Rugby: West's move out is paying big dividends

Ihaia West knows there is an opportunity to score more game time in the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team's No10 jersey this season following Dan Waenga's decision to play in France.

But West, who started in four of his seven appearance for the Magpies last year, is adding another string to his bow with his switch to fullback for Progressive Meats Havelock North in recent weeks. It was while playing in the No15 jersey West produced a player-of-the-match performance during Saturday's 24-21 Maddison Trophy first round victory against Napier Old Boys Marist at Anderson Park to become the 10th winner in the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Player of the Year award.

The 2012 New Zealand under-20 representative was dangerous on the counter attack and landed five of his six attempts at goal including a penalty with seven minutes remaining which proved to be the match-winner.

"I'm pretty happy with how the boys are going. We've still to be beaten and we've won the Nash Cup in back to back seasons. I'm also pretty happy with my own form ... but there is still room for improvement," West said prior to another training session with the villagers last night.

West, who has scored 121 points in club play to date this season, has been having regular chats with Magpies backs coach Danny Lee and Lee is urging him to take the ball to the line more and to have more regular dabs on his own.

With two misses from nine attempts at goal in the Nash Cup decider and one miss from six attempts against NOBM, West is relieved to be finding his rhythm in the goalkicking department. He has one training session a week with Magpies goalkicking coach Peter O'Shaughnessy as well as one on his own.

"It was only four games ago I managed just one success from six or seven attempts against MAC," West said with a laugh.

Although as Yours Truly reminded West's coach Tom Blake on that day, it was probably more the influence of the prayers of West's uncle and MAC "waterboy" Henare O'Keefe being answered than West's poor form.

West is in his fourth season of back-to-back winters and summers of rugby as he has been a member of the Hawke's Bay Sevens team since leaving Napier Boys' High School.

"I see this as more of a positive than a negative. The fitness from sevens helps me comes 15s time and in sevens you have a lot of fun with the boys," West explained.

For the last two years West has worked as a coach with the Kelly Sports franchise in Napier. This focuses on in-school, after-school and holiday coaching programmes for youngsters.

"This provides good balance in my life," he said.

While West and several of his Havelock North teammates will miss a decent chunk of the club season from next month when they are focusing on Magpies pre-season commitments, he is confident the villagers will go on to retain the Maddison Trophy in similar fashion to the manner they have retained the Nash Cup.

"There is plenty of depth and the young boys are stepping up. Players have done well in positions which are likely to be vacated by Magpies players too," he added giving another hint as to why he has switched to fullback in recent weeks.

Best & Fairest

Havelock North v NOBM:

3, Ihaia West (Havelock); 2, Eugene Gerrard (NOBM); 1, Brendon Edmonds (Havelock).

Tamatea v Pirate:

3, Hika Elliot (Tamatea); 2, Te Maangi Hamlin (Tamatea); 1, Tom Iosefo (Tamatea).

MAC v Central:

3, Jesse MacDonald (MAC); 2, Lewis Touvu (MAC); 1, Lee Stewart (Central).

Tech v Hastings Rugby and Sports:

3, Tamati Samuels (Tech); 2, Ioane Ioane (Hastings); 1, Josh Te Whata-Colley (Tech).

Taradale v Clive:

3, Angello Mufana (Taradale); 2, Kaleb Sweet (Taradale); 1, Reon Watts (Taradale).

LEADERBOARD

11 points: Hugh Reed (Tech).

10 points: Mark Braidwood (Tech).

9 points: Mark Atkins (Clive).

8 points: Ausage Fomai (Hastings).