After a shock loss to Maniototo last Saturday, following three convincing season-opening wins, the Wakatipu Premiers rugby side are out to right their ship when they travel to Cromwell this Saturday.
Wakatipu coach Jordan Manihera calls their 22-19 loss in Ranfurly "a harsh reality learning".
"We definitely lost to the better team on the day, but there’s numerous things [assistant coach] Kapa [Te Rangi Moeke] and I have noticed from the footage where we didn’t play to our standard.
"We just didn’t adapt quick enough for the scenarios and pictures they painted ... rather than waiting for a yarn at halftime."
Early this week he was looking forward to "nailing those learnings" at this week’s trainings "so it hopefully doesn’t happen again".
Manihera agrees you learn more from a loss than a win.
"It’s human nature to get a bit comfortable when things are going well and you don’t dig that much deeper as much as you do when you lose, and you know, the general vibe in the changing room after the game, there was a lot of disappointment."
With injured and absent players all returning, "I’m really happy to have a bit of a headache in terms of selection for this Saturday".
Meanwhile, Arrowtown, after three losses, are happy they at least got some competition points for drawing 26-all with Cromwell at home last Saturday — despite ruing two missed penalties in the last minutes.
With the team down in numbers, Aidan Winter, 42, donned the boots for the first time this season, playing the last 20 minutes at prop — he’s now played 239 games for them since debuting 20 years ago.
He was a little bit puffed at the end but says "I actually enjoyed it".
Arrowtown have a bye this weekend.
Wakatipu’s other two sides also lost last weekend, the Wanderers succumbing 25-7 to Riverton and Wakatipu Ladies losing 40-17 to Invercargill’s Star Wahine.
The latter play Blues in Mossburn tomorrow night.
- Wakatipu Women v Blues, tomorrow 7.10pm, Mossburn; Wakatipu Premiers v Cromwell, Saturday 2.30pm, Cromwell
