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Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

A tale of two teams at opposite end of table

By Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle·
9 May, 2013 07:16 PM3 mins to read

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It was an interesting dichotomy from the coaches at either end of the Premier points table last night.

With tough back-to-back challenges against contenders Taihape and Border, starting at Memorial Park tomorrow, Ruapehu coach Chris Winter was somewhat expecting a phone call.

Slightly more surprised was Utiku Old Boys coach Gavin Thompson but if you look at it on a seven-day basis, both teams come into tomorrow with their share of confidence.

Considered a "shepherd's team" of young, transient players, Utiku have some steady hands back at the helm which saw them pick up their first win for 2013 against Ratana while seeing them in good nick to front Pirates at Spriggens Park.

In the other games, Kaierau host an important cross-town clash with Marist as they hunt to keep in touch with the top four, while Ruapehu's next opponent Border take on Marton in Waverley.

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When chatting with an undefeated coach currently in the driver's seat, it is easy to ask Winter if the next 14 days have been studied and dissected as part of some master plan.

Nope, it's just another Saturday for the defending champions, who have scored double the number of tries than any other Premier team so far in 2013.

"We take every game as being the same. We see every team as even and go out and play our game," said Winter. "We should be right, we've got a couple of injuries but we've still got a team."

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Wanganui representative loose forward Fraser Hammond and player/assistant coach Andrew Evans are out for the time being and while Winter says his guys don't place precedence of any match over another, he won't be surprised if Taihape lifts.

"Most definitely, being on their home ground.

"We've got to go down and respect that they are playing well."

If you look at the home side's record (135 points scored, 123 conceded) you see a team that never seems to quite get on top of their opposition, but then again never panics about it.

Dragged into tight match after tight match so far this season, Taihape have ingrained composure and no problem with winning 'ugly'.

After a bye week which followed a butchering of a spare-parts Marist in Ohakune on April 27, that is just the test Ruapehu wants.

"It's something you build to as far as a final, or a semi," Winter said.

"You've got to play those tight, ugly games."

For Thompson, whose team comes from a sheep farming base that is constantly on the move, the Ratana win was a welcome shot in the arm.

"We're a young team basically. We can't seem to hold onto the same team, year in and out.

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"It showed real good character and fitness came through at the end."

Prop Matt Gilbert took the field for the first time this competition and managed to get through 40 minutes of work, while important No8 Adam Rowe got out there and veteran halfback David Gordon is helping the team out.

"Just getting players like that spurs the other players on," said Thompson.

It could mean Pirates, who just squeezed past Marton last Saturday, are not in for an easy afternoon. "Their main man is Denning [Tyrell], he dictates things a bit. The boys know they're up for it."

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