Mustangs blow out the cobwebs

A pre-season loss won’t worry Manawatu Mustangs coach Matthew Cole as long as it has them prepared for their first competition game.

Manawatu lost 36-34 on fulltime to Taranaki side Te Atiawa in their pre-season game at Waitara at the weekend, their only hitout before their national championship qualifying campaign starts against the Taranaki Sharks in New Plymouth this weekend.

The game was a last-minute addition to their season after Hawke’s Bay, who Manawatu were meant to play on Saturday, pulled out of the competition.

Cole treated it as a pre-season game to blow the cobwebs out, using 20 players, with unlimited substitutions.

‘‘We were good in patches but just some stuff just killed us,’’ he said. ‘‘We turned the ball over. We knocked it on or lost the ball five times in the game on the first tackle, four times on the second tackle and four times on the third tackle.

‘‘We had three shoulder barges, so that’s a lot of time on defence. We killed ourselves.’’

Cole said they had great go forward from their forward pack, but often the last pass was lacking or errors would cost them.

Te Atiawa had a few experienced players, including former Taranaki halfback Cruz Rauner, who controlled the game.

Cole said it was what they needed before championship games start, because his players hadn’t played since the club competition finished.

‘‘We needed the game regardless of the scoreline. Without that game this week would be very hard.’’

Young hooker Hitaua Butler was their outstanding player, while young prop Wesley Veikoso made a big impact off the bench.

Prop and co-captain Pita Marshall played well too, getting the team on a roll with his big runs, along with Veikoso.

Bench second rowers Woody Martin, Johnny Kerrisk, Coby Devery and Takarua Poa all looked good, and halfback Jahlon Governor grabbed a double.

Manawatu should get dangerous backs Awatere Kiwara, Nikolao Ioane and Logan Afoa all back to play the Sharks.

The Mustangs ended up being a man down and had to call in wing Te Rangatira Ropati from Linton and he impressed so much he has now been made full-time squad member.