The Crown Range that links the Wakatipu Basin with Wanaka is not that high, but traversing it for a crunch club rugby contest can be mentally challenging.
And that is what faces the high-flying Wakatipu team as it prepares for its toughest contest to date, against Upper Clutha for the White Horse Cup at Wanaka Domain on Saturday.
Wakatipu has been in rip-snorting form this season, scoring 31 tries in its three massive victories, the third of them against the defending champion Cromwell Goats team under lights last week.
Wakatipu coach Brett Anderson is not getting carried away and knows journeying “over the hill” brings its own challenges.
“It’s always a great battle between us and Upper Clutha and I’m sure Saturday won’t be any different.”
Last season, by a strange quirk, Upper Clutha crossed the Crown Range three times to play Wakatipu in Queenstown, losing the first two before, importantly, taking out the semifinal contest.
Saturday’s game sets up some fascinating individual contests:
- Goalkickers Brady Kingan (Upper Clutha) v Eamon O’Brien (Wakatipu). They’ve both been on fire. O’Brien, who operated at halfback last season but is now the first five, has kicked 35 points in his three outings and Kingan 34.
- Wingers Adam Breen (Upper Clutha) v Brooke Wilson (Wakatipu). Newcomers to the premier club competition, they have been dazzling opponents with their speed. Breen is a graduate from the crack 2021 colts team while Wilson transferred between seasons from Alexandra.
- Locks Lachie Garrett (Upper Clutha) v Steve Banks (Wakatipu). Securing lineout possession is going to be all important, and Garrett and Banks are two of the most gifted ball-winners in the competition.
In acknowledging that both teams possess goalkickers of outstanding calibre, Anderson said discipline would be important.
“Neither team can afford to give away silly penalties,” he said.
Wakatipu last held the White Horse Cup in 2019. In its present form, it is in with a grand chance of success but Upper Clutha is equally talented, meaning the home factor could be all-important.
Arrowtown will be hurting after its narrow loss to Upper Clutha last week and will be determined to extract maximum points from its clash with Maniototo at Jack Reid Park, this being Arrowtown’s first home game in four.
Another team frustrated at the previous week’s happenings is Alexandra, which had its contest with strugglers the Cromwell Cavaliers cancelled because of the Covid factor. They had to settle for two points each. So they’ll be after maximum points against Matakanui at Omakau, a game Alexandra won 35-15 last season.
Cromwell Goats, languishing in fourth equal position (after being top dog week in, week out for the past two years), will be determined to enhance their standing at Anderson Park against their fellow Cavaliers, a game they won 76-5 last season. This game is at 7pm today.
- Bob Howitt
