Hikurangi's Chris Jurlina - with support from Sam Wellington, Aaron Wright, Mike Stolberg and Ricky Schraag - makes a break as Waipu's Ilesa Kalidredre chases him down. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Hikurangi's Chris Jurlina - with support from Sam Wellington, Aaron Wright, Mike Stolberg and Ricky Schraag - makes a break as Waipu's Ilesa Kalidredre chases him down. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Everything will be on the line for some top-ranked teams when round 11 of the Bayleys Southern Districts Premiers kicks off tomorrow.
Fresh from a round 10 win over Hikurangi, Waipu will travel to Maungakaramea to take on Mid Western in one of the bigger clashes of the round.
Waipucoach Mark Wells said his team were well aware of the importance of this match given that Mid Western have held on to third place for most of the season.
"They're a different beast at Maungakaramea, they're brutal," Wells said. "We've got to beat them in the forwards and unleash the backs really."
With only a couple of rounds left in the regular season, Wells said his boys were on high alert.
Wellsford suffered their first loss of the year versus an Otamatea side who shut them out in the second half of last Saturday's game at Maungaturoto.
With a home game versus the struggling Kamo outfit this weekend, Wellsford should win, however the same cannot be said for Mid Northern who host Otamatea at Hukerenui.
Otamatea coach Dean Kenny said his side were confident ahead of tomorrow's clash and that his players are "slowly coming to terms with the gameplan and structure that we want against Mid Northern".
Expecting a forward-orientated game at Mid Northern's Hukerenui grounds, Kenny said possession was key to toppling Mid Northern - a feat which would see them emerge as playoff contenders.
In other matches, Hora Hora and Old Boys Marist play at Hora Hora Rugby Football Club in a battle to seal off the top six.
The remaining match sees Hikurangi host the Western Sharks.
