North Otago will take Thames Valley lightly at its peril in Paeroa this afternoon in the final qualifying round of the Meads Cup.
Thames Valley failed to win a game in last year's Heartland competition but under coaches Roger Wilton and Matthew Bartleet it won three of its five games in Pool A, although that success rate has dropped off in the Meads Cup. The team has lost to Mid Canterbury and Poverty Bay to fall out of contention for the semifinals.
North Otago goes north with a depleted side and players carrying injury.
Lock Aisake Fonua is unavailable because of work commitments, while the wife of ever-improving flanker Uilisoni Tahitua was due to have an operation.
First five-eighth Ben Patston still has an ankle injury but is expected to play, and hooker Stu Philpott is not fully fit.
Lemi Masoe will start on the left wing, ousting Ofa Fatai, while in the pack Ross Hay will be back in his regular berth on the openside flank.
Valley hooker Cameron Schultz joins the squad and winger Soane Kasanova comes into the reserves.
North Otago co-coach Barry Matthews is under no illusions about North Otago's task.
"Obviously we want to win and win well. I'm still concerned about the contact area. We had a really good talk about it on Tuesday night also about our mental preparation."
Mid Canterbury, which lost to South Canterbury last week, is three points behind North Otago and Wanganui and must beat Wanganui this afternoon if it wishes to gain a home semifinal.
Poverty Bay and South Canterbury battle for fourth in Timaru this afternoon.
North Otago must aim for a maximum five points to retain its top ranking, while a Mid Canterbury win over Wanganui would give it second place and a home semifinal.
In the Lochore Cup, front runner King Country should add another nail to the Wairarapa-Bush coffin and finish top qualifier. A Horowhenua-Kapiti win over East Coast will give it a home semifinal, while a West Coast win over Buller will take it into third place, with Buller and Wairarapa-Bush needing a bonus point at least to make the top four.
West Coast has been fined $2500 and stripped of five points for fielding an ineligible player against Lochore Cup rival Wairarapa-Bush, NZPA reports.
A New Zealand Rugby Union sub-commitee hearing in Wellington imposed the fine yesterday.
The hearing was convened to investigate a complaint that West Coast had breached the union's player eligibility regulations during the Heartland championship match in Masterton on October 2, which it won 35-30.
An NZRU statement said the sub-committee heard that West Coast knowingly breached the regulations in fielding an ineligible player under another player's name.
OTAGO v THAMES VALLEY
Paeroa, 2pm today.
• North Otago: Willy Guyton, Lemi Masoe, Faaitu Tuamoheloa, Luke Herden (captain), Greg Zampach, Ben Patston, Kilifi Fangupo, Tevita Fifita, Ryan Long, Ross Hay, Eric Duff, Dave Simpson, Palenapa Mafi, Stu Philpott, Ralph Darling.
Reserves: Cameron Schultz, Dylan Winter, Josh Collier, Uilisoni Tahitua, Hamish McKenzie, Chris Talanoa, Ofa Fatai.
• Thames Valley: David Harrison (captain), Lance Easton, Glenn Strange, Vesi Raulini, Ben Titiko, Reuben Mears, Aaron McDonald, Filo Taitu'uga, Hayden Rose, Manaia Taotala, Nick Holmes, Glenn Townsend, Alan McLean, Ryan Tohia, Barton Thompson.
Reserves: Sam Ward, Jamie Gifkin, Duncan Leask, Arthur Peyronnet, Richard Judd, Jethro Mears, Josh Law.
- Terry O'Neill
