Hawkes Bay Lolagi Visinia will start at fullback for the Magpies on Saturday. PHOTO /PETER MCINTOSH
Hawkes Bay Lolagi Visinia will start at fullback for the Magpies on Saturday. PHOTO /PETER MCINTOSH
The Hawke's Bay Magpies have been hard at work this week preparing for what coach Mark Ozich thinks will be a bruising start to their National Provincial Championship campaign.
Ozich has selected his 23 players who will take on Taranaki in New Plymouth at 2pm on Saturday.
He said bigvictories over Heartland Championship opposition in the Magpies' preseason Ranfurly Shield defences somewhat glossed over a few cracks in their game that they have tried to address.
"Playing Counties [Manukau Steelers in Taupō] last week exposed us a little bit around our physicality and our detail," Ozich said.
"There's been a fair bit of work gone in this week to try and get up to speed."
The coach wants his team to be able to withstand the physicality Taranaki will attempt to exert on them and said two wins over the Bulls last season mean nothing now.
Having featured exclusively on the wing last year, Lolagi Visinia will start at fullback with Tiaan Falcon covering him and first five Lincoln McClutchie on the bench.
Visinia is no stranger to the 15 jersey though having spent time there early in his Super Rugby career with the Blues as well as with the Magpies this preseason.
Ereatara Enari clears for the Cantabs in 2020 - in 2021 he has joined the Magpies.
"He's got the ability to play in any of the back three spots, so it's handy for us," Ozich said.
Since midfielder/wing Neria Fomai only recently joined the group from Manu Samoa's tour of New Zealand, the coach rewarded Anzelo Tuitavuki and Kienan Higgins for their good form and training with places on the wing and bench respectively.
Otherwise it's a fairly predictable lineup with Caleb Makene, Solomone Funaki and Brendon O'Connor still to return from injury.
New halfback Ereatara Enari is keen to impress having had few opportunities to play during the Crusaders' Super Rugby campaign.
"For me initially it's about getting back on the field and finding my feet again with game time," he said.
Enari said he wants to bring a lot of speed and tempo to the side as he finds his place in the Magpies' free-flowing structure:
"And just enjoy my rugby alongside them because they're a pretty awesome team to be around, great culture."
Hawke's Bay's exciting brand of rugby was certainly a drawcard for the 24-year-old who has been in the region for about a month.
