SETTLED AND PRIMED
The Magpies look settled and are the Ranfurly Shield holders, but will that be enough to crack the Premiership semis, asks Campbell Burnes.
Newly promoted Hawke’s bay has the ranfurly shield and would love to think it can again walk with the giants, as it did in three straight NPC semifinal appearances from 2007-09.
but it will need consistency, luck and a touch more physicality in the Premiership. Happily, it can draw on one of the more settled rosters in the entire NPC.
The only man to jump ship, as it were, was hard-running wing Mason emerson, who took up a late deal in France. The Magpies will miss him, and also the injured halfback Folau Fakatava, the 2020 Duane Monkley Medal winner, and lock Isaia walker-leawere, who went down with a busted shoulder in club rugby last month. They will not see much of All black brad weber (nor brodie retallick, for that matter) and the involvement of Kurt Baker, who provided top value in 2020, was up in the air, at the time of writing, pending the outcome of the Tokyo Olympics and whether he opts to play some 15man code in september and October.
Mark Ozich, who took the coach of the year gong at the Hawke’s bay sports awards (the Magpies won the team of the year) does have the luxury of calling on a clutch of super rugby players who do not have huge workloads, other than talismanic captain Ash Dixon and loose forward Devan Flanders, and to a lesser extent Jonah Lowe. Centre stacey Ili did play a lot for the Melbourne Rebels and is coming off a campaign with Manu samoa.
But men like Lolagi Visinia, Danny Toala, Marino Mikaele-tu’u, Pouri Rakete-stones and the brothers Evans should be fizzing for this campaign.
The blending of super rugby talent, at various stages of fatigue, and talented youngsters from the academy, nz under 20s or club rugby is always a challenge for NPC coaches, but Ozich and his assistant Josh syms have been able to blood several tyros in the two ranfurly shield defences against north Otago and east Coast. Into that category fall Harry godfrey, Josh Gimblett, Kienan Higgins, Denon Robinson and Elijah Martin.
“Our roster’s pretty stable, so we’re fortunate in that respect. It’s good that we’ve got that continuity but bad because we could get comfortable,” says Ozich.
“we’ve got to bring these young guys through because at some point these older guys are going to move on. we’re not bringing players in from everywhere and relying on MLR (in the usa).”
Injury to Caleb Makene, who is not due back until probably October, and the absence of baker means the Magpies could be short at fullback. However, Visinia can slot in there, as can Tiaan Falcon, who is back from Japan but will probably vie with Lincoln Mcclutchie for the No 10 jersey. Toala can also suit up at the back.
Lowe, Visinia and Anzelo Tuitavuki can cover wing, as can midfielder Neria Fomai, who made a good impression with Manu samoa last month.
“Neria is a power wing or power midfielder,” says Ozich. There are few backline specialists outside No 10 and halfback, but that is gold in a squad situation.
The halfbacks will be Connor Mcleod and the new signing from Canterbury and the Crusaders, Ere Enari. He is a fine box kicker but now is the time to show some breadth to his game.
Flanders, brendon O’connor and Mikaele-tu’u were the main 8-7-6 combination last season, and very effective they were too. O’connor was battling an Achilles tendon niggle last month, but he should be right for competition kickoff, while there is real depth in behind via gareth evans, Josh Kaifa and solomone Funaki, who played for Tonga in July.
Hawke’s bay has three quality locks. It would have been four but for walker-leawere’s untimely injury. Tom Parsons is the main lineout man, while Bryn Evans is coming off a fine Highlanders season. Geoff Cridge has hit the 50-game mark for Hawke’s Bay.
Dixon, with 107 games to his credit and enough mana for a lifetime, will lead from the front once more. He scored nine tries from 11 outings in 2020, most off that deadly lineout drive, which the Magpies will employ again as a potent weapon. As in 2020, his back-up is Kianu Kereru-symes, who often leads the team when subbed on. He is not the official vice-captain this season, as Ozich just wants him to play on instinct when he subs on.
There is plenty of experience at prop, where Joe Apikotoa of the Chiefs, rakete-stones of the Hurricanes and namatahi waa will lead the way, with support from Joel Hintz and Jason Long.
Hawke’s bay can hurt you with some of its run and gun play, as Canterbury and wellington found to their cost last season, but the foundation of its game is set-piece, unashamedly so.
“It all starts there. you have to have a dominant set-piece. we don’t hide from the fact that we are going to lineout, drive and maul and challenge teams in that space,” declares Ozich.
All going well, the Magpies will defend the shield against Otago (August 14), Waikato (August 28), North Harbour (September 10), Bay of Plenty (September 19) and Tasman (October 9), with enough afternoon games to whet the appetite of fans with young families.
After wresting the Shield off Otago, Hawke’s Bay did well to handle the pressure, dispatching northland, Manawatu and wellington in short order to lock it away for the summer. If the shield stays in napier for another summer, that would go a long way towards cracking those Premiership semifinals.
“The shield can be both a positive and a negative. It challenges you to be good at home but it takes a lot of mental energy. we have to bring the same intent away from home, which we didn’t do so well last season,” Ozich says.
‘Hawke’s Bay can hurt you with some of its run and gun play, as Canterbury and Wellington found to their cost last season, but the foundation of its game is set-piece, unashamedly so.’