CLUB RUGBY SEMIFINALS
Four teams left — and only two will still be standing after tomorrow’s Dunedin premier club rugby semifinals. Hayden Meikle looks at the two clashes.
Green Island v Kaikorai
Where: Miller Park.
When: Saturday, 2.45pm.
Previous games: Kaikorai 27, Green Island 19; Green Island 35, Kaikorai 12.
The oil: The removal of most of the best players in Otago from the club rugby semifinals for a preseason game was always going to alter the landscape, and this game is a fine example.
Green Island loses its ‘‘big three’’ — blockbusting No 8 Dylan Nel, classy halfback James Arscott and dynamic midfielder Ray Nu’u — and they will be hard to replace.
But the Grizzlies, like the other clubs, knew this moment was coming, and did some tinkering in recent weeks to prepare for the absence of their star men.
They were stung by a loss to Kaikorai in the first round but were then the form team in the Gallaway Trophy, and deservedly topped the table heading into the playoffs.
A tough, combative forward pack is led by yeoman locks Woody Kirkwood and Josh Clark, while hooker Jake Fowler and the ageless Peter Mirrielees can cause havoc up front and rising openside flanker Heath McEwan will be keen to impress.
The Te Hiwi brothers, midfielder Jake and fullback Isaac, will look to fire outside composed first five Finn Strawbridge.
Kaikorai started the season with a hiss and roar but then fell away badly, and rather limped into the playoffs.
The Demons were thumped 3411 by Taieri in the first round but survived as the highestplaced loser for the semifinals.
They, too, will be without some key players as hooker Henry Bell, prop Jonah Aoina and loose forwards Christian LioWillie and Slade McDowall get a run with Otago.
Ben Miller is the main man at No 10 in a backline that has misfired too often, while lock Pita Sinamoni and flanker Jake Russ will need to really lift the pack.
Green Island will start as the favourite, knowing it could be at full strength for the final if it can get there.
University v Taieri
Where: University Oval. When: Saturday, 2.45pm. Previous games: Taieri 27, University 24; University 35, Taieri 12.
The oil: Fought out a close one in the opening round before the students ran away with it in the Gallaway Trophy section of the season.
Of all the four teams, University is perhaps the most affected by the loss of representative players.
It loses dynamite hooker Ricky Jackson, arguably the form player in the competition in recent weeks, inspirational lock Josh Hill and midfielders Giovanni Leituala and Thomas UmagaJensen, though the latter — coming into barnstorming form — was set to miss the semifinal with injury.
The Bookworms can still field a decent team built around the fulcrum of nippy halfback Kieran McClea and tidy first five Sam Clarke, while Tom Rance is potent on the wing.
There is also strength in props Kilipati Lea and Carlos Policarpio, while Louis Magalogo is a vigorous openside as part of a sound loose trio.
Defending champion Taieri was set to be at full strength, losing only loose forward Sam Fischli, but a callup for goalkicking whizz Cameron Millar has levelled the odds.
Millar will be a huge loss but there is an able deputy in Brayden Laing.
Allaction loose forward Nick Henderson, back after a concussion break, will power the Eels behind lock and captain Ben Morris and a sound front row, and the backline has enough experience to cope with semifinals pressure.
Taieri is a slight favourite, but the rematch of the 2020 final could go either way.