referees. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Five hundred spectators will be sectioned into five bubbles, with public ticket sales available this afternoon till 2pm. Tickets can be bought for $5 each (with a limit of five a person) from Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union's office in Grey Street.

Turanga FM will air the match commentary and, on their Facebook page, livestream the game.