Clash awesome opportunity for Otago — Herring
OTAGO coach Ben Herring will not have to channel his inner Martin Luther King or rouse the team with his version of ‘‘I have a dream’’.
There is no need for grand motivational speeches this week. All he has to do is point to the opposition.
Otago will join Canterbury and the All Blacks in the ‘‘Game of Three Halves’’ in Christchurch on Friday. It shapes as the biggest game some of his charges will ever play.
‘‘It is 100% excitement,’’
Herring responded when asked if he was feeling any trepidation at all.
‘‘It is a chance to sharpen our knives and we’ve picked the best sharpener you can get in the All Blacks.
‘‘It is an awesome opportunity. It will be great for us.’’
Otago will play backtoback ‘‘halves’’ against Canterbury followed by the All Blacks.
The last 40minute period will be contested between Canterbury and the All Blacks.
Potentially, such a hard preseason game could be seen as a mixed blessing. Otago will certainly be motivated and keen to impress but the extra adrenaline could cause a few problems as well.
Herring does not see it that way. He is hoping he can harness that energy.
‘‘We want to test all that stuff and build that adrenaline. The higher we can get to now is a good thing because then we know where we have to get to for other games.
‘‘Everyone is competing for position, so there is that little extra edge. But we are trying to build a culture where we want that competition.’’
It is Otago’s final hitout before its seasonopener against Wellington in the capital on August 19.
Herring was pleased with his side’s effort in the 3835 win against Southland in Alexandra on Friday.
It was a young Otago side which took the field and they gave a good account of themselves, he said.
‘‘I was really happy with the way the guys came together. We started really strong and put up a good lead.
‘‘We got through a lot of the stuff we’d been working on which was satisfying.
‘‘And the way some of the young guys closed the game out at the end under pressure was really nice to see.’’
Southland roared back with three late tries to cause some nervous moments.
‘‘There are some workons which you are always going to have after your first preseason game. But we are happy with the way the team is going.’’
Herring was reluctant to single out players but felt promising Cromwell front rower Kees Scott was one of the success stories.
‘‘He put his hand up during the last 15 minutes. It was nice to see a country boy in there and that was a nice little story.
‘‘It was a really good week for him in terms of understanding what the next jump up is going to be like.’’