Tasman look for repeat
The Tasman men’s sevens team have a target on their backs although they’re heading to this weekend’s Southern Regional tournament in Timaru with plenty of fire power.
Tasman beat Otago 12-5 in last year’s final at Timaru’s Alpine Energy Stadium to win the tournament for the first time and take the top qualifying spot into the National Sevens.
And despite the fact that they’re without three of last year’s stars, New Zealand Sevens players Trael Joass, Andrew Knewstubb and Tone Ng Shiu, coach Sam Gibbens was confident he had a side capable of once again rattling some cages.
Tasman will compete in pool one alongside Southland and South Canterbury. Pool two includes Canterbury, Otago, North Otago and Mid Canterbury. Five teams qualify for nationals.
Playmaker James Lash was a key player in Waimea Old Boys’ titlewinning efforts at both the recent Picton and Motueka sevens tournaments and his availability complements the experience of co-captains Sam Chamberlain and Jesse Pitman, Fletcher Matthews and Te Puoho Stephens.
A surprise selection is Joe Taylor
who played for Waimea Combined Schools First XV in this year’s UC Championship secondary schools competition.
‘‘I liked his physical attributes in the last couple of [sevens] tournaments and the same with Isaiah Miller,’’ Gibbens said.
‘‘I picked them for their physical nature at the breakdowns, their work ethic off the ground and making consecutive tackles.
‘‘They lacked some sevens knowledge but after a few trainings these boys are pretty sharp now.’’
Gibbens was excited about the team’s potential.
‘‘We’ve got a good mix of young and experienced.
‘‘My backline with the likes of Lashy, Jesse, Fletcher [Matthews], Sam Chamberlain, Tomas [Aoake] and Glen [Ballam] from Renwick, I’ve got a lot of speed out there, so I’m quite happy with the squad.
‘‘And I’ve got Erenimo Tau who’s just come into his own over the last couple of months.
‘‘He’s gotten fitter and he’s played some good sevens over the last three tournaments we’ve had in Nelson.’’
Jayden Woolley was another to make an impression during the two recent tournaments.
‘‘He impressed me with the accuracy of his passing.
‘‘He’s in the forwards and he gives us that lightning quick ball from the base of the rucks and can put the likes of Joe, Te Puoho and Miller into space.’’
The Tasman women will contest a five-team round robin series including Canterbury, Otago, Southland and a Hanan Shield Districts side.
There are three qualifying spots at stake, with Tasman beating Southland 33-12 last year to grab the third and final place for nationals.
New coach Bevan Thompson said that NZ representative Jess Drummond’s availability this year was a bonus and would form a vital combination with Motueka High School players Risi Pouri-Lane and Sydnee Wilkins who are fresh from last weekend’s Condor Sevens secondary schools tournament in Auckland. Motueka lost to eventual champions, Hamilton GHS, in the semifinals.
‘‘Our strength will definitely be the ability of our backs to convert,’’ Thompson said.
‘‘We’ve got Grace Kukutai who’s come from up north and has been training with us all season and is probably one of the fittest girls in the side.
‘‘She’s going to be a bit of a surprise, not many of the girls down there would have seen her but she’s been one of the standout wingers in all the sevens tournaments we’ve had so we’re looking forward to see what she can do.’’
Kukutai is also a former WaikatoBOP Magic netball representative and played for the New Zealand secondary schools netball team.
‘‘We lack a bit of experience I guess with our younger ones.
‘‘We have no worries with our backs, it’ll be whether our forwards will be disciplined enough to do the job they’ve been asked to do.
‘‘The girls won’t lack the physicality, it’s about whether they can get out of the physicality when it’s required and whether they can shift the ball when they need to.’’