Mangonui prepare for battle
Dealing with a group of unknowns and transforming them into a cohesive unit doesn’t faze Derren Witcombe one iota.
The coach who took the Taniwha from being the whipping boys of national provincial rugby to a force to be reckoned with once again was in his customary cool, calm and collected mode as he guided the Mangonui reps through the second of three trainings at Awanui on Tuesday night, ahead of the big sub union clash in Kaitaia on Saturday.
Witcombe said he wasn’t taking any special approach for the one-off game. The main priority while he watched the players being put through their paces by his assistant coaches was, he said, to obtain some “clarity”.
“I don’t know a lot of them, probably a good thing to be honest. The only thing I haven’t had on these players is [their] skills and fitness,” he said, adding he’d simply run the team as if it were his Mitre10 Cup side.
Witcombe made no bones about his intentions for Saturday, “We want to win,” but added there was no inside rivalry between himself and Taniwha assistant coach George Konia — who will coach the Bay of Islands team for Saturday’s game.
“We play for enjoyment and part of that is winning.”
One of the other benefits from the game is to bring fringe players directly under the eye of the Northland selectors, who are expected to be out in force at Arnold Rae on Saturday.
“I am not going in with any preconceptions. If there’s someone good enough to make our high performance squad, they will be offered a contract. There’s pathways for everyone.”
The reanimation of sub union competition through the introduction of the Robbie Ball Cup was also about ensuring the ties between the grassroots clubs and Northland strong.
“George and I are really big on it [sub union competition]. It’s a positive thing for Far North rugby. I think it’s good for the game. It lets players know we are serious about the Far North as well as Whangarei.”
The Mangonui and Bay of Islands selectors are expected to confirm their respective teams for Saturday following the final training runs tonight. ■ There are now two curtain raisers before the Mangonui vs Bay of Islands sub union clash for the inaugural Robbie Ball Cup at Arnold Rae Park on Saturday. The first game on the rugby triple bill will see the Kaitaia U16s taking on Kerikeri U16s at 11am. This will be followed by the Kaitaia College 1st XV vs a Moerewa/ Kaikohe Under-18 selection at 12.30pm, before the main game kicks off at 2.30pm.
The late Robbie Ball was a hugely respected figure in Northland and New Zealand rugby for his work keeping his adopted Kaeo rugby club afloat — literally — during back-to-back years of serious flooding last decade. Robbie’s wife Clare Farrell will present the cup to the winner of Saturday’s game.
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