Semis line-up retained for Cup final

KEY MEN: Wanganui centre Tevita Taufui has been cleared for tomorrow's final, here being tackled by North Otago captain Josh Clark.PHOTO/FILE A-060914WCLGRUGBY1

Steelform Wanganui has named the same line-up for tomorrow's Lochore Cup final as was to take the field last weekend against King Country, with Manawatu import centre Tevita Taufui cleared to return in Oamaru.

Taufui was a last-minute withdrawal with his leg injury at Rugby Park in Te Kuiti last Saturday, with reserve back Jaye Flaws covering the centre position.

Lock Sonny Woodmass and reserve loose forward Bryn Hudson made successful comebacks from injury and have retained their positions.

While Wanganui own a 20-15 victory over North Otago at Cooks Gardens on September 6, home captain Josh Clark told the Otago Daily Times it sounded like that performance was the visitors' best of the year.

"So we've just got to play physical," he said. "For the last couple of weeks, we've been beating teams by being more physical than them.

"Hopefully, we can get a good crowd there so we can show our supporters and sponsors that we are grateful for them, and we can show some good footy."

Clark was an Otago import last season and started this year with injury, but then made the long drive from Dunedin to play a handful of local club games, and reached his goal of being selected for the NZ Heartland XV after good form in the Pink Batts Heartland Championship.

Like their fellow finalists, North Otago had a tough start to the campaign, beaten by Buller (17-9) then victorious over Poverty Bay (43-34), before losing to Wanganui and King Country (17-14).

They beat Thames Valley (19-15) and South Canterbury (22-19) before a heavy defeat to Meads Cup finalists Mid Canterbury (28-7).

North Otago's 44-5 win over East Coast in the last round secured them seventh spot, and they won their Lochore Cup semifinal with South Canterbury 16-12 in a stronger performance than the winning margin suggests.

Meanwhile, with a longer build-up for a Sunday afternoon match, Wanganui coach Jason Caskey is confident the side can overcome their hoodoo of trying to win in the South Island.

"I think we can, we haven't got any real issues with it at all.

"We've improved a hell of a lot on the penalties [conceded]."

While 0-3 in their inter-island matches, it was infringement against a Mid Canterbury team with an excellent goal kicker that cost them a 30-14 loss in Ashburton on September 13, while horrible wet weather in Greymouth played a part in the 23-17 loss to West Coast.

Naturally for finals rugby, goalkicking will be key tomorrow, especially with the versatile Ace Malo covering the role after the departure of three kickers during the campaign.

Rock solid for two weeks, Malo managed just three from eight attempts last Saturday, and Caskey had to admit it is the likes of Flaws and flanker Andrew Evans, neither required by their clubs to take the kicker's tee, who stand as the backups.

Wanganui are trying to join North Otago and Wairarapa Bush in winning both the Meads and Lochore Cup trophies in the Heartland competition, as are Buller in their Meads Cup final this afternoon with Mid Canterbury in Westport.

Tomorrow's game will be live on Sky Sport 3, starting at 2.30pm.