Big Mike has a big month and gets a big growling
It’s been a big month for new Taranaki prop Mike Kainga.
Having ended his first year at Coastal after being recruited by Taranaki, the tighthead specialist found himself called into the Hurricanes as injury cover.
Four games later he’s a Super Rugby champion having come off the bench in the final to enjoy the Wellington-based franchise’s first title.
Funnily enough, Kainga was more nervous playing his first competition game for Taranaki last week against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga than he was sitting on the bench in the Super Rugby final against the Lions.
‘‘At the Canes there was no expectation on me, I could just go out and play,’’ he said. ‘‘Where as last weekend it was about going back to my old province where I played for five years with all my mates there.’’
Kainga, 25, didn’t take long to silence any banter being directed his way as the Taranaki scrum got on top from the get-go with the New Zealand Maori rep setting the tone.
It was something he was more than pleased about for a number of reasons, including the fact he had felt the sharp edge of coach Colin Cooper’s dissatisfaction about the way he had played against Waikato in Taranaki’s last pre-season game.
‘‘I got pumped against Waikato, Coops wasn’t happy,’’ he admitted. ‘‘He gave me a bit of a growling and it worked. We sat down and reset our goals again and it showed on Saturday.’’
While it’s an often used line when a player shifts from one province to the other, Kainga appears genuine when he said it has been the best move of his playing career that has also included a stint with the Chiefs in 2013.
‘‘I felt I was getting a bit rusty, a bit stale in Bay of Plenty and Coops has given me a new life in my rugby career and the trainer has got me on a new programme. It’s the best I’ve felt ever, the strongest I’ve been and the fittest I’ve been.’’
Very much an action speaks louder the words man, Kainga wanted to ‘‘earn his jersey’’ more than anything else.
‘‘I wanted to come in and earn some respect and now I just have to keep pressing forward. Not a lot of people know me around here so I have to earn their respect.’’
Taranaki Development: Eli Kneepkens, Henry Miles, Pomare Samupo, Blake Hohaia, Pita Sowakula, Telly Hemopo, Brett Goodin, Trent Pickering, Hayden Patene, Matthew Kissick, Micaiah Torrence-Read, Peter Northcott, Todd Curtis, Harry Jones, Zane Neill. Reserves, Scott Mellow, Asa Sonavaki, Baxter King, Jack Jordan, Thomas McElroy, Ryan Bishop, Jayden Ford.
Taranaki Under-19: Shaan Waite, Josh Perrett, Enele Fidow, Sione Ahokava, Keani Broughton, Matt McKenzie, Liam Blyde, Daniel Parete, Cole Blyde, Beauden Fleming, Regan Livingston, Jake Jarman, Kyle Stewart, Mitch O’Neill, Alex Mitchell. Reserves, Bryn Chard, Brendan Dent, Brendan Mobbs, Rueben MacLeod, Steven Snoxell, Cooper Rogers, Legend Newton, Jayden Calder.