Shield defence far from typical pre-season game
If Mid Canterbury is banking on hosting a red and black outfit in pre-season mode, plan B is sure to be a better option.
Canterbury will put the Ranfurly Shield on the line against the Heartland Championship side in Ashburton on Friday afternoon, the third defence of their 15th tenure.
The defending Mitre 10 Cup champions have already dealt to one Heartland side when they thrashed champions Wanganui 71-5 in Christchurch in June.
With only a few Super Rugby players available, it highlighted the stupendous depth of Christchurch club rugby and showed just how difficult an ambush will be at the Ashburton Showgrounds on Friday.
New coach Glenn Delaney described the game against Wanganui as a pre-season game with an ‘‘enormous prize’’ at stake, something he reiterated ahead of his team’s final match before the NPC kicks off on August 17.
‘‘We’ve had to approach these pre-season games as 100 per cent competitive fixtures,’’ Delaney said. ‘‘In normal pre-season games you get a chance to mix around and try new things, but we have to be very mindful and respectful that we’re playing for a pretty important trophy.’’
Mid Canterbury has lost all 12 previous Shield challenges, including seven against Canterbury, and would become the first Heartland side to hold the Log o’ Wood since South Canterbury (1974) if they pull off a boilover.
In his second match in charge since taking over from now Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, Delaney has named three Super Rugby players – prop Alex Hodgman (Blues) and loose forwards Jed Brown (Crusaders) and Tom Sanders (Chiefs) – in his starting side. Super Rugby players are entitled to a break before joining their provinces, meaning Luke Whitelock (Highlanders), who captained Canterbury when they nabbed the Shield off Waikato last year, wasn’t considered for Friday’s match.
‘‘Some of the guys that finished a bit earlier or haven’t played a lot of footy, they’ve decided they want to play and that’s fine,’’ Delaney said. ‘‘Luke will come down and work next week. He’s had a massive Super season and played very well. From our perspective, we want him refreshed and ready to go and that’s exactly where he will be when he gets here next week.’’
Canterbury is littered with franchise players, including a bunch of Crusaders currently in South Africa for Sunday morning’s (NZT) Super Rugby decider. However, their absence has opened the door for fringe players chasing a spot in Delaney’s Mitre 10 Cup squad, to be named on Tuesday.
Delaney has included four uncapped players in his 23-strong squad for the Shield defence, including starting wing Josh McKay, who helped the New Zealand under-20s win the World Cup in June. He played most of his rugby at first-five eighth for Christchurch Boys’ High School, and Delaney confirmed he would cover pivot Brett Cameron against Mid Canterbury.
‘‘He came through age grade as a 10 and I think people figured out he could run pretty quick,’’ Delaney said.
‘‘He’s quick – genuinely quick. So they’ve developed his ability as an outside back. We haven’t ruled him out of being able to play both, and he played for the under-20s as an outside and did really well.
‘‘ We have a fair idea of where we’re at, but if we look at the Wanganui game as a point, there was a lad who got himself a contract out of that game and he will get named in the squad next week.’’
Mid Canterbury’s squad boasts former All Black centre Regan King, 36, who will is playing a season for the Hammers.