Makos on a roll - and long may it last [Nelson Mail]
Can things get any better for the Tasman Rugby Union? Well, perhaps.
There was that bizarre, match-losing brain-fade against Taranaki for starters. The draw with Auckland, even - though that encounter could have had a worse ending.
As much as the team might like those two games to re re-scripted, one of sport's key attractions is unpredictability. How dull it would be if every encounter went to plan.
These less-than-perfect outcomes aside, the season has been another top-notch one for the Makos. Already they have cemented a semifinal slot in just their first season in the premiership division of the ITM Cup.
The two-part goal now is to secure a home semi and then final, which would be a staggering result for a team as big in heart and commitment as it is short in sporting history at this level.
Up till now, Nelson's sole claim to rugby fame was as the venue of New Zealand's first game. However, the merged Nelson Bays-Marlborough franchise - an experiment many pundits predicted to fall flat inside a season - is now enjoying deserved recognition on the national stage.
Fans enjoy and rate the Makos for their attacking play. They also recognise the difficulties any provincial team faces in funding and fielding a team good enough to be competitive against the bigger unions, so the Makos have enjoyed the natural inclination to back the underdog.
They'll have to be at their giant-killing best tomorrow night, away, against big brother franchise Canterbury, third on the table (behind Tasman) with two losses and eight wins to date.
Then follows the last pool game against Counties-Manakau in Blenheim the following Sunday - and an unexpected layer of icing on the cake for the Tasman union.
Sporting nomad Sonny Bill Williams is almost certain to be lining up with the South Aucklanders ... and that prospect can only boost the hype (and the all important gate) for what will be a crucial encounter for both sides.
Williams is among a select few modern-day dual internationals in both league and rugby, and has picked up a New Zealand heavyweight boxing title for good measure.
He's a guaranteed drawcard assuming he does make the team - though he's not everyone's favourite sporting star, and many local fans will be there to see him have a bad day and the Makos triumph.
Coincidentally, the Tasman union had already tagged the game as Ladies Day, which might sound like an anachronism from last century but is built on the idea of encouraging more women to turn up and watch the national sport.
It's been a good season for the Makos. We'll soon know if it's destined to be a great one.Williams is regarded by some as a "hunk", which ought to make the promotion that much easier to market.
- The Nelson Mail
