Waikato will make a return to McLean Park tomorrow for the quarter final play off game with Hawkes Bay as a warm favorite. The reason for their favoritism would be,
1 Danny Lees unavailability due to injury
2 Stephen Donald's return
3 Waikatos finals experience
4 Hawkes Bays lack of finals experience
Now lets have a look at these facts one by one.
Hawkes Bay will unquestionable miss Danny Lee. His form this year has been outstanding, and his sniping runs around the fringes and the direction he gives his forward pack is top notch. But didn't he miss the Wellington game, and if i recall rightly Chris Eaton stepped in and played like a younger version of Danny and outplayed Piri Weepu.
Stephen Donald is without a doubt a classy footballer, you simply don't play Super14 and for the Junior All Blacks unless you are.But didn't i see him make a couple of elementary mistakes last week against Northland under pressure.
Waikato are the current holders of the Air New Zealand Cup. So does that mean they automatically deserve to be thought of as probable winners come finals time.Ask the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL what can happen can finals footy time.
Hawkes Bays lack of experience in finals footy is in my opinion a good thing. Here is a team that simply doesn't care about the reputation of opposition side, or who plays for them.They just go about their business and get the job done.And lets not forget they beaten Waikato once already this season haven't they?
For the Bay to succeed again tomorrow, the onus will again be on the tight five to perform. If they can match or better the Waikato pack, and give Donald messy ball the dangerous outside backs of Waikato will have very little opportunity to operate.
Now without a doubt the Waikato loosies are a very formidable trio.Messam, Holah, and Bates are without doubt one of the best trios in the country, and Hawkes Bays trio of Webb, Johnson and Lowe will have to be at their best to once again match up with them.
Waikato place a huge amount of their attack on Bates and Messam standing off rucks or outside Donald. This can be nullified with Hawkes Bay getting more numbers to the rucks, and attempting to gain quick turnover ball, or at worst make Waikatos ball slow to enable the defensive line to get back into sequence.
This encounter tomorrow will be an exciting game with both teams showing a keenness to move the ball wide, and score tries through what on paper would appear to be two very good backlines, with talent aplenty.
Virtually all the so called experts are saying Waikato will win. But didn't they say the same when the Bay played Southland, Wellington, North Harbour, Waikato (for the first time), and even some against Counties.
Hawkes Bay supporters will be hoping that once again these so called experts couldn't pick their noses.
Hawke's Bay coach Peter Russell has made three player changes and one positional switch for his side's Air New Zealand Cup quarter-final match against Waikato in Napier on Sunday.
Chris Eaton comes in at scrum-half for skipper Danny Lee who suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the final preliminary round match against Manawatu last week.
Michael Johnson has been named captain and comes in at blindside flanker for Matt Egan who moves to lock at the expense of Lua Lokotui.
Grant Webb will start at number eight, replacing George Naopu who has been named on the bench along with Lokotui.
Meanwhile, Waikato have kept the faith in their side by naming an unchanged starting line-up.
While coach Warren Gatland has kept the same fifteen that began the narrow home win over Northland last weekend, there are two changes on the bench.
Kent Fife comes back from a shoulder injury to provide locking cover and Waikato development team openside flanker Matt Blain is named in the senior side for the first time this season.
Flanker Steven Setephano was unavailable this week because of a strained adductor muscle, while prop Nathan White is out for the rest of the season and will need surgery for a bulging disc in his back.
Gatland said his players were determined to make amends for their loss to Hawke's Bay at McLean Park a fortnight ago.  
15. Ben Batger 15. Dwayne Sweeney
14. Jason Kupa 14. Sosene Anesi
13 Jason Shoemark 13. Roimata Hansell-Pune
12. Sam Giddens 12. Jackson Willison
11. Zac Guildford 11. Roy Kinikinilau
10. Matt Berquist 10. Stephen Donald
9. Chris Eaton 9. Josh Sutherland 8. Grant Webb 8. Liam Messam
7. Karl Lowe 7. Marty Holah
6. Micheal Johnson (C) 6. Steven Bates
5. Bryn Evans 5. Josh Olsen
4. Matt Egan 4. Mark Burman
3. Tim Fairbrother 3. Aled De Malmanche
2. Hika Elliot 2. Tom Willis (C)
1. Faka'anaua Taumalolo 1. Craig West 16. Jamie Muir 16. Vern Kamo
17. Christian Pera 17. Josh Honeck
18. Will Crutchley 18. Kent Fife
19. George Naoupu 19. Matt Blain
20. Chad Shepard 20. William Ripia
21.Aayden Clarke 21. Jared Payne
22. Davis Norman 22.James Kamana Referee: Keith Brown
Touch judges: Brent Murray, Vinny Munro
Television match official: Chris Pollock
Assessor: Glenn Wahlstrom, Peter Boyden Todays game is the 43rd between HB and Waikato. Waikato have won 24 matches, the Magpies winning 17 and one draw. Kick off tomorrow (Sunday) 2.35pm at McLean Park. Should be a ripper of a game, with an almost gaurenteed sell out crowd. Magpierugby wished the mighty Magpies all the best for this fantastic game and are backing the boys to go all the way. Goodluck fella's all the best and congrates on a massive season so far. Go the Bay! |
