Otago Spirit coach Duncan McEwan has mixed feelings about the new Women's Provincial Championship format.
He is pleased semifinals have been introduced this season but not so happy the round-robin phase has been cut from eight games to six.
Last year's format was exquisitely simple. Each team played the other eight teams once and the top two teams progressed to the final.
Otago placed fourth with a record of five wins and three losses.
This season fourth will be good enough for a spot in the semifinals.
While that is good news as far as McEwan is concerned, the rookie coach said the draw had not been that kind to the Spirit.
''In some ways, having the semifinal and final set-up is good for us,'' McEwan said.
''But just with the way the draw has panned out, it is quite a tough pathway for us to get to the playoffs because we don't play a couple of teams we beat last year.
''But in saying that, if we want to win the competition then we have to play all these teams, anyway.''
The Spirit will not get to play Wellington or Manawatu - teams which filled out the bottom half of the standings last year - during the round-robin.
Otago opens its campaign against beaten finalist Waikato in Hamilton today.
It will be a stern challenge and a good gauge of how its game plan is coming along.
The Spirit will attempt to play a fast-paced game and want to avoid being drawn into a melee at ruck time.
''We need to develop a game plan that allows us to avoid those one-on-one conflict situations as much as possible,'' McEwan said.
''And also we need to have a game plan on defence where we always have two in the tackle if we can, and on attack we have lots of options open all of the time.
''For us it is all about speed and being technically proficient in the things we do.
''We want a quick clean because we don't want the ball to be tied down at the breakdown with five or six players from each side in the ruck. We want quick ball and to move it.
''I think we've got a very solid squad across the park and some great attacking weapons if we get width.''
The Spirit played Canterbury in a pre-season match last weekend and lost 22-10. But McEwan was pleased with the progress his side made implementing the game plan.
''Actually we had eight new caps in that game and I thought we did pretty well. And what it showed the girls was the structure we are applying is working.
''What we didn't execute quite as well is we are still probably a fraction slow clearing the ball and were letting the opposition defence get reset.
''We made some fantastic breaks and scored out wide, so when we attacked with width, we did really well.''
Women's championship
Hamilton, today, 2.30pm
Otago: Sheree Hume, Megan Manson, Greer Muir, Michaela Baker, Kilistina Moata'ane, Larissa Muir, Sam Wong, Angie Sisifa, Zoe Whatarau, Madeleine Finch, Kate Smith, Julia Gorinski, Gemma Tuhega, Tegan Hollows, Nicola Crawford. Reserves: Emily Rogers, Eilis Doyle, Epe Elisara, Mary Jane Kivalu, Deidre Roberts, Olivia Waldron, Georgina McCullough.
Waikato: Stephanie Downer, Courtney O'Callaghan, Huia Harding, Stacey Waaka, Makaia Riki-Te-Kanawa, Racqual Anderson, Teiria Te Aho, Ginia Muavae, Les Ketu, Victoria Edmonds, Toni Hall, Lynaire Hita, Rochelle Smiler, Sosoli Talawadua, Analisa Tyrell. Reserves: Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Baye Jacob, Steph Hyde-Richards, Kendra Reynolds, Kanyon Paul, Tenika Willison, Mikaela Jefferson.
