Rugby: Havelock North's Sam Matson primed for 50th match

Sam Matson will play his 50th match for the Havelock North premiers during the club's 125th anniversary celebrations. Photo / Paul Taylor

Over the years there's been a fair bit of competition for the best hunter tag among the Havelock North premier rugby players.

Former Magpies Tony Lamborn and Brendon Edmonds have regularly claimed top dog status. One bloke who has seldom been mentioned for his hunting pursuits as well as feats on the rugby field is unsung hero and versatile forward Sam Matson.

"I'm better than them ... I get more deer," Matson said.

However, a decent amount of fuss will be made of Matson today when he plays his 50th game for Progressive Meats Havelock North in their fourth-round Tui Maddison Trophy fixture against defending champions Tremains Andrew Clark Clive in the feature game of the villagers' 125th anniversary celebrations at Anderson Park.

"It's a must-win game for us as every game is if we want to stay in the hunt for the semifinals. The win would mean a lot for the old fellas who are coming from near and far for the celebrations and we've done a lot of prep with the coaching stuff in the build-up," Matson explained.

"Having the likes of Ryan Tongia and Isaac Paewai coming off the bench for us will be a huge boost. We saw what JJ Taulagi did for Clive in last year's Maddison Trophy final ... well, we feel Ryan could do the same for us," Matson said.

A foreman for Richard Cole Builders, Matson, 26, is in his fifth season with the Havelock North premiers. While he prefers the looshead prop role he will start at lock today.

"It's funny ... when I first started with the prems we were short of props. These days we are short of locks. I don't mind the locking role as there is more freedom after a scrum," Matson said.

Hunting, surfing and basketball were his main sporting pursuits before he took up rugby as an 18-year-old.

"It was my last year at St John's College and I had five games for the 1st XV under coach Steve Cottrell," Haumoana's Matson recalled.

When he left school his uncle, Gavin Lindsay, who played more than 200 premier games for Clive, got Matson to play for the Clive colts. When Clive didn't field a colts side Matson played for the Havelock North colts who won Hawke's Bay championship titles in 2012 and 2014.

The 2012 side was unbeaten. Matson pointed out the highlight of his premier career was the 2015 season when the villagers were pipped 19-16 by Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports in the Maddison Trophy final.

The closest Matson got to representative honours was when he made the Hawke's Bay under-20s wider training squad in 2012 but never made the playing 23.

Matson was quick to heap kudos on fiance Christy Winiata for the support she has given to his rugby career.

"Christy has given up her netball to look after our two children so I can play rugby," he added.

All of the Havelock North club's junior and senior games will be played at Anderson Park today as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations. Tonight 240 people will attend the club's anniversary dinner at the Hawke's Bay Racing Centre and tomorrow a birthday breakfast will be staged at Anderson Park before the villagers host a Hawke's Bay Golden Oldies day.

With a capacity crowd behind them and the likes of Paewai and Tongia providing quality impact off the pine Havelock North should win by at least 11 points. In other fixtures MAC have the potential to beat Northfuels Central by nine at Flaxmere Park, Aute Super Shoppe Hastings Rugby and Sports have the ammunition to beat Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical by 13 at Whitmore Park, Taradale Rugby and Sports should beat Tamatea by 21 at Bill Mathewson Park and WIT Napier Old Boys Marist should beat Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports by 17 at Tamatea Park.