Cromwell Goats, crowned Central champions in 2020 and 2021, are well familiar with the hype that accompanies such occasions.
Conversely, only a handful of the Wakatipu players are familiar with the grand final experience, 2017 being the most recent occasion the men in blue qualified for (and won) a final.
Wakatipu coach Brett Anderson records that in the 11 seasons he has been associated with the team, as a player and coach, the club has reached the final just the once.
"So when it comes to grand finals, Cromwell has the advantage but we have the home advantage and the X-factor in our game," Anderson said.
It’s quite an X-factor. In 10 outings this season, Wakatipu has scored an astonishing 73 tries, five being the least number of times it has dotted down in any one game.
And look at the individual try-scorers: Danny Kayes boasts 12 tries, Jamie Natapu 9, Rube Peina 8, Michael Rewi 7, Brooke Wilson 7, James Valentine 6 and Tom Ria 6.
By comparison, Cromwell has managed just 45 tries with prop Jackson Clark being the equal top individual try-scorer with five.
The Goats inexplicably lost three of their first five matches this season but have won the last four, most significantly the qualifying final against Wakatipu in Queenstown, a result that stunned everyone.
Can the Goats repeat that performance tomorrow?
To do so, they’ll need their scrum to stand strong, a zone where Wakatipu ultimately destroyed unbeaten Upper Clutha in the semifinal.
But against props of the calibre of Jackson Clark and Alex Chubb, it’s hard to see Wakatipu gaining any significant advantage at the set piece.
Both teams also boast halfbacks of outstanding calibre — Ben Maxwell, the Goats captain, against James Valentine. Both have the talent and status to influence the outcome of tightly contested matches, Maxwell also being the Goats’ goalkicker.
Cromwell has had the misfortune to lose one of its most experienced players, three-quarter Warwick Cheney, who tested positive to Covid midweek.
Otherwise, both teams will field the same combinations as last weekend.
One factor that could stretch both teams to the maximum tomorrow is the weather.
Miraculously, neither team has encountered wet weather to date this season, but the forecast is about as depressing as it could be — rain developing by midday, possibly turning to snow with a strong, cold wind.
Should those conditions eventuate, the game could degenerate into a mudfest. And who knows which side will handle those conditions best?
Just two points separated these sides when they last clashed. That’s about all that should separate them again tomorrow.
Central Region final
Queenstown, tomorrow
Cromwell Goats (likely): Devon Mathieson, Kailova Rata, Anaru Takimoana, Daniel Hurring, George Tiko, Rhys Harrold, Ben Maxwell (captain), Seru Asivorosi, Dylan Robinson, Reon Buchanan, Stefan Blakeborough, Cody Mitchell, Jackson Clark, Lochie Bain, Alex Chubb.
Wakatipu (likely): Logan Beggs, Kapa Moeke, Danny Kayes, Rube Peina, Brooke Wilson, Eamon O’Brien, James Valentine, Bradley Cross, Tom Ria, Steven Banks (captain), Toby Higgins, Pene Rewi, Adam Fleming, Ross Henderson, Tysone Stephens.
By Bob Howitt
