Development coach happy with players’ early attitude
RUGBY: There was a time when thousands flocked to watch Taranaki play Wanganui.
Be it their annual Anzac Day clash at Rugby Park, the return match on Queen’s Birthday at Spriggens Park or the odd Ranfurly Shield clash in New Plymouth.
Times have certainly changed. The Taranaki Development team will face the Heartland Championship side in Hawera in their annual pre-season match today.
While it would make many a pensioner wonder how this has come about, the fact is it’s likely to be a fairly tight match, even though many of the likely Taranaki Development squad members will be playing for Taranaki in their pre-season match against Counties Manukau in Otorohanga.
Confused? Taranaki Development coach Ngatai Walker’s not.
He’s excited about the attitude the players he has selected have brought to the four training runs they have had together.
While he was ‘‘not 100 per cent’’ sure just how many of players he will eventually get from those training with the A team, the ones he had now were ‘‘pushing really hard’’ to be involved in the Northern Regions tournament.
With only four runs, Walker has sacrificed defence in favour of attack.
‘‘I’m pretty confident we will go well,’’ he said.
There had also been a bit of work done on their set piece, a vital cog in how he wants their ‘‘two to three start-up- plays’’ working.
Today’s squad features a num- ber of stand-out players from the club season.
They include Tukapa fullback Jayson Potroz who has been named co-captain along with New Plymouth Old Boys hooker Willie McBride.
Robust Southern loose forward Trent Pickering will form a decent loose forward trio along with Hayden Patene and Kolaia Nalewabau while Eli Kneepkens will start at first five-eighth, despite playing the club season on the wing.