A match and a bit of pushing at lock in the Wanganui scrum has given team captain David Gower and extra appreciation of the work done by the big men in front of him.
Gower returns today against Poverty Bay to lock, after playing there against South Canterbury and for some of last Saturday's Meads Cup loss to mid Canterbury.
The usual loosie took the initiative a few weeks ago when selectors were looking to replace the then ill Nick Cranston, when the choice was between Gower and Ruapehu clubmate Fraser Hammond.
Gower said he would do the pushing to allow the younger Hammond the freedom to run. However Hammond does the No 2 lineout jumping while Gower does the job towards the back.
The frontrowers have kept Gower up to scratch in the scrums.
Gower: "I love it. With the Front Row Club being so staunch, Pete (Rowe) and I are always ribbing them that they don't do any work. So when I got into lock, Sheldon (O'Hagen) said 'you'd better get in behind me and push – I'll be waiting to feel it.
"I said, I hope you've been doing some back work, because I'm going to 'break' it!"
That's how they keep each other going in the tight five, or the engine room, amiable abuse if you like.
"The engine room are the unsung heroes, often they don't get the credit they deserve," Gower says. "To appreciate them properly, you have to get in there and have a go.
"It's good to see the engine room have accounted for quite a few player of the days awards this year."
In fact the tight five have taken three of the four awards in home matches.
So take a bow, Messrs O'Hagen, Cole Baldwin and Matt Gilbert (starters), and subs Shaun McDonough (occasional start), and Justin Lock.
And Jon Smyth and Nick Cranston in the locks – as well as Gower himself now.
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