League: Hawks seek second spring title

The Hawks will be hoping history repeats when they play the South City Dragonz in the final of the Otago spring competition at Tahuna Park today.

The Hawks are trying to win back-to-back titles after beating Pirates in last year's final.

They are also looking to beat the Dragonz for the second time this season, after a gripping 20-18 win in their final round robin clash two weeks ago.

Coach Korrey Cook said after that match he hoped his side had "got all its silly errors out of its system".

That certainly seemed the case last week when the Hawks beat University 50-10 in a dominant semifinal display.

Cook said he was confident the Hawks would go well in the final.

"We will be looking to run hard on to the ball, put pressure on them early, make few mistakes and play with a high intensity.

"Whoever has the most intensity for the longest period of the match will win."

Dragonz captain AJ Valentine said his team had "the talent to win this year", after finishing fourth last year when there were no semifinals.

"I am confident we will win if we do the basics well and hold on to the ball.

"It should have been a draw the last time we played. We were equal to them then, and in the final, we are hoping to prove we are better."

He said the Hawks had "talent right across the park" and were one of the hardest-tackling teams in the competition.

Valentine will be hoping his team can repeat its effort of last week, when it scored some fine tries and defended staunchly in its 24-14 win over the South Pacific Raiders.

Today's game shapes as an even match between two aggressive forward packs.

The Hawks are an ominous side with size and strength though the team, but the Dragonz can counter with plenty of flair.

If the Dragonz do not shut down the Hawks halves pairing of standoff Jack Stewart and halfback Rema Smith, they could be in for a long day.

But if the Dragonz forwards can hold on to the ball and get some consistency, they have game-breakers in standoff Sam Eriepa and hooker Paul Pelesa.

It shapes up as a torrid battle between the two best teams in the competition.

 

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