Clash of the titans

A couple of old mates meet on the Ashburton Showgrounds today and when one moves, there's nothing surer that the other will be chasing him down in the Heartland Championship Meads Cup rugby battle.
The mates? Mike Thompson prop (Wanganui) and James Kora prop (Mid Canterbury).
Their's will be a battle within a battle, it seems, whether Thompson wants it or not. Kora says he'll change to whatever side of the scrum Thompson is playing.
Thompson's former Pirates and Marist (Wanganui) team-mate James Kora has been out of Wanganui since late 2002, chasing a little rugby destiny in Dunedin and Christchurch. Thompson also had his crack in Manawatu before returning to Wanganui, but the pair haven't played against or together since that 2002 season.
Now they meet on the unlikely stage of the Ashburton Showgrounds, because Kora was put on the loan player list by Canterbury this season and Mid Canterbury coach Trevor Bokser picked him up.
Kora is absolutely delighted to have a chance at playing Wanganui and have a crack at his old mate.
"I'm looking forward to packing down against Mikey T (Thompson). I'll go on whatever side he's playing ... We're good mates, played for Pirates together, and Marist together, his old man Willy (Thompson) coached us at Pirates, and we played Wanganui U19 and Development together," Kora said during the week.
Kora had a big tryscoring reputation before he left Wanganui, and had great pace for a big man.
He hints he still likes scoring tries and so does his mate! Thompson is Wanganui's leading tryscorer so far with three, and Kora scored against King Country and Horowhenua-Kapiti.
That gives Thompson the lead, something Kora's not happy about.
"I'll be keeping an eye on Mikey, I'm one try behind him we'll try to sort that one out."
Thompson (grinning): "I used to do all the work, and he'd hang out there in the backs so hopefully I can stop him today. He's hard to stop when he gets going, and a solid scrummager."
Kora, incidentally, top-scored (tries) for his University Club in Christchurch this year, and went well enough to be on the fringe of Canterbury B selection.
It's an interesting day in Ashburton behind North Otago's 23 points are five others within three competition points of each other. It's a case of first-in, first served.
A win takes some pressure off. A loss really gets the steam hissing.
Wanganui coach Milton Haig has shuffled the cards again with his selection, with Daniel Hooper the new fullback, the fourth in six games. Hooper has looked assured at training, at least.
But can the team put last weekend's loss behind them or use it to their best advantage?
Haig appears a little worried:
"They've just got to forget about what happened last week although there seems to be a bit of that residue [around]. They just have to forget about it."
Haig says a home semi is still there for any team that wants it. He hopes his own team will have reached that stage.