Heartland Championship preview
Steve Hale runs the rule over the 12 Heartland Championship provinces as they reset after a year’s competition absence.
Steve Hale has all the oil from the 12 unions ahead of the August 21 kickoff of this important competition, which was shelved in 2020.
Jason rickard and the Mid Canterbury Hammers made a resurgence in 2020 after a disappointing 2019 season.
THAMES VALLEY
Alias: swamp Foxes Colours: gold, red and black Home grounds: Paeroa Domain; boyd Park, Te Aroha 2019 finish: First on table (Meads Cup semifinalists) Co-coaches: David Harrison and Joe Murray Assistant coaches: Matt bartlett and Matt rolston Prospects: Mobile pack, especially the back five of scrum, powerful midfield. ben bonnar is the barometer at halfback. young front-row will need to assert itself from round one. Players to watch: Harry Lafituanai (centre), Connor Mcverry (lock), Sione Vakapuna Etoni (wing)
KING COUNTRY
Alias: rams Colours: Maroon and gold Home grounds: rugby Park, Te Kuiti; Taumarunui Domain 2019 finish: 10th Head coach: Craig Jeffries Assistant coaches: Charles Hubbard and Aarin Dunster Prospects: 2018 head coach Craig Jeffries returns after a year off. He brings with him a highly experienced coaching team. King Country’s strength will be up-front. expect no frills, hard football from the tight five. Look for a number of highly promising local players from the King Country development system to make their mark this season. Players to watch: The tight five, led by the hugely experienced former Taranaki and Heartland XV prop Carl Carmichael.
NORTH OTAGO
Alias: Old golds Colours: gold, maroon and blue Home ground: whitestone Contracting stadium, Oamaru 2019 finish: second on table (Meads Cup champions) Head coach: Jason Forrest Assistant coach: shane Carter Prospects: A hard-working squad with depth off the bench who will look to express themselves and play what is in front of them. Despite talismanic prop and dropped goal exponent ralph Darling having a reduced role this season, the Old golds should still be in Meads Cup playoffs contention. Players to watch: Melikisua Kolinisau (tighthead prop), Hayden Todd (centre), Levi Atiga (wing)
WAIRARAPA-BUSH
Colours: green and red Home ground: Memorial Park, Masterton 2019 finish: Third (Meads Cup semifinalists) Head coach: Mark rutene Assistant coaches: brent wilson and nathan riwai-couch Prospects: The new and experienced coaching staff, combined with a settled squad, should see this team pushing hard for a Meads Cup semifinal. A four-match pre-season campaign will have wairarapa-bush primed to hit the ground running against west Coast at home on August 21. Players to watch: Soli Malatai (wing), Andrew Mclean (lock), Johan van Vliet (flanker)
POVERTY BAY
Colours: scarlet and white Home ground: rugby Park, gisborne 2019 finish: eighth (Lochore Cup semifinalists) Head coaches: Miah nikora and Tom Cairns Prospects: The Poverty bay coaches have again placed huge faith in their local talent by naming a Heartland squad bereft of loan players, a policy it has adopted since 2019. Fireball waikohu openside flanker Adrian Wyrill will again captain the side. The squad is well stocked at prop and in the loose. A real focus this year will be shoring up the defence and adapting to pressure. Players to watch: Kelvin Smith (first five), Jarryd Broughton (prop), Aaron Mclelland (wing)
HOROWHENUA KAPITI
Alias: The ’nua Colours: blue, red and white Home grounds: Levin Domain; Otaki Domain 2019 finish: ninth Head coach: Chris wilton Assistant coach: Aleni Feagaiga Prospects: Coach wilton has seen a real improvement in the standard of Heartland rugby during his eight-year involvement at this level and he is really excited about 2021. while his teams have traditionally ground down opponents, expect to see a more expansive and flamboyant attacking approach from the ’nua this season. Players to watch: Ryan Shelford (lock), Kahn Fotuali’i (halfback), James So’oialo (first five)
NGATI POROU EAST COAST
Colours: sky blue and white Home ground: whakarua Park, ruatoria 2019 finish: 12th Head coach: Hosea gear Assistant coaches: Morgan wirepa and Leroy Kururangi Prospects: The victory over Poverty bay in June (featuring the debut of nehe Milner-skudder), was East Coast’s first win since August 2019 against BOP Maori and a great omen for the coming season. The floodgates will open and that elusive Heartland victory (which has been heartbreakingly close in recent years) will finally happen as this team learn to nail more ‘big moments’. Players to watch: Hone Haerewa (no 8), Perrin Manuel (prop), Sam Parkes (halfback)
WHANGANUI
Alias: butcher boys Colours: blue, black and white Home ground: Cooks gardens, whanganui 2019 finish: Fourth on table (Meads Cup finalists) Head coach: Jason Caskey Assistant coaches: Jason Hamlin and Kim Mcnaught Prospects: It will be business as usual for the butcher boys, one of the titans of Meads Cup rugby. Highly experienced coach Jason Caskey has a hard-working, experienced and durable squad at his disposal. Securing a home semifinal will be at the forefront of the whanganui troops’ minds. Players to watch: Campbell Hart (lock), Josh Lane (lock), Lindsay Horrocks (halfback)
SOUTH CANTERBURY
Colours: green, black and white Home ground: Alpine energy stadium, Timaru 2019 finish: seventh (Lochore Cup champions) Head coach: nigel walsh Assistant coaches: Chris gard and shaun breen Prospects: big mobile pack with some genuine X-factor out wide. The Lochore Cup champs in 2019 will continue to play their attacking expansive style of rugby. After being restricted to a south Islandonly programme last season, nigel walsh says his troops are really looking forward to competing with the north Island unions again. Players to watch: william wright (halfback), Nick Strachan (flanker), Johnny Borland (loose forward)
WEST COAST
Colours: red and white Home ground: John sturgeon Park, greymouth 2019 finish: Fifth (Lochore Cup finalists) Head coach: Dave Perrin Assistant coaches: Kyle Parker and Troy Tauwhare (player/coach) Prospects: The Coast will be tough to combat up-front and strong in the loose forward department, a difficult customer to beat when it’s raining and blowing in greymouth. Assistant coach Kyle Parker says they will also be looking to play with width and continuity. Loan players were in the process of being finalised as this publication went to print. Players to watch: Troy Tauwhare (hooker), Josh Tomlinson (loose forward), Steven Soper (flanker)
BULLER
Colours: blue and red Home ground: Victoria Square, Westport 2019 finish: sixth (Lochore Cup semifinalists) Head coach: gus Martyn Assistant coaches: Ti’i Paulo and Tim Manawatu Prospects: rumour has it that inspirational Heartland XV first five James Lash may have called time on his Heartland career and while his absence will be a blow for the westport-based union, expect a strong, well-coached buller squad to still feature in the Lochore Cup playoffs this season. Players to watch: Iliesa Tora (wing), Anthony Ellis (hooker/tighthead), Alex Paterson (wing/fullback)
‘Expect the 2013 and 2014 Meads Cup back-to-back champions (Mid Canty) to shake a few trees this season.’
MID CANTERBURY
Alias: Hammers Colours: green and gold Home ground: Ashburton showgrounds 2019 finish: 11th Head coach: Jason rickard Assistant coaches: sean Cuttance and Dale Palmer Prospects: A wider training squad of 41 has been working hard and the Hammers are focused on placing much higher up the Heartland ladder this year. Mid Canterbury has depth up front, creating genuine competition for final squad places, which the coaching group of rickard, Cuttance and Palmer are delighted about. expect the 2013 and 2014 Meads Cup back-to-back champions to shake a few trees this season. Players to watch: seta Koroitamana (loose forward), Raitube Vasuarakuta (wing), Nick Foxley (centre)