SHANE HURNDELL
Forget about the false start ... new Magpie Ben Batger is ready for action.
"I've had a couple of club games since then, the hamstring injury is gone and I'm excited about this start," said the former Brumbie on the eve of the Kelt Capital Magpies rugby side's pre-season clash against Manawatu at Napier's McLean Park tomorrow.
Batger, who will start on the right wing, will be making his first appearance on McLean Park. He was a late withdrawal from the Queen's Birthday win against Wairarapa Bush with the hamstring injury and was a substitute against Poverty Bay last month.
"The next three games are crucial in the buildup to the Air New Zealand Cup, he said.
"These are proper trial games ... a chance for me to secure a spot in the 22 come Cup time," Batger, 23, said, referring to tomorrow's game, the July 6 clash with Taranaki in New Plymouth and the July 13 game against Bay of Plenty in Napier.
Like Napier Technical's Batger, Magpies coach Peter Russell has noticed increased intensity at trainings this week. "The opposed trainings have been really good," Russell said.
He is well aware of the talk on the other side of the Manawatu Gorge which suggests Manawatu will be a lot stronger than last year and their premier club play has been of a higher standard than Hawke's Bay's this season.
"The likes of us, Manawatu, Tasman and Counties-Manukau had a taste of the big time last year and realised the top guns aren't as big as they seem and have stepped up with the aim of being more competitive with them," Russell said.
With Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports prop Tom Symes unavailable for the next three weeks with a strained calf, Russell has promoted Napier Old Boys Marist's Hawke's Bay B prop, Christian Pera, to the subs bench for tomorrow's game.
Teams for the 3pm game:
Hawke's Bay: Zac Guildford; Ben Batger, Justin Wilson, Lote Raikabula; Jason Shoemark, Matt Berquist; Danny Lee (captain); George Naoupu; Luke Ottley, Will Crutchley, Lua Lokotui, Michael Johnson; Clint Newland, Jamie Muir, Josh Maynard.
Substitutes: Forwards, Hika Elliot, Christian Pera, Bryn Evans, Grant Webb; backs, Chris Eaton, Jason Kupa, James Rosenberg.
Manawatu: Matty James; Yohei Shinoyama, Johnny Leota, Aaron James; Frankie Bryant, Graham Smith; Joggie Viljoen; Dan Alofa; Josh Bradnock (captain), James Goode, Hayden Triggs, Bertus Mulder; Talau Hala, Rob Foreman, Mike Rowe.
Substitutes: Forwards, Jonathon Phipps. Grant Polson, Lisiate Fa'aoso, Ray Allen; backs, Aaron Good, Aaron Cruden, Thomas Trollope.
RUGBY: Batger's keen to kick into action
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.