Injury cloud hovers over key position for Stags

An injury cloud hangs over not just one but three frontline first five-eighths days out from the Southland Stags’ National Provincial Championship opener.

Stags coach Dale MacLeod confirmed Marty Banks, Greg Dyer and Robbie Robinson all have leg niggles of some sort ahead of the first-up game against Tasman in Blenheim on Sunday.

Banks, who is arguably the Stags’ marquee player, has been labelled a ‘‘fifty-fifty’’ chance to play against Tasman because of an ankle injury, while Robinson has a calf injury and MacLeod said they would need to manage him over the coming weeks.

Dyer missed both pre-season games after taking a knock to the leg in the club final but is expected to be the best chance to be right for Sunday.

‘‘I’m hoping, and I’ve got trust in our medical team, that we’ll get one of those three boys over the line, and then it’s who else can do the job,’’ MacLeod said.

Former Otago and North Otago player Levi Emery, who has made the move south and is part of the Stags setup as a development player, could provide first five-eighth cover.

The Stags finished their preseason preparation with a 33-19 loss to Tasman in Christchurch on Friday after trailing 19-0 at halftime.

Seven days earlier MacLeod had watched Southland lose 50-5 to Otago via a live stream from Australia where he was on coaching duties with Tongan.

He admitted he was disappointed by that effort but was encouraged by the response against Tasman.

‘‘We probably dominated the whole game, to be fair. In the first half, we probably bombed three tries, one over the line and two were held up, and they scored a couple of tries against the run of play.

‘‘It could quite easily have been 19-all at halftime, and then in the second half we went out and won the second half, so there were a lot of positives to come out of it.

‘‘I was really pleased with the shift around the mindset and playing for the jersey.

‘‘I saw enough on Friday to say, ‘well actually, this team’s got something’. In terms of the quality of men, this will be one of the best groups we’ve had. The rugby part of it we’ll see when we get playing.’’

MacLeod said he had no doubt Tasman would be a much tougher proposition when competition points go on the line this Sunday.