Rugby: Battle for top spots heats up

Ratana Vance Pereka and his fifth-placed team will want to cause another boil-over in Waverley tomorrow.

They may be outside of championship contention, but week 15 of the Tasman Tanning Premiership round sees a couple of teams with their eyes on being the spoilers or the kingmakers.

With competition for the second home semifinal berth white hot between Integrity Motors Pirates, Waverley Harvesting Border and new Grand Hotel Challenge Shield holders Taihape, every point will count in the next four weeks.

None of those teams play each other tomorrow, but each must run twice as fast on the treadmill just to stay in the same place, particularly Border who, after two long trips to Ohakune and Taihape in the last fortnight, will want a complete performance against the unpredictable Harvey Round Motors Ratana at home tomorrow.

Of the top teams, only Taihape have beaten Ratana in both their meetings this season, with Ruapehu losing the Challenge Shield to them in March and Pirates being upended last week.

Border coach Ross Williams remembers his understrength team losing the Shield inside the Pa, 25-19 in April.

"They play a certain way ... very forward orientated.

"First of all, we have to counter their maul."

After again surrendering the Shield in Taihape last week 26-7, only a week removed from upsetting McCarthy's Ruapehu to win it in Ohakune, Border needed this home game to marshall their resources, given key prop Kamipeli Latu is doubtful while lock Ian Honeyfield is still injured.

"I've got the guys who front up and that's what you want," said Williams.

"We're lucky to be at home with the Bs [senior team], so we'll have a full bench."

As in Round 1, Border are desperate for full points because they have the bye in the last regular season weekend on July 19, which on May 17 saw them slip from second spot to third based on games played elsewhere.

"[Beating] Ruapehu took it out of us, and the two big bus trips," said Williams.

"We're in a must-win situation now, but we're not looking any further than Ratana."

Unlucky to lose their previous Shield challenge to Ratana on May 10 through goalkicking, while having near-run defeats to Ruapehu (April 19) and Pirates (June 7), Speirs Food Marton have often played better in 2014 than their current eighth placing has suggested.

Of all the visiting teams to Memorial Park, Marton also have the shortest trip up State Highway 1.

"We're sort of in the situation where we can be spoilers," said coach Cornel Mason.

"With the Shield on the line, we're happy to go up there and give them a crack for it."

Shortcomings for his team this season have often been not playing to weather conditions or having a rush of blood to the head and taking the wrong options, Mason has tried to instil a sense of patience to close matches out, as they did beating Utiku Old Boys 24-20 on their last trip to Memorial Park.

Hooker Isaac Greer, halfback Tyler Rogers-Holden, lock Meni Faasau and midfielder Saul Chase have all been rewarded with selection in the Town vs Country trial game next week, although it is a bugbear of Mason's that the WRFU's scheduling has moved past having sub-union fixtures between Rangitikei, Northern Wanganui and Metro.

Those trial games had a bit of regional passion, rather than loosely-aligned teams which have players from the same clubs turning out for both anyway, he said. "I think it's sad on the union's behalf. I totally believe that's the best way to go with sub-union rugby."

In the other games this weekend, a wounded Pirates meet Utiku Old Boys in the first of four home games on Spriggens Park, while Ruapehu will want to keep their break on the chasing pack going when they face Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist at Rochfort Park.