Just rewards to resurgent country teams in rugby finals [KK]
It may have been cold, miserable and wet but that did not deter a good crowd from turning out to see the final of the Car Company Nelson Bays division one club rugby championship at Trafalgar Park on Saturday.
There were plenty of excuses for people not to turn up but they came and it was a good atmosphere. Country teams tend to have pretty loyal supporters and this year they were rewarded. All the country teams performed really well and they got rewards for their endeavours.
It's been pleasing to see how young country teams like Kahurangi and Moutere in Marlborough have knuckled down and rebuilt and it's created a lot more depth in the club rugby scene and introduced a lot of new faces. They have caused some upsets too, with Waimea Old Boys getting undone in the semis by Kahurangi and Moutere tipping up Central in the Marlborough final.
I thought the best teams prevailed on the day. Kahurangi were very brave, especially in the first half, but the strength of Wanderers prevailed in the end. Kahurangi had the better of the first half and were very accurate and very cohesive. Their set pieces put pressure on Wanderers, with a very good scrum and a sound lineout, and it took Wanderers a while to settle. But they have some very good players and fullback Jesse Pitman and midfielder Trael Joass guided the team well and kept them settled.
Now the club season has wrapped up, time is precious as we prep the Makos ITM Cup squad. On Wednesday we had induction day when we brought all our Super Rugby players in and we welcomed all the new players. We also have the emerging players tour going on so it all gets a bit convoluted. Some of the Super Rugby players will get the week off to rest after a long campaign while others who didn't see much game time will come with us for a warm-up game against Manawatu.
Induction day is enjoyable as the players got to catch up with each other, we had lunch with the sponsors, had a few speeches, and passed out some gear. We still have a few big decisions to make on the squad but we're pretty far along with that.
We'll have a minicamp at Kaiteriteri this weekend and then it is all on as we get ready for the first home game for 2015, a pre-season match against Otago at Trafalgar Park on Saturday, August 1.
See you there and fins up!
