The speed with which they recover from a heart-breaking Ranfurly Shield defeat is likely to have a major bearing on Tasman’s NPC rugby campaign.
On Sunday, the Mako threw everything into relieving ‘big brother’ Canterbury of the Log of Wood at Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium but came up short when the Red and Blacks scored a late, late try to break Tasman hearts.
The challengers can take heart from their work ethic and ability to push the unbeaten NPC leaders all the way, but the bottom line is they dropped their third game of the season and are now in danger of slipping out of the top eight and the end-of-season play-offs.
This makes Saturday’s clash against Waikato at Lansdowne Park doubly important. The Mooloo men, who at one stage of this season had their hands on the Shield, have an identical record to Tasman, sitting two bonus points adrift, and are a dangerous combination.
The Mako take on Southland in Invercargill and the unpredictable Counties Manukau in their final two round robin games, both tough propositions in such an unpredictable competition.
Last season Tasman threw everything into their Ranfurly Shield defences and ran out of gas in the NPC play-offs, this time around they must quickly refocus and build towards at least a home quarterfinal.
The Mako selectors have named a similar side to that which took the field in Christchurch for Saturday’s battle with the Mooloo men.
The main changes come in the inside backs. Halfback Mitchell Drummond, who limped out of the Shield challenge early on, is replaced by Jay Renton in the starting line-up, Wil Thornalley coming onto the bench. Cooper Grant will start in the 10 shirt, William Havili slipping into the reserves.
The Tasman team is: 1 – Ryan Coxon, 2 – Tomasi Maka, 3 – Sam Matenga, 4 – Quinten Strange, 5 – Antonio Shalfoon, 6 – Lopeti Faifua, 7- Sione Havili Talitui, 8 – Fletcher Anderson, 9 – Jay Renton, 10 – Cooper Grant, 11 – Macca Springer, 12 – Leicester Fainga’anuku, 13 – Cooper Roberts, 14 – Kyren Taumoefolau, 15 – David Havili (captain). Reserves: 16 – Eli Oudenryn, 17 – Monu Moli, 18 – Quinn Harrison-Jones, 19 – Hunter Leppien, 20 – Tone Ng Shiu, 21 – Wil Thornalley, 22 – William Havili, 23 – Levi Aumua.
The game kicks off at 7.10pm Saturday at Lansdowne Park.
The curtainraiser will feature the Marlborough and Nelson Bays under-16 sides, kick off at 5pm.
