Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Mako are ready for yet another mighty season
Co-captains Mitch Hunt and Quinten Strange will again lead the Tasman Mako as they look to continue their remarkable record in provincial rugby.
After winning promotion to the premiership in 2013, the Mako have made at least the semifinals in every season since, including back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020 and four other finals. Last season, they only narrowly missed a threepeat, going down 23-20 to Waikato in the final.
This year they will have new co-coaches Gray Cornelius and Dan Perrin, who will oversee largely the same playing squad from 2021 for this year’s Bunnings Warehouse NPC.
The main addition is Samoan international fullback/winger Tomasi Alosio, who played for Wellington last year. He will provide a mature presence in an area where the Mako will be without All Blacks Will Jordan, Sevu Reece and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
They will also lose Finlay Christie, Shannon Frizell and David Havili to All Blacks duty, and will not have prop Tyrel Lomax for at least the South African leg of the Rugby Championship. Homegrown flanker Ethan Blackadder, who made his All Blacks debut last year, is out injured.
But as the Mako showed last year in their run to the final, they can rise to the occasion with exciting local talent.
Tasman Rugby Union chief executive Lyndon Bray said the union celebrated the success of its players being rewarded with national honours.
But he said the Mako were still in good shape because a number of local players it had brought through, such as William Havili, Antonio Shalfoon and Max Hicks had gained Super rugby experience. Last year injuries and All Black call-ups meant it had also blooded promising locals, including fullback Macca Springer and halfbacks Noah Hotham and Louie Chapman in the NPC.
Another six young players had been selected in the wider Mako development squad this season.
Bray said the NPC would be highly competitive this year with the rise of Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty alongside the traditional big city powerhouses, but the Mako were aiming for at least a top four finish.
Former Mako head coach Andrew Goodman, who leaves next month to become backs coach at Irish club Leinster, said he was going to miss not being part of a team he had played in and coached for the last 15 years.
‘‘They have an awesome squad and I’m really excited for the season to start. It’s a competitive NPC but they definitely have a group that are confident and ready to go.’’
The NPC format has changed this year, with 14 teams split into two conferences based on last year’s standings, playing for one title. Previously there had been championship and premiership titles.
Tasman are in the ‘‘Evens’’ conference with Canterbury, Auckland, Taranaki, Manawatu¯ , North Harbour and Northland. They will play four crossover games against Southland, Otago, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.
The Mako kick off their season on Sunday, August 7 against Southland in Blenheim. They also play Canterbury in Blenheim on August 26 before Nelson matches against Wellington on September 7, Taranaki on September 11 and Northland on September 24.