Rugby: Manawatu no walkover Tietjens tells Steamers

Manawatu manager Stu Fleming says his side will be lucky to win any points from today's NPC rugby clash with strong Bay of Plenty at Rotorua.

But Bay coach Gordon Tietjens has told his team that it is the type of game they cannot take lightly.

Fleming said Manawatu were not playing well enough to win and would be lucky to get up and topple the Steamers.

But Tietjens sounded a warning to his team.

"These are the ones we traditionally lose - games we're expected to win well. We only have to look back to last year to see how Manawatu took it to us and beat us [17-6]," he said.

"Everyone knows how we normally drop one or two games a year, but this year is the only year where we've come through like we have."

Bay of Plenty are the only unbeaten team in the entire NPC competition.

"A win against Manawatu guarantees us a semifinal," Tietjens said.

He has made two changes from last week's win over King Country, with Samoan international Toa Samania starting ahead of Paul Waiariki at fullback and Kingi Houkamau taking over from Steve Simpkins at loosehead prop.

The Hawkes Bay team will be striving to show consistency in their play when they confront King Country in Te Kuiti today.

Coach Mark Shaw acknowledges that a failure to do that has troubled the side this year.

"It has been a problem, but they're young boys and they haven't learned yet how to go the full distance," he said. "They've got to show it against one of the tougher teams in the division if they want to prove to themselves they're good enough.

"But, really, inexperience has been a problem for us.

"I would like them to start showing some consistency and the benefit of all the games they have played so far."

Hawkes Bay are in third place on 19 points, three adrift of Bay of Plenty and one behind second-placed King Country.

"They've got to know what to do and what is in front of them if they want to keep being up there on the table," former All Blacks hardman Shaw said.

"It's never easy in Te Kuiti. I know that; it's up to these fellas to know that."

Fifth-placed Nelson Bays, the defending champions, face a tough job at Paeroa against Thames Valley. And in a middle-of-the-table clash, Wanganui host Mid-Canterbury.

- NZPA