Rugby: Central replace pressure with fun

Central rugby player Cole Eru on the job as a roofing contractor for Turfreys in Waipukurau. Photo/Warren Buckland

It's amazing what can happen when teams take that pressure word out of the equation ... just ask Central premier rugby team kingpin Cole Eru.

"We decided to have fun and just play rugby. We wanted to take away the pressure on ourselves," said first five-eighth Eru as he reflected on Northfuels Central's 41-10 upset victory against Carters Frame and Truss Taradale in a Tui Nash Cup seventh round encounter at Waipukurau's Central Park on Saturday.

At the same time nobody was expecting that. We just got a good start," Eru said referring to the hosts' 31-0 lead at halftime.

"Those one percenters which have turned games against us in the past worked in our favour."

A regular midfielder who has only been playing in the 10 jersey for the past five weeks, Eru, produced his second player-of-the-match display of the season, to become the seventh weekly winner in the battle to become the 2017 holder of the McDonalds-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award. His tactical kicking was accurate and his ability to read Taradale's plays was spot on.

But the humble Eru, 26, who is in his third winter with the team after playing for Waipawa and having a couple of years in Australia where work, rather than rugby, was the priority, pointed out he didn't believe he played as well as he could have.

"I need to keep building this weekend and I need to control the game better."

A Magpies wider training group member, Eru, said he and the Central coaching staff decided a switch to the 10 jersey was best for the balance of the team.

"Whether it's going to enhance my chances of Magpies or Saracens selection ... well we will just have to see what happens."

The fact Saturday's win was recorded on the first weekend of the duck shooting season when traditionally the team has struggled to fire because so many of the players are into the duck shooting gig made the victory more significant. Eru hasn't done any shooting for a while.

"We decided as a team those who wanted to go shooting should still do so and have their fun. Once they had finished it was time to go to work for the team."

The Central lads worked out a couple of weeks back they had the potential for a top-five finish in the Nash Cup and a semifinal finish in the Maddison Trophy comp. Eru said if they win their next two games they could finish fifth in the Nash.

"Obviously Tech at Whitmore this weekend will be tough. We need to step up with the same approach we had at the weekend."

A Hawke's Bay Sevens rep last summer, Eru, could end up marking one of his sevens teammates, Tamati Samuels, on Saturday. Traditionally Central have struggled at Whitmore but Eru and co proved last weekend they don't have a problem with breaking traditions.

A roofing contractor with Turfreys in Waipukurau, Eru said the job provided the ideal balance with his rugby commitments. He has numerous opportunities to talk rugby while out on the job with clients and fellow contractors.

Naturally he would be a happy man if he could chat about another Central win on Monday. The chances are the product of Napier Boys' High School and Wairarapa's Rathkeale College will be discussing a 17-point loss.

Progressive Meats Havelock North should win their away game against Taradale by nine, Ansin & Monteith Hastings Rugby and Sports should celebrate their club day with a 19-point victory against Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports, Tamatea should beat MAC by eight at Bill Mathewson Park and if K9 Petfoods Clive have the services of Jonah Lowe and Tiaan Falcon they will get within seven of defending champions Hawke's Bay Insurances Napier Old Boys Marist at Park Island.

Best & fairest
■ Central v Taradale: 3, Cole Eru (Central); 2, Apolosi Ranawai (Central); 1, Ramiha Smiler (Taradale).
■ NOBM v Hastings: 3, Chris Johnston (NOBM); 2, Fale Matamata (Hastings); 1, Tom Bywater (NOBM).
■ Technical v MAC: 3, Dylan Ramsay (Tech); 2, Ted Walters (Tech); 1, Kaleb Sweet (Tech).
■ Tamatea v Pirate: 3, Mason Kean (Tamatea); 2, Tama Cahill (Pirate); 1, Ivan Bellamy (Tamatea).
■ Havelock North v Clive: 3, Wayne Lush (Havelock); 2, Beau Tresidder (Clive); 1, Sam Lamborn (Havelock).
Leaderboard: 9 points: Isaiah Martin (Tech). 8: Jesse Paewai (Havelock). 7: Kaleb Sweet (Tech). 6: Lucas Goodin (Clive), Fale Matamata (Hastings), Jacob Baker (Taradale), Cole Eru (Central). 5: Chris Johnston (NOBM), Hayden Hann (Pirate), Wayne Lush (Havelock).