Fast going will suit University but Harbour ready
SPOILER alert — University will look to fan out across the field and use its pace out wide.
Harbour will want to punch holes close to the ruck and turn today’s club premier final into a melee.
Actually, that is no revelation. It is what both teams have been doing all year.
University will start as favourite. It beat Harbour in both their roundrobin games and set the benchmark this season.
But the students also look better equipped to exploit the firm surface they will find at Forsyth Barr Stadium this afternoon.
Fullback Taylor Haugh will enjoy the conditions more than most. He has been ghosting into gaps all winter and will be relieved he does not have to run around the boggy cricket wicket at the University of Otago Oval.
First fiveeighth Michael Williams is one of the more accurate goalkickers in the tournament and shapes up as a key playmaker as well.
Up front, prop Kilipati Lea and blindside Sam Dickson have had tremendous seasons, and openside flanker and captain Jack McHugh is never far from the ball.
The 20yearold transplanted Aucklander has not spent much time working out how Harbour will approach its second consecutive final.
‘‘Obviously, their game plan is to go up the middle through their forward pack and they have a real good pack,’’ he said.
‘‘But we know what is coming and we know if we can slow down their frontfoot ball, it should be game on.’’
University has mastered the art of not committing too many players to the ruck and McHugh said the team would have to be accurate in that area so it could play the type of game it wants.
That means going low and bringing the ball carrier down quickly and efficiently.
Harbour has had some of the stuffing knocked out of its blueprint with its beefy Otagocontracted players not available. But the Hawks will still field a formidable pack with the likes of prop Giorgio Bower, loosie Solomon Pole and hardworking captain and No 8 Charles Elton capable of getting across the advantage line.
Stopping burly second fiveeighth Hemaua Samasoni is an undertaking and ahalf, while first fiveeighth Logan Allen’s tactical kicking game will be an asset as well.
The Hawks will not lack for physicality but the question is whether they will start lagging behind in the second half.
Arguably they were favourites last season and led Southern 1210 at the break. But they faded in the second spell and eventually lost 2415.
Elton is one of seven starters from last year’s final to return for another shot and he is hoping for a different result.
Despite missing the likes of bruising ball carriers Joketani Koroi and Sione Misiloi, Elton said the game plan would ‘‘not change much’’.
‘‘We’ve definitely still got the big chunky forward pack you talk about . . . so it won’t change much in terms of what we do,’’ he said.
The upset win against Taieri in the semifinal cemented Harbour’s belief it can still play the type of rugby it would like to play.
‘‘University is definitely a different kettle of fish. They are a good side and have shown that all year.
‘‘Taylor Haugh is a massive threat at the back and I think it showed last week. The two tries they did score were in a lot down to him.
‘‘They have a good forward pack, a good lineout and good set pieces, so we’ve identified those areas as well.’’
That just leaves some gaps around the ruck — perhaps.
Harbour has never won the banner, while University is chasing its 50th title.