Nua look to repeat success
Horowhenua Ka¯piti coach Chris Wilton wants to make sure last year was no fluke.
Horowhenua Ka¯piti start the Heartland Championship against Mid Canterbury at Foxton’s Easton Park on Saturday and this year they are looking to improve on last season, where they hosted the Meads Cup final before getting beaten by Whanganui.
Last year Horowhenua Ka¯piti surprised a few with how well they performed and this season, in their 125th year, they want to do just as well, if not better.
‘‘We’re not being thought of as easy points in the competition any more,’’ Wilton said. ‘‘It’s our 125th year this year, so there’s a lot of special things in place.
‘‘I’d like to think we’re able to prove last year wasn’t a one-off fluke.’’
Horowhenua Ka¯piti have a special jersey for this season, similar to their earliest known jersey. It has a thick blue stripe, with smaller red and white stripes.
Last season Horowhenua
Ka¯ piti won 10 of their eight regular-season games, before falling 30-14 to Whanganui in last year’s final in Levin.
Wilton said that because there are only only eight games, it is important to get points early.
‘‘We’re all excited down here. It’s been a long time since losing the Meads Cup. Having the chance to get home is a very exciting prospect now.
‘‘We’re up against it first up with Mid Canterbury. They’re a class act, one of the benchmarks.’’
Horowhenua Ka¯ piti had a solid pre-season campaign, beating Poverty Bay 37-14 and Manawatu¯ Development 40-29, and losing 56-28 to Waikato Development.
They also had fixtures against Wellington and Wairarapa Bush during the club season.
The game in Foxton will be Horowhenua Ka¯piti’s first there since they hosted Thames Valley in 2010.
Horowhenua Ka¯ piti have a lot of their squad back from last season, as well as a few new faces, including big midfielder Timoci Serawalu, who is on loan from Wanganui.
First five-eighth James So’oialo is key to directing them around the park and they have grunt in the forward pack, especially captain and lock Ryan Shelford and prop Scott Cameron.
Horowhenua Ka¯ piti: 15 Himiona Henare, 14, Willie Paia’aua, 13 Timoci Serawalu, 12 Kalim Kelemete 11 Dylan Taylor, 10 James So’oialo, 9 Tainui Brown; 8 TJ Fermanis, 7 Aaron Lahmert, 6 Joel Winterburn, 5 Tainui Woodmass, 4 Ryan Shelford (captain), 3 Scott Cameron, 2 David Mcerlean, 1 Robin Praat. Reserves: 16 Tiwana Paringatai, 17 Chase Makamaka, 18, Manassah Wineera, 19 Tom Zimmerman, 20 Kane Tamou, 21 Ethan Reti, 22 Stu Mcgregor.