Whanganui club rugby: Injured Kaierau aim to prove strength in semifinal clash with Border

Ethan Robinson's boot could be key for Kaierau when they play Border in Saturday's semifinal. Photo / Kate Belsham, Ivy Digital

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You would never have expected the top qualifiers for the Tasman Tanning Premier semifinals to be spoken about as underdogs.

But in their first week-one playoff in five years against anyone other than Byford’s Readimix Taihape, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau feel that if the other teams think they’re wounded, then wounded animals are dangerous.

Kaierau secured two tough victories over their semifinal opponents Waverley Harvesting Border this season, but from late May saw their much-vaunted backline of Te Rangatira Waitokia, Adam Boult, Ethan Robinson and Sheldon Pakinga suffer significant injuries.

Those absences, coupled with filling a problematic halfback spot on top of No 8 and captain Doug Horrocks being overseas for three weeks, saw Kaierau slump to three straight defeats.

Meanwhile, the new-look Border found their groove with three consecutive wins, culminating in last weekend’s away victory over Taihape to lift the Barracks Challenge Shield and send third-placed Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist over to Memorial Park instead of the Kaierau derby.

It was a pathway Border have wanted for the past three weeks, while both Taihape and Marist appear pretty confident who they could face at Cooks Gardens, given Matariki weekend and then a bye means Kaierau have had a fortnight without play.

But coach Danny Tamehana certainly feels the break has worked for them to heal up the injured.

“Currently, from last week, we’ve had a full-strength team, bar our player-coach [Waitokia], the only one unavailable through his broken leg.”

A couple of injured players, notably Robinson, tried to soldier on during the slump but were not effective, yet mentally, Tamehana feels no one will be holding back on Saturday.

“Everyone that’s spoken to me, they’re all up for it. If I’m being honest, we’ve had a lot of injuries, so the guys that haven’t been here, they’ve got a lot to prove.

“In terms of coming into a semi, they’ve got a lot of experience, they’ve been there and done it, so now that they’re all back and there as a collective – they’re raring.

“[Horrocks] was keen to just get back into the mix of it straight away, and get back to what we’re good at, reset and start again.

“That’s what it’s all about in finals, only got to be good for two games.

“We’re under no illusions, Border have won the last five straight, so we know that they know what it’s all about.

“They’ve got enough players in there with experience to know how to play semis, but we also have been waiting for this point, too.

“This time of the year [is] to try and rectify and change outcomes, so we’re looking forward to the Saturday ourselves.”

In what will no doubt be a tight match – Kaierau’s victory margins over Border were by two and seven points respectively – it could ultimately come down to who delivers with the boot, putting the spotlight on Robinson and Pakinga.

“We’ll leave that up to them, I’m not going to tell them who should be kicking and who shouldn’t be – they both know that if one’s on, they’re on,” said Tamehana.

Draw

July 5, Tasman Tanning Premier semifinals

Kaierau v Border, Country Club, 3pm; Taihape v Marist, Memorial Park, 2.30pm.