Bracing for a southern backlash
Farriers Wairarapa-Bush will need to be at the top of their game if they are to beat Mid Canterbury on Saturday.
Wounded after their shock loss to Buller last weekend Mid Canterbury are sure to be hurting.
The perennial Heartland heavyweights surrendered a 16-point lead when they went down 34-32 in Westport.
It’s far from the ideal scenario for Wairarapa-Bush who would have preferred to come up against a complacent Mid Canterbury in Ashburton on a two-game winning streak.
But not so now, reckons Wairarapa-Bush coach Josh Syms who has this week being preparing his players for some good ol’ southern steel backlash.
Syms has made three changes to the starting XV that beat Horowhenua-Kapiti in the Cake Tin last weekend.
Loosehead prop Matt Kawana drops out of the side due to ill health and is replaced by Nick Hohepa. Also in the frontrow, hooker Abe Haira starts ahead of Richard Puddy, while at right wing Cameron Hayton gets the nod over Corey McFadzean, both are sitting on the bench.
While last weekend’s 32-22 win was far from perfect, Syms says it at least showed Wairarapa-Bush is heading in the right direction.
A pleasing aspect of the match was the performance of half-back John Ika who ”stepped-up” after a forgettable game against King Country the previous weekend. In the midfield big Iziq Foa’i lived up to his top billing with a strong game giving plenty of go-forward.
“We struggled with a bit of the physicality at scrum and pick-and-go time, but for the rest of it I thought we looked pretty resilient,” Syms says.
With the ball in hand Wairarapa-Bush is a dangerous proposition, demonstrated with Andrew Smith’s try which saw the ball travel 16 phases before Zac Guildford’s long cut out pass put the lock in the clear for a free run to the line.
It’s that sort of rugby which will be key for Wairarapa-Bush this weekend.
Mid-Canterbury will out-size and out-muscle Wairarapa-Bush, but if they can hold on to possession they have the strike power and finishing capabilities to come away from their southern sojourn with the points.
With Wanganui widely tipped to top the table there is going to be stiff competition for the next three Meads Cup play-off spots. While that doesn’t necessarily make this match a pivotal one, it is one that Syms would dearly love to win.
“It’s the little things that will make a big difference this weekend. If we get the little things right then we should be in with a crack.”
MATCH: Mid Canterbury v Farriers Wairarapa-Bush, Saturday 2pm, Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton.
| Mid Canterbury {22.88 v 19.63} Farriers Wairarapa Bush | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall Stats Mid Canterbury | Overall Stats Farriers Wairarapa Bush | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Games Played | 8 | Games Played | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Games Won | 5 | *Games Won | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Games Lost | 2 | *Games Lost | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Games Drawn | 1 | Games Drawn | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Longest.Winning.Streak | 4 | *Longest.Winning.Streak | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Longest Losing Streak | 1 | *Longest Losing Streak | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Largest Points For | 36 | *Largest Points For | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Largest Points Against | 31 | *Largest Points Against | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Largest.Winning.Margin | 18 | *Largest.Winning.Margin | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Largest Losing Margin | -25 | *Largest Losing Margin | -18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Total Points For | 183 | *Total Points For | 157 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Avg Points For | 22.88 | *Avg Points For | 19.63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Total Points Against | 157 | *Total Points Against | 183 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Avg Points Against | 19.63 | *Avg Points Against | 22.88 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Total Points Difference | 26 | *Total Points Difference | -26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Avg Points Difference | 3.25 | *Avg Points Difference | -3.25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * = By Mid Canterbury | * = By Farriers Wairarapa Bush | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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