Top two teams to square off in final week of championship round
The two form teams in the premier club rugby competition will meet in the final week of the championship round today.
Competition leaders Coastal will host defending champions New Plymouth Old Boys at the Rahotu Domain before the competition moves to a full premiership round next week.
The match is developing into a thrilling prospect with both teams unbeaten, although Old Boys had a draw against Southern a fortnight ago.
Coastal coach Trent Olliver said the squad’s new players had brought an extra edge this season.
It’s a good sign for the side, which have lost veterans like Rick McKenna and Jeremy Newell from last year.
“Our strength is that we have 22 guys prepared to front up and do a job each week,” Olliver said. “Everyone has had their moments and are prepared to keep learning.”
They have beaten Tukapa, Spotswood United, Inglewood and Southern so far this season. Coastal faced their toughest test last weekend against Southern, but it was the second half where they came through to win.
“The fact that the team can play structure and then switch to eyes-up footy is a real strength,” he said. “This early in the year, we’re looking to improve across the park on defence and attack.”
Old Boys thumped Inglewood 77-19 last week in the biggest winning margin of the competition this season.
The side’s co-coach, Hamish Mitchell, was naturally pleased with the performance and said the players were building each week with plenty still to work on. “We have a good bunch of boys who want to work hard for each other,” he said. “The lads have bought into the team culture.”
With a confident game plan that encouraged an ad-hoc style of play at times, Mitchell said they were trying to keep up with the game as it evolved. But he knows the threat ahead this weekend.
“The Coast has threats across the park. A hardworking pack and skilled backs complement them as well.
“They’re a very good side.”
Southern’s Cody McGrath will play in his 100th match for Southern against Inglewood in Hāwera.
The midfielder is the first player to reach the milestone for both Southern and the Hāwera United Cricket Club.
Southern will be looking for their second win of the season, while Inglewood will want to tighten their defence after last week’s thumping.
Elsewhere, Spotswood United host Tukapa for the Dan O’Brien Shield at Yarrow Stadium.
The rivalry between the two teams dates back to 1902 and was originally played between Tukapa and Star. Star amalgamated with Spotswood Old Boys in 1990.
Stratford-Eltham host Clifton at Victoria Park in the remaining match.
All matches kick off today at 2.45pm.
▮ In the women’s competition, Southern hosts Inglewood at Hicks Park and Coastal-Okaiawa plays Clifton. Tukapa has the bye. Both matches start at 12.30pm.
Tasting an array of garlic-infused delicacies must have brought a dose of enthusiasm to high school students from around Taranaki, who are taking part in a regionwide growing trial.
About 40 teenagers from the eight schools involved in the trials were treated to a gourmet lunch at Novotel in New Plymouth after a field trip to Bell Block’s Longridge garlic processing plant on Thursday.
The event was to celebrate the end of the first year of Venture Taranaki’s garlic growing trial, part of its Branching Out project.
The project has identified a number of innovative, commercially viable food and fibre value chain opportunities for Taranaki, to help the region diversify and supplement its dairy and energy production.
Garlic bread, prepared with four different varieties of garlic, was handed around so students could compare flavours.
Butter was the most obvious taste in a slice made from imported Chinese garlic, but the bread flavoured with Taranaki-grown Turban garlic packed a delicious punch.
Executive chef Richard Ponder said he chose different varieties of garlic to match the dish they were going into.
The garlic featured in lamb sliders with garlic aioli, smoked brisket tortillas with cumin pickled garlic, Yorkshire puddings with garlic mousse and grilled mushrooms, and seafood croquettes with garlic hummus.
Poppy Darvill-Jackson from Taranaki Diocesan School and Joe Stachurski of Inglewood High School were keen to taste the various dishes.
“It’s like being judges in Masterchef,” quipped Poppy.
The Yorkshire pudding and mushroom dish had just a hint of garlic.
“It’s really creamy,” the pair said together.
The lamb sliders also got a nod of appreciation.
“The meat has a lot of flavour, you taste the garlic at the end,” Joe said.
Both also enjoyed the stronger flavour in the smoked brisket tortillas with cumin pickled garlic.
“I reckon my Dad would have liked it even more, he’s a big garlic fan,” Poppy said.
Project adviser Ross Redpath, who is the agricultural adviser for the LA Alexander Trust, which is supporting the trial, said the eight schools taking part in the first year of the trial each planted two or three varieties.
Altogether, about 1000 garlic cloves went into the ground.
“It was really good because everything wasn’t perfect so there was great learning,” he said.
“Initially everything grew really well, but with the nature of the school year, managing the weeding was a challenge for some.”
The garlic crop at Francis Douglas Memorial College was the first to be affected by rust and then got harvested a bit late, but it had still produced a good crop, he said.
“We’re going to plant earlier this year and harvest at the beginning of December, when the students are still at school.” This year, nine schools are taking part. “It’s really neat to have the schools and kids involved,” he said.
“For the school learning purposes, this just ticks so many boxes, it’s relevant, local, multifaceted, you’ve got the growing of it, the value-added side, food technology, hospitality, there is so much.”
He said the trial success so far showed the potential in the region for the crop, and for garlic to be sold by variety in much the same way as apples were marketed, he said.
“You could sell Taranaki turban garlic, it would be a point of difference.”