It might not be the most free-flowing game of Tasman Tanning Premier rugby, but the spectacle and competition should nonetheless be keen in the Ratana Pa on Saturday as the final weekend of the first
Rugby: Ngamatapouri vs Ratana to decide relegation
But it has been a barren time since then, and while Pirates under new coach Danny Tamehana are approaching their sojourn against the leading Senior grade teams for a separate championship with some positivity, feeling it could be a realistic goal, Ngamatapouri have no interest in a half-hearted effort against Ratana, even if it means the team which stays up is likely to be very outmatched for the rest of the season.
"We don't want to lose now, we're not in that game at all," said manager Gerald Pearce.
Ratana have signalled their home game is going ahead despite defaulting their away match to Waverley Harvesting Border last Saturday through a lack of available props, which given current circumstances, Pearce is treating with some suspicion.
"I think everyone did. They just wanted a week's rest.
"We'll be getting close [to 22 players], we'll know [at training]."
Their 2018 Steelform Wanganui No8 Bryn Hudson has said he might be back for this game after limping off at halftime of the annual duck shooting night match with Border on May 3, although goalkicker Sheldon Parkinga-Manhire still remains unlikely after being hurt in the same game.
"We lost 4-5 for the 3-4 weeks since Border," said Pearce.
Both teams come at this match from opposite ends of the deficiency scale.
In captain Rassiat Vukula, double union representative Jim Seruwalu, Joeli Vasukacivi and Wanganui representative Samu Kubunavanua, Ngamatapouri have individual game breakers who can make tries out of nowhere from either end of the field.
However, behind those men is little support in terms of the set-piece - struggling in scrums, lineouts and control of the break down.
Before the last round, Kubunavanua was sitting in second place on the Grand Irish Bar MVP standings behind Ratana's Dale Akuhata – the standout flanker in the home team's forward pack - who traditionally like to keep the ball in tight and try to make the most out of their scrum and rolling mauls.
But Ratana must rely on that because they don't have any current representative players or individual game breakers able to spark an unseen opportunity, aside from their semi-retired coach Steelie Koro.
Pearce agreed in a game of opposites attack, Ngamatapouri will likely be trying to get more tries on the board than the home side without the greater share of territory or possession.
"That's got to be the way – try to get some front foot ball and get our backs going.
"If we can get some good scrum ball, we'll be right.
"It's a new ground [in the Pa], so we don't know what that's like yet.
"I think it might be a bit niggly on their part, we've come to accept that."
In the other games for the weekend, McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu will bring their undefeated streak and the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield to the Country Club to face Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau, who have performed well on their own patch against the mountain men in recent seasons.
Having had an unscheduled week off, Border come to Spriggens Park to give Pirates their sendoff from the top grade, while Byford's Readimix Taihape will want to continue building confidence for Division 1 when they host a Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist team in their second tough away game in two weeks.