Top contenders reluctant favourites

The leading contenders for the second division NPC rugby crown would rather not have the favourites tag nailed to their colours.

"Don't call us that," Hawkes Bay union chief executive Ian Condon said, suggesting it might be more appropriate to hand Nelson Bays the tag.

But Nelson Bays head Peter Barr firmly labelled Hawkes Bay as the team to beat this season.

Nelson Bays won the second division two years ago but for essentially financial reasons were denied entry into the first division.

Last season, they lost in the final to Bay of Plenty and, although they asked again for promotion to the top division, were turned down with questions raised about player depth in the region.

Barr said that this year the rules had changed, player depth would not be an issue and Nelson Bays were going all out for promotion.

Already the team can boast promising pre-season form with wins over first division sides Southland and Wellington, although the latter were without their All Blacks.

Nelson Bays were hammered in a Ranfurly Shield match by Canterbury, but Barr said that was the difference between a professional and amateur team.

"All second division teams have aspirations to be in the first division, and Nelson Bays are no different.

"Against Southland we showed we can match it with the bottom end of the first division, and we feel we can be competitive against the bottom half."

But, he said, Nelson Bays were not getting ahead of themselves with the season yet to kickoff.

Nelson Bays have a bye in the opening round but have arranged a friendly against Canterbury B to ensure their preparations retain intensity.

The Canterbury union will also help Nelson Bays later in the season, with prop Con Barrell and lock Peter Bowden expected to be offered on loan.

Nelson Bays beat Hawkes Bay 43-16 in their second division semifinal last year. Barr said it was a case of experience beating inexperience, and that had changed.

The return of veteran halfback Stu Forster will provide Hawkes Bay with a boost in experience.

Back from playing in Britain, the former Hawkes Bay, Otago and All Blacks halfback has been handed the captaincy as the province look to him to lead from the front.

Some controversy surrounds the Hawkes Bay line-up this season, with coach Mark Shaw's side boasting six players from South Africa or Zimbabwe and a Welshman.

Condon said Hawkes Bay wanted to use locals or New Zealanders, but could not get the players they wanted.

"We tried to get players through the loan system, but we couldn't get the right players in the right positions.

"There's been a little bit of criticism, but it does put pressure on our local players to perform."

Hawkes Bay play newly-promoted East Coast in Napier tomorrow.

Condon said he believed promotion would be hard for any second division team to achieve.

The 11th team in the first division are this year automatically relegated, while the second division winners play the 10th team from the top level away in the promotion-relegation decider.



With two teams to be relegated this year, East Coast and Mid Canterbury will be desperately seeking second division survival.

The other five teams - King Country, Marlborough, Manawatu, Thames Valley and Wanganui - will strive to join Nelson Bays and Hawkes Bay in the semifinals.

Most have lost players to first division contracts, and those gaps might be the difference between title contenders and pretenders.

- NZPA