Rugby rookies earn starts against Waikato
Trael Joass will make his NPC debut on the wing for Tasman against Waikato.
Two debutants will fill the vacant wing positions with Trael Joass and Monty Ioane both named in the Tasman Makos' starting lineup for Friday's opening ITM Cup rugby clash with Waikato in Hamilton.
Wing has been the topic of much pre-season speculation in the absence of last year's two first choice selections James Lowe and Bryce Heem. A recent shoulder operation means that the record-breaking Lowe will miss the entire national provincial programme while Heem has headed back to his northern roots in Auckland. Lowe scored nine tries last year to set a new season try-scoring record for the province.
Instead, two rookies now get the opportunity to stake a claim for regular first team selection against a Waikato backline studded with game-breaking potential.
Although primarily a midfielder, Joass earns his selection on the back of an outstanding club season in which his powerful running was a key factor in Wanderers claiming both the Tasman Trophy and Nelson Bays premier championship titles.
It's been a heady rise for the 22-year-old, particularly as he'll be up against former New Zealand under-20s and New Zealand sevens representative Joe Webber.
Twenty-year-old Ioane has come off a club season with French Top 14 team Stade Francais where he played alongside his brother and former Australia test winger, Digby Ioane. And like Joass, he'll be facing another of Gordon Tietjens' former New Zealand sevens stars, Declan O'Donnell.
Joass and Ioane are the only newcomers to the Makos' starting lineup, although four players will also potentially make their Tasman debuts off the bench.
South African-born Queensland Reds Super 15 lock Marco Kotze provides backup for the established combination of Joe Wheeler and Alex Ainley, while Marlborough club prop Jake Stafford-Wood provides added front row cover.
Reserve fullback Trent Renata returns to familiar territory, having played for both Waikato and the Chiefs before heading to Otago ahead of his latest move to Tasman. Alex Nankivell, former midfield star with the 2013 Christchurch Boys High School Press Cup champions, also gets his chance off the bench.
Otherwise, it's a strong and predictable Tasman side and one that's had to endure plenty of scrutiny this week after last Thursday's disappointing first half performance in their pre-season loss to Wellington in Blenheim.
For head coach Kieran Keane, it's been a matter of selecting on reputation and faith after the patchy pre-season form shown by some players.
"It's pretty much last year's team," he said. "We've basically shown faith in what they have done in the past. It's not a form team, because some of these boys have not shown any form."
He admitted that selecting the threequarters hadn't been easy.
"[Selecting] the outside backs has been a bit of a difficult task. We've gone with what we feel are the best men for this game."
But he said it was comforting to have lock Alex Ainley back on the track following some lingering injury concerns.
"It's great to have the warhorse back. He's carrying a niggle but we think it's prudent to start with a combination that we know works well together, in Joe [Wheeler] and Alex. Plus we have Marco Kotze and Jeff Lepa on the bench."
Keane said that last Thursday's poor first half defence had been addressed.
"The main thing we have addressed is our mindset. The fact we have been doing a fair bit of yap, and the players have been doing a fair bit of yap as well.
"The mindset this week has been about, `it's not what you say, it's what you do'. So I am hoping we are mature enough to knuckle down and play it properly. It's about getting off the couch and getting back into the battle. The honeymoon period is over and the competition has started.
"We left them in no doubt what we thought of [last Thursday's] performance. It was disappointing from our incumbent players, so the heat's on them. We've shown the faith and they've got to deliver."
As for Waikato, Keane's expecting a torrid first up examination.
"They are a new side. They will have a huge amount of excitement, enthusiasm, a new coach and a new philosophy about how they are playing. At home they will grow a leg. Waikato, at home, with the new enthusiasm they will bring, they are going to be a tough nut to crack."
Still, it was important for Tasman to kickstart their campaign on a positive note.
"It's not a long competition, like Super Rugby ... you've got to get out of the blocks, so I think it's vital we start well."
TASMAN MAKOS: Robbie Malneek, Trael Joass, Kieron Fonotia, David Havili, Monty Ioane, Marty Banks, Bill Guyton, Liam Squire, Shane Christie, Pete Samu, Joe Wheeler, Alex Ainley, Ross Geldenhuys, Quentin MacDonald, Tim Perry. Reserves: Jesse MacDonald, Siua Halanukonuka, Jake Stafford-Wood, Marco Kotze, Jeff Lepa, Jimmy Cowan, Trent Renata, Alex Nankivell.
WAIKATO: Shaun Stevenson, Declan O'Donnell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordan Payne, Joe Webber, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber (co-captain), Josh Tyrell, Murray Iti, Whetu Douglas (co-captain), Jacob Skeen, David Morgan, Ben Tameifuna, Michael Mayhew, Atu Moli. Reserves: Hame Faiva, Lone Uhila, Tau Koloamatangi, James Tucker, Zane Kapeli, Harrison Levien, Bryn Gatland, Johnathan Malo.
