Makos have rivals running scared [Fairfax]
The Tasman Makos have received something of a back-handed compliment after all the second tier championship teams conspicuously tried to avoid playing them in next year's ITM Cup provincial rugby competition.
According to Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis, yesterday's conference call between the provinces to determine next year's draw saw all the championship teams avoiding this year's premiership finalists like the plague. In the end, relegated premiership team Wellington and North Harbour had no choice but to select Tasman as their options after every other team had by-passed them.
Tasman play Otago as their automatic selection, based on this year's final rankings, with Wellington eventually forced to settle for Tasman as one of their home games. Tasman's choice of championship opponents was Bay of Plenty, designated a Tasman home game, while North Harbour also drew the short straw in being forced to choose Tasman as one of their away fixtures.
While the crossover match-ups have been confirmed, the scheduling will not be confirmed until February next year.
"It was quite an entertaining draw where little old Tasman sat there, with Hawke's Bay preferring to play Canterbury and Auckland and not play us," Lewis said.
"We thought Hawke's Bay would pick us up and be a [Ranfurly] Shield challenge, but they told us, 'no', they didn't want to play us."
Lewis said that prior to the draw, Tasman's commercial team and coaches all had an input into their preferences to work out the most suitable draw for everyone concerned.
"We only get one choice and we haven't had Bay of Plenty here for some time and there was a keeness to have them in town. And when it came to Wellington, no-one [else] picked us, and it was left to Wellington - that was the only choice they had."
Lewis said it was "a feather in the cap" of Tasman's coaches Kieran Keane and Leon MacDonald and for the organisation as a whole but that after this season's successful campaign, he wasn't surprised at the respect being shown them for next year.
Despite trying to convince Hawke's Bay to take on Tasman as a potential Ranfurly Shield challenge, the Bay were having none of it, with Tasman's initial prospects of a challenge now reliant on Waikato beating Hawke's Bay.
Next season, the ITM Cup will be conducted over 11 weeks and involve one midweek match with each team again playing four crossover matches, plus each team in their own division.
"Obviously we know which games are at home, the key now will be working out where we play those games. This year the Nelson region took to the Thursday night game, the Friday and the Sunday, and obviously Blenheim got the pick of the two Sunday games.
"We've requested as many Saturday and Sunday afternoon games as possible and a Friday 6.05pm game, so we'll wait and see what happens."
Tasman's home games will be against Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Canterbury, Auckland and Manawatu and are away to Otago, Counties-Manukau, Waikato, Wellington and Taranaki.
