Southland’s six premier club rugby teams are intent on producing vastly improved performances in round two of the Galbraith Shield competition tomorrow afternoon.
Pirates Old Boys will host the Eastern Northern Barbarians at Surrey Park, while Marist will have home advantage over Woodlands, and Blues will host Star at Balmoral.
Pirates Old Boys beat Star 31-0 last week but assistant coach Ben McHugh said both teams were a bit underdone.
"With the season starting two weeks earlier than usual, most of us have been busy with various other things."
All six sides had the same issue with softball, cricket, rugby league and other commitments taking priority during the end of summer.
Front-row depth is an issue for most teams but not for Pirates Old Boys and their opponents this weekend, Eastern Northern Barbarians.
POB have quality props Levi and Riki Gage and hookers Alex Fraito, Josh Harwood and Tua Tuapati on their books, plus the youngsters JJ Fisher, Shaun Kempton and Thomas Jennings, who have returned to the squad this week after establishing themselves as the Highlanders under-20 team’s starting front row in their recent campaign.
POB coach and former representative prop Dayna Cunningham will have also improved his craft while helping coach the Highlanders under-20s.
Barbarians props Mykel Sleeman, Morgan Mitchell, Troy McIvor and Tom Scanlon are seldom beaten and rugged hookers Liam Ferguson and Lachlan McCall will be up for tomorrow’s challenge.
The Barbarians got away with a 7-6 win over Woodlands last week. Woodlands had one reserve front-rower available for that match but will head into Marist in a stronger position this weekend.
Marist beat Blues 24-21 last weekend after young prop Fabian Shore scored the match-winning try on debut. Coach Derek Manson said Shore learnt a lot in the scrums, while another young prop Hessed Lemmnea impressed.
Manson sees the potential in Lemmnea: "He is in the same build as one of our former players, Pasilio Tosi."
Tosi has gone on to play for the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.
