Rugby: Chiefs debate adds spice to challenge

By Chris Rattue

Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke has played down the inter-Chiefs rivalry in tomorrow's Ranfurly Shield challenge.

Counties Manukau manager Garry Carter sparked a reaction around the Waikato this week when he said: "I suppose there is a feeling there that they (Waikato) think their players are better than our players.

"This is certainly going to be a very big game for a number of reasons, and not just the shield."

Carter said that Counties Manukau believed their players had deserved greater game time with the Chiefs, and suggested his union were playing second fiddle to their NPC first division partners in the Super 12 player and coaching selections.

It is understood that his comments were brought up at a meeting of the Chiefs board yesterday.

Searancke said that while they would add an edge to the second round NPC clash at Rugby Park, the selection of Super 12 teams took far more than one match into account.

"I guess at the end of the day it does add a bit of spice," said Searancke.

"But the Chiefs are not really part of my role and apart from offering them a bit of technical advice sometimes, I have very little to do with them.

"The Super 12 selectors look at a lot of games and they are simply trying to pick the best players wherever they come from."

Searancke also repeated his statements from earlier in the season that while the Ranfurly Shield was an important part of New Zealand rugby, his side was looking at the season as a campaign for the NPC championship. "The NPC is our main focus, although I'm sure there will be a little bit more on the game because of the shield.

"It is something special to the Waikato community and our supporters and our union has such a great history involving the shield.

"We (the team) have never believed we own the shield. The way we look at it, it is on the line every time, and we are going out to challenge for it again.

"But we look at all the big games we face about the same."

Waikato chief executive Gary Dawson said the 3900-capacity covered stand at Rugby Park was almost sold out, and the union was hoping for a crowd of about 18,000 at the 23,000 capacity ground.

Dawson also played down the comments from Carter.

"It probably has added a bit of an edge to a big game, which isn't a bad thing," said Dawson.

"But in the professional era you look at playing the best people and not where they come from. I don't really want to say much more about it than that."