Pressure on Taniwha
Taniwha polishing individual tasks for big Waikato clash
The Taniwha will need high mental voltage for the entire game this Saturday, otherwise the Mooloos will shortcircuit their ambition to play in the Mitre 10 Cup final.
Northland will need more than “ifOtago-can-do-it, so-can-we” attitude heading to FMG Stadium in Hamilton for the Mitre 10 Cup Championship semifinal on Saturday and the enormity of the task isn’t lost on mentor Derren Witcombe.
“Waikato beat us and they beat us well,” Witcombe said, referring to the 28-71 thumping at Okara Park on October 6.
“We didn’t turn up, we weren’t there mentally but I believe we’re better than that and we need to go and prove that on Saturday.”
While Waikato’s current form will give them a degree of conviction — Otago took the Ranfurly Shield off them last weekend — history is not worth any points this weekend if they don’t front up.
They have to start again and the complementary class of their backs and forwards brings more confidence about winning and winning well in front of their fans.
For Northland, the key is for every single player to perform his job well because they get only one chance in knockout footy.
“Our big focus is on individual preparation. We’ve had a couple of games in the last couple of weeks which probably haven’t been up to our standards so we’re focusing on individual preparation, individuals getting their roles right and that will help create a good team performance,” Witcombe said.
Quite a few players are still injured but he said everyone was excited to play in the semis and wanted to put on a good show. The team are at the same juncture they were at last season — in the semis, albeit against a different opposition and at a different venue.
However, the pressure on the team and the expectation of Taniwha fans are up, especially since Otago wrestled the Log o’ Wood from Waikato last weekend.
“We’ve had a totally different team than we had last year. Not as experienced so just reflecting on that the last couple of days we’re actually quite proud of where we got to with the group we’ve had,” Witcombe said.
“We’ve . . . had a lot of injuries and filled those places with club rugby players.
“I think we’re on the road to where we want to get to and what we want to achieve as a province so I think we’ve improved in some areas but some we could probably get better at.”
Veteran Rene Ranger said there has been a lot of energy around training this week and the team’s focus has been on performing well for the province.
“We just need to cut down our error rate and probably work a bit harder off the ball and make the right decisions. Our focus is on individuals performing well.
“Waikato will bring a lot of physicality, they’ve got some big boys up front so we have to match them.”
When the game gets wider or there are fractured breakdowns, the focus will be on Northland loose forwards and the supporting impact powerful runners such as Ranger can bring.
They are often the links to continue a movement or the destructive counter-puncher at breakdowns where they are able to draw crucial defensive penalties.
Waikato are the real deal and have been throughout this campaign.
There is some sting from the Taniwha backs but also an erratic streak about their work and that will be crippling in the intensity of the Waikato mosh pit.
The match will kick off at 2.35pm on Saturday, while Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin will host the other semifinal between hosts Otago and Hawke’s Bay. The final will be played next Friday.
The Northland team will be named today.