The cross-Kaimai stoush is always a good one, and there's a lot more at stake on Tuesday that just bragging rights for the Chiefs area, as whoever loses is in danger of falling right off the pace and making the Premiership four will start to look very hard.
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 77; Waikato 48, Bay of Plenty 25, drawn 4.
LAST TIME: July 26, 2011 (Rotorua) – Bay of Plenty 36-8 Waikato.
WALKING WOUNDED: Waikato will be without three leading players through a variety of minor injuries; skipper Alex Bradley, centre Jackson Willison and lock Romana Graham have all been ruled out. In total Chris Gibbes has made seven changes from the team that faced Auckland. Despite his side getting a pasting last Friday, Kevin Schuler has restricted himself to three changes – at prop, lock (where Leon Power returns after missing that game) and halfback.
FORM:
Waikato:
Round 1: beat North Harbour 42-22 (a)
Round 2: lost to Northland 27-29 (h)
Round 3: lost to Auckland 22-32 (a)
Bay of Plenty:
Round 1: lost to Taranaki 22-37 (h)
Round 2: beat Otago 31-19 (h)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 13-47 (a)
Waikato was expected to be among the leading teams in 2012, and especially in the second half at Albany, looked the part. But the Mooloos have not played much effective rugby since then; they lost to Northland narrowly on the board but more decisively on the field, while against Auckland a significant superiority in both territory and possession could not be turned into a win – or even a consolation point. One from three is not where Waikato expected to be at this point.
Bay of Plenty are also one from three, and they're coming into this game after getting soundly walloped by Counties at Pukekohe. Tanerau Latimer was fuming as he did his post-game interview, and only considerable restraint on his part prevented it from being one of the most memorable ever. His players would then have heard all the bits the TV audience missed. There was nothing good about the way the Bay played, even if it has to be acknowledged that Counties was excellent.
WHO'S HOT: As you would expect, it's more a triumph of hope over performance to date and each side is as guilty as the other. Perhaps most interest in the Waikato lineup will centre on Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Save Tokula, who were both strong against Harbour but who have played only limited roles since. On their day no defence is safe and Kerr-Barlow, in particular, has been in good touch all year. The packs are a good match for each other and their various stats are fairly close except at the lineout, where Bay is significantly ahead for accuracy. But that changes in the midfield, where Waikato has not allowed its opponents much running room and the Steamers have been done over, so pressure will be on Mafi Kefu and Phil Burleigh to get their combination sorted and the tackles to stick. Both sides are really waiting for someone (or a few someones) to hoist the team on his / their shoulders and get the season kick-started.
WE THINK: How do you pick between two under-performing teams? Both have plenty of good players in the ranks, and their records to date will be annoying coaches and fans alike – not to mention the players who were actually on the field. Trying to forecast a winner here is nothing more than trying to guess which side might get it right on the day – for the lack of any scientific evidence, we'll go for Waikato but accept no responsibility for losing bets.
TEAMS:
Waikato: 1. Toby Smith, 2. Marcel Cummings-Toone (capt), 3. Ben May, 4. Chris Middleton, 5. Sam Kilgour, 6. Matt Vant Leven, 7. Zack Hohneck, 8. Rory Grice, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 10. Piers Francis, 11. Joe Webber, 12. Sam Christie, 13. Save Tokula, 14. Declan O'Donnell, 15. Trent Renata.
Reserves: 16. Vance Elliott, 17. Ted Tauroa, 18. Anthony Wise, 19. Jono Armstrong, 20. Brendon Leonard, 21. Joe Perawiti, 22. Tim Mikkelson.
Bay of Plenty: 1. Tristan Moran, 2. Daniel Perrin, 3. Josh Hohneck, 4. Culum Retallick, 5. Leon Power, 6. Tanerau Latimer (capt), 7. Luke Braid, 8. Carl Axtens, 9. Josh Hall, 10. Nick McCashin, 11. Lance MacDonald, 12. Phil Burleigh, 13. Mafi Kefu, 14. Lelia Masaga, 15. Kendrick Lynn.
Reserves: 16. Nathan Harris or John Pareanga, 17. Mike Kainga, 18. Dan Goodwin, 19. Jesse Acton, 20. Lewis Hancock, 21. Simon Rolleston, 22. Jack Wilson.
REFEREE: Bryce Lawrence
Petes prediction.
weather looks good but maybe a wet ball from earlier rain.
I didn't see the spanking Counties gave BOP. I'm in US and we don't get good coverage via internet. I picked BOP because of their quality backs.
I thought Waikato were strong against Auckland, but now they lose some good players.
The value bet is BOP with all their S15 players.
waikato play by dominating forward play and they are missing good ones.
BOP have a good forward pack if only they would put in some intensity. If they do then they can set up their backs and eke a small win. BOP by 1 giving me an option of Waikato by 4 in Superbru for a half a point.
Well BOP won the fight but lost the war. Stats were so high in favour of BOP that it was a travesty they did not win. Oh well.
Preview: Tasman v Southland
Sportal.co.nz - (11/09/2012) - 
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Tasman has not beaten Southland in four
meetings to date, but the Makos must be feeling that it's time for that
particular stat to change. On current form, there's no better time for
Tasman to break its duck than this Wednesday.
VENUE & TIME: Lansdowne Park, Blenheim, Wednesday August 12 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 4; Tasman 0, Southland 4.
LAST TIME: August 27, 2010 (Blenheim) - Tasman 16-21 Southland.
WALKING WOUNDED: After resting a number of his regular starters following the Shield match - and getting good performances from the replacements - Kieran Keane has gone back to what most would consider his strongest XV. He does have a few injury concerns in the outside backs, and has drafted Aucklander Albert Nikoro in as cover. Southland has made five changes (two positional) from the team that faced Otago; the most important sees Elliot Dixon return after four months on the sidelines with a chest injury. The loose forwards and three-quarter line have been rejigged, but the core of the team remains the same.
FORM:
Tasman:
Round 1: beat Canterbury 25-22 (h)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 40-49 (a, RS)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 27-3 (a)
Southland:
Round 1: lost to Counties 9-30 (a)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 8-40 (a)
Round 3: lost to Otago 10-15 (h)
Tasman really recovered well from its Shield disappointment, and Kieran Keane has to draw a fair bit of credit for his selection. All the non-regulars who started put in big efforts and the guys who came off the bench closed in style. The Makos did exceptionally well into a strong wind, turned with a lead and then played smart rugby to bury Manawatu in the second half; even if the last try was a bit dodgy, the game was won long before it was awarded.
Southland played its best game to date against Otago, but still came up short. Some sensational goal-line defence from Otago prevented two tries, but Southland gave away too many penalties at its own end and, from seven chances, Otago nailed five to get home. The Southland forwards dominated territory and possession (admittedly Otago was happy to kick the ball away on a foul night) but there still wasn't much punch about the back play, and that needs to change in a hurry.
WHO'S HOT: There has to be something about Tasman skipper Andrew Goodman, other than his playing ability, that draws maximum effort from those around him. He is certainly doing his bit in midfield, both on attack and defence, but his captaincy has been important in a tough couple of weeks and the Makos are responding really well. He gets a ‘full credit' for his efforts. Gary Redmond made a good debut at Palmerston North, proving a pest around the breakdown and doing a lot of the dirty work required on a wet, windy day. Along with fellow flanker Shane Christie, who is rapidly becoming a player to catch a franchise selector's eye, he provides Tasman with an aggressive presence in the loose and no mean ability in the linking play. Both young flankers are worth keeping an eye on; there's every chance you'll see a bit of them on Wednesday.
Michael Fatialofa has made a promising start in the Southland engine room and has been one of the Stags' best pack-men; his aerial work is sound and he gets around the field well. A big man, he also provides some solid defence when called upon. Elliot Dixon may not be up to full speed in this game after a long time on the sidelines, but he's a guy Southland will be pleased to have back. He works hard in the trenches, is never scared to cart the ball into contact - where he also looks after it well - and he'll make plenty of close-in tackles where courage counts. Kade Poki moves into centre, which should mean he gets the ball in his hands more often than has been the case so far. He's well known for his attacking ability - let him run and he's hard to catch - while he should also put some starch in the midfield defence. If you don't see much of the Tasman midfielders, he's doing his job.
WE THINK: Tasman goes into this game as favourite, and deserve to. They haven't turned in a bad one yet despite meeting two of the leading Premiership candidates to open the season, and that win at Palmerston North was fully deserved. Southland improved against Otago but is battling to score points; they'll need a few to keep this Makos side under control and it's a bit hard to see where those scores will come from. We'll have Tasman in this one, with 10 points or so in hand.
TEAMS:
Tasman: 1. Tim Perry, 2. Quentin MacDonald, 3. Campbell Johnstone, 4. Filipo Levi, 5. Joe Wheeler, 6. Gary Redmond, 7. Shane Christie, 8. Jordan Taufua, 9. Jeremy Su'a, 10. Hayden Cripps, 11. James Lowe, 12. Andrew Goodman (capt), 13. Kieron Fonotia, 14. Peter Betham, 15. Robbie Malneek.
Reserves: 16. Francis Smith, 17. Sam Prattley, 18. Riki Hoeata, 19. Vernon Fredricks, 20. Tevita Kolomatangi, 21. Steve Alfeld, 22. Albert Nikoro.
Southland: 1. Jamie Mackintosh (capt), 2. Talemaitoga Taupati, 3. Nick Barrett, 4. Josh Bekhuis, 5. Michael Fatialofa, 6. Scott McKee, 7. Alex Taylor, 8. Elliot Dixon, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Robbie Robinson, 11. Mark Wells, 12. Cardiff Vaega, 13. Kade Poki, 14. Junior Ngaluafe, 15. Marty McKenzie.
Reserves: 16. Jason Rutledge, 17. Micheal Peterson, 18. Alex Ryan, 19. Hoani MacDonald, 20. Nemia Kenatale, 21. Scott Eade, 22. Nathan Hohaia.
REFEREE: Grant Stuart
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 4; Tasman 0, Southland 4.
LAST TIME: August 27, 2010 (Blenheim) - Tasman 16-21 Southland.
WALKING WOUNDED: After resting a number of his regular starters following the Shield match - and getting good performances from the replacements - Kieran Keane has gone back to what most would consider his strongest XV. He does have a few injury concerns in the outside backs, and has drafted Aucklander Albert Nikoro in as cover. Southland has made five changes (two positional) from the team that faced Otago; the most important sees Elliot Dixon return after four months on the sidelines with a chest injury. The loose forwards and three-quarter line have been rejigged, but the core of the team remains the same.
FORM:
Tasman:
Round 1: beat Canterbury 25-22 (h)
Round 2: lost to Taranaki 40-49 (a, RS)
Round 3: beat Manawatu 27-3 (a)
Southland:
Round 1: lost to Counties 9-30 (a)
Round 2: lost to Wellington 8-40 (a)
Round 3: lost to Otago 10-15 (h)
Tasman really recovered well from its Shield disappointment, and Kieran Keane has to draw a fair bit of credit for his selection. All the non-regulars who started put in big efforts and the guys who came off the bench closed in style. The Makos did exceptionally well into a strong wind, turned with a lead and then played smart rugby to bury Manawatu in the second half; even if the last try was a bit dodgy, the game was won long before it was awarded.
Southland played its best game to date against Otago, but still came up short. Some sensational goal-line defence from Otago prevented two tries, but Southland gave away too many penalties at its own end and, from seven chances, Otago nailed five to get home. The Southland forwards dominated territory and possession (admittedly Otago was happy to kick the ball away on a foul night) but there still wasn't much punch about the back play, and that needs to change in a hurry.
WHO'S HOT: There has to be something about Tasman skipper Andrew Goodman, other than his playing ability, that draws maximum effort from those around him. He is certainly doing his bit in midfield, both on attack and defence, but his captaincy has been important in a tough couple of weeks and the Makos are responding really well. He gets a ‘full credit' for his efforts. Gary Redmond made a good debut at Palmerston North, proving a pest around the breakdown and doing a lot of the dirty work required on a wet, windy day. Along with fellow flanker Shane Christie, who is rapidly becoming a player to catch a franchise selector's eye, he provides Tasman with an aggressive presence in the loose and no mean ability in the linking play. Both young flankers are worth keeping an eye on; there's every chance you'll see a bit of them on Wednesday.
Michael Fatialofa has made a promising start in the Southland engine room and has been one of the Stags' best pack-men; his aerial work is sound and he gets around the field well. A big man, he also provides some solid defence when called upon. Elliot Dixon may not be up to full speed in this game after a long time on the sidelines, but he's a guy Southland will be pleased to have back. He works hard in the trenches, is never scared to cart the ball into contact - where he also looks after it well - and he'll make plenty of close-in tackles where courage counts. Kade Poki moves into centre, which should mean he gets the ball in his hands more often than has been the case so far. He's well known for his attacking ability - let him run and he's hard to catch - while he should also put some starch in the midfield defence. If you don't see much of the Tasman midfielders, he's doing his job.
WE THINK: Tasman goes into this game as favourite, and deserve to. They haven't turned in a bad one yet despite meeting two of the leading Premiership candidates to open the season, and that win at Palmerston North was fully deserved. Southland improved against Otago but is battling to score points; they'll need a few to keep this Makos side under control and it's a bit hard to see where those scores will come from. We'll have Tasman in this one, with 10 points or so in hand.
TEAMS:
Tasman: 1. Tim Perry, 2. Quentin MacDonald, 3. Campbell Johnstone, 4. Filipo Levi, 5. Joe Wheeler, 6. Gary Redmond, 7. Shane Christie, 8. Jordan Taufua, 9. Jeremy Su'a, 10. Hayden Cripps, 11. James Lowe, 12. Andrew Goodman (capt), 13. Kieron Fonotia, 14. Peter Betham, 15. Robbie Malneek.
Reserves: 16. Francis Smith, 17. Sam Prattley, 18. Riki Hoeata, 19. Vernon Fredricks, 20. Tevita Kolomatangi, 21. Steve Alfeld, 22. Albert Nikoro.
Southland: 1. Jamie Mackintosh (capt), 2. Talemaitoga Taupati, 3. Nick Barrett, 4. Josh Bekhuis, 5. Michael Fatialofa, 6. Scott McKee, 7. Alex Taylor, 8. Elliot Dixon, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Robbie Robinson, 11. Mark Wells, 12. Cardiff Vaega, 13. Kade Poki, 14. Junior Ngaluafe, 15. Marty McKenzie.
Reserves: 16. Jason Rutledge, 17. Micheal Peterson, 18. Alex Ryan, 19. Hoani MacDonald, 20. Nemia Kenatale, 21. Scott Eade, 22. Nathan Hohaia.
REFEREE: Grant Stuart
Petes prediction.
I've backed Stags when they won the fight but lost the battle against Otago last time out. And I was pissed.
I'm chasing my losses here and going for the long shot Stags.
And, quite frankly, these teams are so close on talent that it really could be anyone's game.
Surely Jimmy Cowan can generate some genius?
Stags by 3
Stags won the fight but lost the war. Malneeks personal 90 yd try was brilliant for Tasman.
Final score 13-10 to Tasman
Preview: North Harbour v Manawatu
Sportal.co.nz - (13/09/2012) - 0 Comments
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Both these sides were among the favoured
teams in the Championship but neither has got off to a good start, so
this match almost takes on double importance as the winner will stay in
touch while the loser will fall some way off the pace.
VENUE & TIME: North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Thursday September 13 @ 1935
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 13; North Harbour 11, Manawatu 2.
LAST TIME: August 2, 2011 (Palmerston North) – Manawatu 32-21 North Harbour.
WALKING WOUNDED: North Harbour have made only one change to their XV from the Northland game, with Api Ratuniyarawa getting his first start in place of Chris Smith at lock. Jason O'Halloran resisted any temptation to make sweeping changes; Nick Crosswell goes back to No 8 in place of James Oliver and Papa Wharewera starts at halfback, but the team is very similar to the one that faced Tasman.
FORM:
North Harbour:
Round 1: lost to Waikato 22-42 (h)
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 3-36 (a)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 15-27 (h)
Round 4: lost to Northland 17-18 (a)
Manawatu:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 11-30 (h)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 16-59 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 33-20 (a)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 3-27 (h)
North Harbour had their chances against Northland and, ahead 17-6 at halftime after playing with a strong wind, they had what could have been a decisive break. It wasn't, mainly due to indiscipline in its own half against a goal-kicker who simply didn't miss, but Harbour still turned in one of its better showings of the year. The defence was a lot more accurate than in previous matches and there were promising signs on attack. Once again, small errors hurt but these are getting closer to being fixed.
Manawatu turned in a really disappointing performance against Tasman in tough conditions last week. Although playing with a strong wind at their backs, the Turbos were five points down within two minutes and never used the conditions wisely, while they were played out of the game after the break by an accurate and tactically superior Tasman outfit. The side played like the one that lost to Auckland rather than the one that beat Northland, and time is running out on the Turbos this year.
WHO'S HOT: When looking at these teams, one is immediately struck by the number of players who would be classed as good provincial footballers but who haven't really got going this season. A lot have Investec Super Rugby experience, too, which means personal battles like the one at prop between Salesi Manu and Ma'afu Fia should have a bit of edge about them. Harbour's young loose trio will be up against an experienced Manawatu set and therefore will be under a bit of pressure, but those roles should be reversed in midfield where Francis Saili has not yet shown the form he displayed on occasion for the Blues. He can do it, we've seen that, and marks a promising youngster in Jason Emery, who has already shown the ability to threaten on attack. Luke Devcich and Craig Clare will have important roles in this match, whether it's on defence, with ball in hand or when addressing the posts as team kickers. Struggling sides like to see those kicks sailing between the posts, so the marksmen will be carrying that extra responsibility.
WE THINK: Nothing is harder to predict than a match between two under-performing sides; both gave their best performances of the year in the last week at Whangarei, although Harbour eventually came up one point short. When discussing prospects, the word 'if' will come into most forecasts and it's almost a case of hoping things work out. Because we have to pick one side, we'll make it Harbour – for no good reason other than they've never lost to Manawatu at home.
TEAMS:
North Harbour: 1. Salesi Manu, 2. James Parsons (capt), 3. Ben Afeaki, 4. Api Ratuniyarawa, 5. Filo Paulo, 6. Irwin Finau, 7. Sam Hayes-Stevenson, 8. Jim Tuivaiti, 9. Brenton Helleur, 10. James Semple, 11. Rudi Wulf, 12. Francis Saili, 13. Cory Aporo, 14. Nafi Tuitavake, 15. Luke Devcich.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Alex Woonton, 18. Glenn Preston, 19. Malakai Ravulo, 20. Bryn Hall, 21. Codey Rei, 22. David Raikuna.
Manawatu: 1. Grant Polson, 2. Rob Foreman, 3. Ma'afu Fia, 4. Fraser Stone, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Antonio Kirikiri, 7. Callum Gibbins, 8. Nick Crosswell (capt), 9. Papa Wharewera, 10. Junior Tomasi Cama, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 12. Matenga Baker, 13. Jason Emery, 14. Craig Clare, 15. Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Reserves: 16. Bryn Templeman, 17. David Te Moana, 18. Reece Robinson, 19. Mua Sala, 20. Karl Bryson, 21. Lewis Marshall, 22. Willie Paia'aua.
REFEREE: Richard KellyPetes prediction.
I have to agree here.
Weather slated to be perfect so I'm hoping Harbour will give their backs plenty of ball.
Harbour by 15
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 13; North Harbour 11, Manawatu 2.
LAST TIME: August 2, 2011 (Palmerston North) – Manawatu 32-21 North Harbour.
WALKING WOUNDED: North Harbour have made only one change to their XV from the Northland game, with Api Ratuniyarawa getting his first start in place of Chris Smith at lock. Jason O'Halloran resisted any temptation to make sweeping changes; Nick Crosswell goes back to No 8 in place of James Oliver and Papa Wharewera starts at halfback, but the team is very similar to the one that faced Tasman.
FORM:
North Harbour:
Round 1: lost to Waikato 22-42 (h)
Round 2: lost to Canterbury 3-36 (a)
Round 3: lost to Counties-Manukau 15-27 (h)
Round 4: lost to Northland 17-18 (a)
Manawatu:
Round 1: lost to Wellington 11-30 (h)
Round 2: lost to Auckland 16-59 (a)
Round 3: beat Northland 33-20 (a)
Round 4: lost to Tasman 3-27 (h)
North Harbour had their chances against Northland and, ahead 17-6 at halftime after playing with a strong wind, they had what could have been a decisive break. It wasn't, mainly due to indiscipline in its own half against a goal-kicker who simply didn't miss, but Harbour still turned in one of its better showings of the year. The defence was a lot more accurate than in previous matches and there were promising signs on attack. Once again, small errors hurt but these are getting closer to being fixed.
Manawatu turned in a really disappointing performance against Tasman in tough conditions last week. Although playing with a strong wind at their backs, the Turbos were five points down within two minutes and never used the conditions wisely, while they were played out of the game after the break by an accurate and tactically superior Tasman outfit. The side played like the one that lost to Auckland rather than the one that beat Northland, and time is running out on the Turbos this year.
WHO'S HOT: When looking at these teams, one is immediately struck by the number of players who would be classed as good provincial footballers but who haven't really got going this season. A lot have Investec Super Rugby experience, too, which means personal battles like the one at prop between Salesi Manu and Ma'afu Fia should have a bit of edge about them. Harbour's young loose trio will be up against an experienced Manawatu set and therefore will be under a bit of pressure, but those roles should be reversed in midfield where Francis Saili has not yet shown the form he displayed on occasion for the Blues. He can do it, we've seen that, and marks a promising youngster in Jason Emery, who has already shown the ability to threaten on attack. Luke Devcich and Craig Clare will have important roles in this match, whether it's on defence, with ball in hand or when addressing the posts as team kickers. Struggling sides like to see those kicks sailing between the posts, so the marksmen will be carrying that extra responsibility.
WE THINK: Nothing is harder to predict than a match between two under-performing sides; both gave their best performances of the year in the last week at Whangarei, although Harbour eventually came up one point short. When discussing prospects, the word 'if' will come into most forecasts and it's almost a case of hoping things work out. Because we have to pick one side, we'll make it Harbour – for no good reason other than they've never lost to Manawatu at home.
TEAMS:
North Harbour: 1. Salesi Manu, 2. James Parsons (capt), 3. Ben Afeaki, 4. Api Ratuniyarawa, 5. Filo Paulo, 6. Irwin Finau, 7. Sam Hayes-Stevenson, 8. Jim Tuivaiti, 9. Brenton Helleur, 10. James Semple, 11. Rudi Wulf, 12. Francis Saili, 13. Cory Aporo, 14. Nafi Tuitavake, 15. Luke Devcich.
Reserves: 16. Manu Leiataua, 17. Alex Woonton, 18. Glenn Preston, 19. Malakai Ravulo, 20. Bryn Hall, 21. Codey Rei, 22. David Raikuna.
Manawatu: 1. Grant Polson, 2. Rob Foreman, 3. Ma'afu Fia, 4. Fraser Stone, 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Antonio Kirikiri, 7. Callum Gibbins, 8. Nick Crosswell (capt), 9. Papa Wharewera, 10. Junior Tomasi Cama, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 12. Matenga Baker, 13. Jason Emery, 14. Craig Clare, 15. Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Reserves: 16. Bryn Templeman, 17. David Te Moana, 18. Reece Robinson, 19. Mua Sala, 20. Karl Bryson, 21. Lewis Marshall, 22. Willie Paia'aua.
REFEREE: Richard KellyPetes prediction.
I have to agree here.
Weather slated to be perfect so I'm hoping Harbour will give their backs plenty of ball.
Harbour by 15
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