Round-robin reversals built Tasman resolve

by Peter Jones [Marlborough Weekly / Marlborough App]

If last year’s Mitre 10premiership clean sweep represented a “coming-of-age” for top of the southrugby, Saturday’s effort at Eden Park underlined Tasman’s arrival asa New Zealand provincial rugby powerhouse. 

Going back-to-back with asettled squad is one thing, having to almost totally re-shape your forwardpack, then deal with a string of injuries to key players, including anotherearly in the final, is quite another. 

The2020 Mako squad epitomise the word ‘resilience’. The seeds of their13-12 victory over Auckland were sewn during a testing series of round robinmatches. Heavy losses to Auckland, North Harbour and Canterbury sent them backto the drawing board.??? 

Tasman’s ability to learnfrom their poor performances, remedy the problems and improve at the businessend of the season was integral to their effort at Eden Park. 

For that, their teamleaders, coaches and management must take a huge amount of credit. 

Co-head coach AndrewGoodman put their win down to “a lot of hard work and a lot of belief”. 

“We have flown under the radara bit this season. Not many people were expecting that result but wehad belief … we just chipped away in the background and knew we had aperformance in us that could win us back-to-back titles. 

“That defensive blocktowards the end when Auckland were hard on attack just sums up what the jerseymeans to the boys, a lot of heart went into that block. 

“I’m just really stoked foreveryone that has been involved this season. The whole time and our leadershipgroup has been outstanding. 

“There are also a lot ofguys that aren’t here to celebrate tonight with us but we will behaving a good connection with them over the next few days because there havebeen some massive contributions off the field.” 

Losing a key player such asplaymaker Mitch Hunt early in the decider with concussion may have rattledlesser teams, but the Mako covered his absence with aplomb. 

“Tim [O’Malley] and Dave[Havili] stepped up and took on some extra work, including the goalkicking,”said Goodman. 

“I’m so proud of Tim, he hasonly started in the last three weeks but he is a guy that epitomisesour squad … even when he hasn’t been getting regular starts he worksaway and is a great team man, puts the team first. 

“Quentin [MacDonald] isanother … he’s just put his hand up over the last two weeks and led the way.It’s great that we can call on a guy of that experience.” 

While only nine playersremained from the team that contested last year’s final, Goodman said it wasthe calibre of those players that proved so vital. 

“At the core of that groupis Dave Havili, Mitch Hunt, Quin Strange, Alex Nankivell,Andrew Makalio and Fin Christie … our leadership group have beenoutstanding for us every week. They have driven the standards … I am just soproud of not only them but the whole squad."?? 

When asked to compare lastyear’s triumph with Saturday’s effort, Goodman noted, “It was purehappiness to win it the first time, that will hold a very special place in myheart, but this is really satisfying. 

“It has been a lot of hardwork and we have learned some hard lessons on the way … the main thing is thatthe boys have kept believing - as a coaching group, as a management group andas a playing group. 

“We have learned from thoseoccasions when we didn’t perform to our best and tonight we put in aperformance that I thought was worthy of a win. We probably created a few morescoring opportunities [than Auckland].” 

Goodman also took time topraise his fellow coaches. 

“Shane Christie has been amagician with our defence over the last few years, he’s done an amazing job.And the work Clarke Dermody, in his last year with us, has done with ouryoung forward pack has had a lot to do with the result today.”?? 

?Tasman’s victory with avastly different squad this year shows there is depth in the region, whileGoodman said that the players who have come from elsewhere to join the unionhave relished the experience. 

“You talk to a guy likeMark Telea … now he’s a Mako man for life, he understandswhat it is to be a Mako man. He sees what we do every day … theplayers that have come to the Mako, whether it be for a year or more, theyjust love the place, Nelson and Blenheim, they love the team and how we operateand the footy we play. 

“That’s a credit to the boysthat have grown up in the region. It shows the passion they have for the teamand it’s something special,” Goodman added. 

Second win even more sweet for TRU Chairman

By Peter Jones 

There is a saying in sportthat goes, “if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best”. 

Well, in provincial rugbyterms it doesn’t come much tougher than taking on Auckland atFortress Eden Park.  

The home side, nationalprovincial champion on 17 occasions, were top qualifiers for the final andboasted a 31-10 victory over the Mako the last time the sides met. 

In front of a home crowd,who were handed free admission, Saturday’s Mitre 10 Cuppremiership decider was meant to be a step to far for the grittysoutherners, champions in 2019 with a vastly-different squad. 

But someone forgot to tellDavid Havili’s 2020 crew, who came away with a nail-biting 13-12victory.  

As a delighted Tasman RugbyUnion chairman Wayne Young pointed out, “we weren’t meant to do that – itwasn’t in the script”.  

“I think a lot of impartialrugby people were of the opinion that the home ground advantage would do it forAuckland, even if it was tight.” 

Young admitted to being“extremely stressed out” during the final stages of the match, especially whenhe was called out by one of the Eden Park staff to leave his seat during thehectic final minutes to take the lift down to ground level in preparation forthe trophy presentations. 

“We got in the lift withfour minutes to go and I said that we would know who has won by the cheering ofthe crowd, a big roar will mean Auckland have got it. 

“When I got on the field andwe had won it was a totally different feeling to last year. 

“Last year was so good but Iwould almost personally put this ahead of it … to me this one is more special. 

“The coaching staff andmanagement have created that old fashioned togetherness and passion that gotthem over the line … we have done it this season without rock stars,just grit and determination.”