Week 1 report by team manager Martyn Vercoe

INSIDE THE SHARK CAGE - Week 1

With team manager Martyn Vercoe

Everything but the weather went pretty well at Lansdowne Park on Saturday as we got our season off to the start we wanted to. It’s hard in some ways to gauge, because of the conditions, how we executed our skills set and plans but one positive is we played with intent and physicality.

Wellington are a side filled with talent especially in their back division, an example of this is them making the semi finals last season.  One of our focuses was nailing our set piece which in the wet is hugely important.

Our defense, a strength in recent seasons, was again up to par. I personally loved the physical nature of it, I think bruising is a good way of describing it. 

Our team is handing out our Mako Man (Player of the Day) award again this season for each match. I’d have a guess that this week’s winner will be a very popular choice as it was Liam Squire who got the spoils. ‘Squid’ was up to his old tricks, smashing people in defense and getting us over the gain line on attack. 

Picking up our Defender of the Day Award for the Wellington match wasEthan Blackadder who as he is accustomed to do put in a tireless performancewithout the ball snuffing out countless Wellington raids.

Not much needs to be said about the task in front of us this Sundayagainst the old foe Canterbury. We have to look after our own back yard andnail our game.

The thing if you want to beat Canterbury is you have to be on for everyplay of an 80 minute match.  They willplay well, they always do at home, we just need to put pressure on them by theway we go about our business.

Every game is important in this competition but this one do have a nicebit of extra spice to it!!