Tasman Mako coach Jono Phillips kept to his pledge of promoting local rugby talent during the NPC season which ended in Whangarei last Friday.
Half the 40 players, who were used across 11 matches, took part in the Tasman Trophy with 11 featuring in the Div 1 final.
Marist led the way with six, Nelson five, Stoke three, Waimea Old Boys two, Central and Kahurangi one.
That makes 18 without counting All Black Timoci Tavatavanwai, who turned out for Central and William Havili who was also named on the bench for Kahurangi.
Injuries to wings Macca Springer, who missed the first five games, and Jack Gray enabled Marist utility back Nic Sauira to see game time in all 11 matches.
Kahurangi lock Hunter Leppien was also a constant and played the full 80 minutes in last Friday’s 26-21 quarterfinal loss to Northland.
The 22-year-old had little option as the lock cover Tayne Hemopo, who started on the side of the scrum, was subbed off.
Just as busy was Waimea Old Boys prop Tom Heywood who appeared in the first 10 matches before a foot injury ruled him out of the sudden death game.
Tom was one of eight props used, five of them club players.
Sam Matenga, the most experienced of the front rowers, arrived injured from the Blues and didn’t take the field, nor did his Super Rugby teammate Finlay Christie.
The former All Black halfback was rehabbing and helping out the team.
Running into him last week, the former Mako captain insisted there was confidence in the camp heading into the quarter-final despite have four first choice forwards missing – recalled All Black Shannon Frizell and injured trio Leicester Fainga’anuku, Antonio Shalfoon and Lopeti Faifua.
Timoci Tavatavanui was irreplaceable too, all over the park, while Macca was a late withdrawal.
Despite being down on so much grunt, Finlay’s optimism looked well-placed after the visitors dominated the Taniwha and led 14-0 after the opening quarter.
But early injuries to two of their best players all season, hooker Eli Oudenryn and wing Kyren Taumoefolau, were worrying.
Kyren had threatened to score four times before Eli slipped him the ball, in the 20th minute, for his record 19th of the season.
The 23-year-old injured his leg in the process but stayed on for another 45 minutes, although the opportunities dried up especially when the Northland scrum began to torment the Mako.
Eli needed his ankle strapped but the outrageously skilled 20-year-old continued to be a menace on and off the ball before finally limping off as well with just five minutes left in the match.
The pair underlining they were tough as well as talented.
Losing both props and former skipper David Havili to injury didn’t help, mind you Northland had lost three key players as well by the 50 minute mark.
Kicking so much seemed strange, given they were playing catch-up football.
At least they didn’t concede 50 points like the three other losing quarter-finalists.
So season that promised plenty, ended up pretty much like the last as the Mako missed out on the semi-finals again.
But on the flipside, more locals were given an opportunity on the field, with eight making their debuts.
Props Vea Taumoefolau, Jake Wetere and Isaiah Malaula, hooker Dylan Irvine, backs Leo Marfell, Jake Pacey and Flether Hewitt-Smart and finally, loose forward Harry Horncastle with 15 minutes to play last Friday.
