Feilding derby clash
CLUB RUGBY: Stags wags with a heavy O¯ roua leaning have suggested Saturday’s Feilding derby match should be played on the incline at Kimbolton.
Translated, that means those of Feilding Old Boys-o¯ roua persuasion are rather wary of a resurgent Feilding Yellows.
It might be the Stags’ home game, but Johnston Park has been the traditional home of the derby match. Oroua ¯ only became part of the old Feilding-feilding Old Boys ding-dongs in 2009.
The Yellows have beefed up their senior team in this their 140th year and consequently are unbeaten.
For the record, they have knocked over College Old Boys 18-13, Freyberg 43-5, Old Boys-marist 31-11 in the 140th jubilee fixture and Te Kawau 40-12, trailing only Varsity, who have siphoned up five competition points in every match.
Feilding Yellows, guided by Kelvin Tantrum in his extraordinary third era as coach, ground down a rejuvenated Te Kawau last week.
Tantrum must have been wondering at the season’s start when injuries cost him flankers Hayne Leota (broken wrist), Chris Willoughby (hip), Patohi Ropoama-third (broken leg) and wing Lachlan Blackstock (dislocated wrist). But fizzing in the backs have been centre Bati Rongokea, the Funaki brothers out of the Eden club in Auckland, props Sean Rankin and Luke Clarke, and lock Kere Marino.
The Stags have to get by without key men, lock Jono Osborne, flanker George Macpherson and frontrowers Sean Paranihi and Max Fryatt, all injured.
After dousing COB 38-19 at Kimbolton on March 30, leaving them in a bullish state of mind, those injuries have kicked FOBO in the midriff just when it looked like it might be their year.
Meanwhile, COB must fancy their chances against Ob-marist, who are on a three-game losing streak and maybe down on confidence, much to the consternation of everyone in the Vatican on Pascal.
Ob-marist might be missing a few of last year’s Hankins Shield regulars, such as hooker Hunter Prescott and first-five Bain Champion, both overseas, and centre Jared Deal, back at Linton Army.
But they still have the personnel and the robust tight five to dominate lineouts and scrums, if only they can stop spilling the ball.
Watching COB’S win over Freyberg last Saturday was former Turbos wing Andre Taylor, back home for a spell before returning to his Sanix club in Fukuoka, Japan.
Although he wasn’t permitted to play for his old COB club, co-coach Hayden Triggs happily played for the final 20 minutes after getting his clearance the previous day from Ireland, where he played three seasons for Leinster in Dublin.
He said he loved it there and was able to return to New Zealand on his terms, not because of injury. After a brief flirtation with potato farming at O¯ piki, he is working as a mechanic, his trade when in the army at Linton.
A player of his stature would make a major difference to a team that is rebuilding and it would be no surprise to see him make frequent appearances.
After all, the 36-year-old did play for the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Blues, but, most importantly, he played 70 times for the Turbos.
Freyberg have tipped up Kia Toa, such as 34-26 in 2016, and will be at home at Colquhoun Park against Kias, while Te Kawau are at home in Rongotea against Varsity.