A bridge too far?
After digging deep to overcome North Harbour on Wednesday night, will Auckland be a bridge too far for Tasman on Sunday?
The Makos turned in a gutsy performance at Lansdowne Park, their 21-14 victory keeping them firmly in the Mitre 10 Cup rugby semifinal race, but they are battling a gruelling schedule. Sunday’s match at Trafalgar Park in Nelson will be their fourth in 15 days, stretching their resources to the maximum.
A string of injuries and a couple of untimely suspensions have forced head coach Leon MacDonald and his fellow selectors to spread their net far and wide in a bid to remain competitive as the business end of the season approaches.
With two round robin games remaining, Tasman and Auckland are locked in a tight play-off tussle.
The Makos have an eight-point lead over the northerners, meaning victory on Sunday will go a long way to booking a semifinal berth, although CountiesManukau, Tasman’s final opponents, could still have a say in that equation.
With such a short turnaround between the Harbour and Auck-
land games there is limited opportunity for the Tasman coaching crew to work on perceived
problems, or tweak their game plan.
‘‘We will just compress things a little bit,’’ said MacDonald. ‘‘It’s more about recovery, getting the energy back and getting excited about the next game.
‘‘Auckland is actually a great game for us to have at this stage because the boys love playing them and consider it one of the big games of the year.’’
While victory over the Aucklanders will put the Makos in the box seat, MacDonald is taking nothing for granted.
‘‘There are still some big games to be played by other teams ... we won’t focus too much on the result, it’s more about making sure we turn up in the right head space to put another good performance in and give ourselves a chance.’’
A feature of Wednesday’s win was the ability of the Makos to slow the game down during the final 10 minutes as Harbour mounted a strong comeback.
Players such as the outstanding Jordan Taufua, a ball of energy on both attack and defence, skipper Tim Perry, James Lowe and first five Mitch Hunt played the game at their own pace, showing an increased level of professionalism and the ability to close out a close game, a trait not always associated with the 2017 Makos.
The forwards took charge at lineout time, their driving maul paying early dividends with a pen- alty try award and exerting pressure on their heavier rivals throughout. Hooker Andrew Makalio was more prominent, seemingly recapturing the form that made him such a hit in his rookie year, while lanky lock Pari Pari Parkinson put his hand up with an energetic display. Skipper Tim Perry, although twice earning the referee’s displeasure at scrum time, led by example and relished his return to Lansdowne Park.
Improved accuracy around the lineout, especially in such a tricky wind, was a pleasing aspect, along the more resolute goal line defence, meaning Harbour were forced to score both their tries from long range.
In the backline, Hunt offered a constant threat to the Harbour defence.
He repeatedly put his body on the line, while young fullback Will Jordan continues to improve, his speed and ability to pop up in the right place at the right time underlining why he is so highly rated.
A plus for the Makos on Sunday will be the availability of blockbusting centre Levi Aumua, who was sent off against Otago and has sat out a three-game ban, while injured skipper Alex Ainley and flanker Vernon Fredericks are also a chance to play.