Rugby: How they line up in the Heartland

Heartland Championship rugby resumes tomorrow. Long-serving Otago Daily Times correspondent Terry O'Neill runs his eye over the teams.

 

Buller

Last season: Played 11, won 10, lost 1, points for 359, points against 227.

Coaches: Craig Scanlon and Craig Neill.

Opening game: v King Country (Westport).

Prospects: A Meads Cup and two Lochore Cup finals in the past three years, so you would expect Buller to be thereabouts this season. No lack of experience, with prop Phil Beveridge and flanker Luke Brownlee having amassed 350 first-class appearances between them.

 

Poverty Bay

Last season: Played 11, won 6, drew 1, lost 4, points for 281, points against 280.

Coaches: Mutu Ngarimu and Rico Gear.

Opening game: v East Coast (Ruatoria).

Prospects: Made it to the Meads Cup semifinals last season and lost to eventual champion Mid Canterbury by only seven points. With good coaches on board, expect another big season.

 

Mid Canterbury

Last season: Played 11, won 7, drew 1, lost 3, points for 333, points against 220.

Coach: Grant Keenan.

Opening game: v South Canterbury (Ashburton).

Prospects: Meads Cup champion over the past two seasons will be aiming for the threepeat under new coach Keenan, who has taken over from Glenn Moore. Experienced No8 Jon Dampney and first five-eighth Murray Williams will lead the way.

 

Horowhenua-Kapiti

Last season: Played 9, won 5, drew 2, lost 2, points for 184, points against 143.

Coaches: Jared Tanira, Phil Gibb and Chris Wilton.

Opening game: v Wanganui (Levin).

Prospects: Big improver last season, reaching the Meads Cup playoffs. Ryan Shelford (52 games) is the most experienced player. Youthful side should make it back to the Meads Cup.

 

King Country

Last season: Played 9, won 5, lost 4, points for 202, points against 213.

Coach: Kurt McQuilkin.

Opening game: v Buller (Westport).

Prospects: Expected to make the top eight at least after finishing fifth last year. Was disappointed to be knocked out in the Lochore Cup semifinal.

 

South Canterbury

Last season: Played 9, won 4, lost 5, points for 214, points against 181.

Coaches: Barry Matthews and Grant McFarlane.

Opening game: v Mid Canterbury (Ashburton).

Prospects: Has made the Lochore Cup playoffs over the past three years. Under the canny Matthews, this could be the year.

 

North Otago

Last season: Played 10, won 5, lost 5, points for 202, points against 181.

Coaches: Barry Stevens and Kilifi Fangupo.

Opening game: v West Coast (Oamaru).

Prospects: Squad includes 14 new caps. Two Heartland XV representatives, front-rower Ralph Darling (63 games) and midfielder Lemi Masoe (65) know what this level is all about. A win over Mid Canterbury last Saturday gave the side a real confidence boost.

 

Wanganui

Last season: Played 10, won 5, lost 5, points for 254, points against 212.

Coach: Jason Caskey.

Opening game: v Horowhenua-Kapiti (Levin).

Prospects: The two-time Meads Cup winner dropped to the Lochore Cup last season. Captain Peter Rowe plays for keeps. Expect a much improved effort from the butcher boys this season.

 

Thames Valley

Last season: Played 10, won 4, drew 1, lost 5, points for 158, points against 215.

Coach: Hayden Roe.

Opening game: v Wairarapa-Bush (Paeroa).

Prospects: Won first four of its eight Heartland games played last season but then the form fell away with the last four games lost, but by only narrow margins, to North Otago (4 points), Wairarapa-Bush (2 points), Poverty Bay (8 points) and West Coast (5 points). Its luck must change.

 

West Coast

Last season: Played 9, won 2, lost 7, points for 194, points against 274.

Coach: Sean Cuttance.

Opening game: v North Otago (Oamaru).

Prospects: Hoping to improve under a new coach. Finished last season promisingly.

 

Wairarapa-Bush

Last season: Played 9, won 2, drew 1, lost 6, points for 222, points against 238.

Coach: Josh Syms.

Opening game: v Thames Valley (Paeroa).

Prospects: Will play its home games on a new all-weather surface. A draw with Mid Canterbury early in the season was promising.

 

East Coast

Last season: Played 9, lost 9, points for 79, points against 395.

Coaches: Willie Waitoa and TK Moeke.

Opening game: v Poverty Bay (Ruatoria).

Prospects: Some of the magic of a decade and a-half appears to have been lost. Only needs to win one game to go better than last year. Big season for halfback Charlie Harrison, who has played 99 games.

 

- Terry O'Neill

 

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