Taradale Rugby and Sports captain and lock Andrew Gardner on the job as a carpenter for Build 100. Photo/Warren Buckland
Seldom have we allowed three players from the same club to become weekly winners within eight weeks in the tussle for Hawke's Bay premier club rugby's MVP award.
But Taradale Rugby and Sports captain and lock Andrew Gardner couldn't be ignored after his display for the Mighty Maroons in their 29-15 win against Auto Super Shoppe Hastings Rugby and Sports in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at Taradale. His leadership was top shelf and his form was just as good as he produced when he got close to first-class selection for the Magpies during the 2013 and '14 seasons.
Gardner, 29, who first played for Taradale in 2009 and has played more than 190 games for his team, was powerful on the carry and had a huge defensive workrate. He has consistently produced these sort of performances all season and pointed out there were several contributing factors.
"I did a bit of pre-season work at the F45 Gym in Napier, which gave me a bit of a base. I'm enjoying my rugby because there is a good vibe throughout the whole club. There's a good culture and there are other experienced boys who take some of the pressure off me."
And the reasons for his team's unbeaten run to date?
"We've had a good colts team for the last couple of years and a couple of those boys have stepped up to premier level. There is plenty of depth, which means healthy competition."
A carpenter for Build 100, a company which specialises in flooring foundations, Gardner is just as comfortable in a loose forward role as he is at lock and will play where he is told.
Ironically it is those positions where Taradale boasts the most depth, with four quality locks battling for the two starting berths and five quality loosies chasing the three starting positions. With that sort of competition it isn't a surprise the father of one is in the form he is but that doesn't mean he is after a Magpies jersey.
"I gave it a crack and wasn't quite good enough. I've got other priorities now including family duties and when you look at the 51-strong wider training group named at the weekend there is plenty of talent there," Gardner said.
One doesn't have to be a genius to work out this season's Taradale side has enough ammunition to give the club their first taste of Maddison Trophy glory since 2011 but Gardner, who joins halfback Humphrey Shield and No 8 Iakopo Mapu as weekly winners in the McDonald's-Hawke's Bay Today award, refused to look that far ahead.
"Like I said at the weekend. We're only taking one game at a time and this weekend it's Havelock North, who we want to beat to take out the Nash Cup with an unbeaten run. They are in their 125th year and they're not going to lie down ... they're a class team," Gardner said.
"Obviously if we want to try and win the Maddison we've got a good chance. But there is a long way to go. Other teams have got fitter and are starting to click ... look at Tech and where they have got to from the start of the season. It's a good competition this year, with every team capable of beating another on any given day.
"If you look too far ahead you will trip up," he added.
Best & Fairest
Taradale v Hastings: 3, Andrew Gardner (Taradale); 2, Humphrey Shield (Taradale); 1, JJ Scales (Hastings).
MAC v Tamatea: 3, Paula Latu (MAC); 2, Jimi Harris (Tamatea); 1, Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea).
NOBM v Havelock North: 3, Sean Skeet (NOBM); 2, Patrick Allen (Havelock); 1, Lee Moleili (NOBM).
Tech v Central: 3, Mark Braidwood (Tech); 2, Michael Fox (Tech); 1, Jason Cutbush (Central).
Pirate v Clive: 3, Damien Scott (Pirate); 2, Donovan Mataira (Clive); 1, Josh Kaifa (Clive).
Leaderboard: 8pts: Donovan Mataira (Clive). 7pts: Sean Skeet (NOBM), Elijah Martin (Tech). 6pts: Iakopo Mapu (Taradale). 5pts: Humphrey Shield, Jordan Kupa, Jacob Baker, Toby Single (all Taradale), Liam Edwards, Matt Gardner (both NOBM), Shamara Brooks, Neria Fomai (both Hastings), Jacob Stephenson (Havelock North), Pouri Rakete-Stones (Pirate), Tom Iosefo (MAC).