Stags squad players to feature

Pirates Old Boys midfielder Desmond Spooner seeks to pass the ball to his midfield colleague,...
Pirates Old Boys midfielder Desmond Spooner seeks to pass the ball to his midfield colleague, Isaac Te Tamaki, in a game against Marist last month.PHOTO: DEBBIE FAHEY
The feature game in round four of Southland premier club rugby tomorrow is between Woodlands and Pirates Old Boys.

The Pirates Old Boys side is unbeaten while the defending champion Woodlands will be seeking to bounce back on its home turf after losing to Marist in round three.

Both of these teams are packed with players who were this week selected in the Southland High Performance squad which is made up of contracted Southland Stags and players noted to be of potential for the 2021 Stags squad.

The Woodlands front row will have the edge on Saturday, prop Chris Barrett and hooker Jason Rutledge featuring.

Prop Joe Walsh is still rehabbing an injury.

The second row battle will be of interest as Woodlands’ new recruit, Caleb Aperahama, is matched up with Pirates grinder Craig Smith.

The loose forward battle will have Stags incumbent Matt James on the openside for Woodlands and Canterbury native Dustin Coveney pushing his case on the blindside for the Hawks.

The Hawks’ teenage halfback, Josh Murrell, has not been included in the squad but he will get a good line on where he needs to be against the Stags’ contracted halfback Liam Howley.

The two top first five-eighths in the province, Marty McKenzie and Greg Dyer, are also squaring off tomorrow.

One of the main strengths of the Hawks team this season is its midfield duo of Desmond Spooner and Isaac Te Tamaki. Both have also made the training squad.

The class players in the outside backs are Materua Tupou, of the Hawks, and Kieran Lee, for Woodlands.

The other two premier games are between Star and Blues and Marist and Midlands. Barbarians have the bye.

In the division one competition, unbeaten teams Tokanui and Edendale square off down south, while in division two, DLS is in good form after a big win during the side’s centenary weekend but will meet a much tougher opponent at Bluff tomorrow.

 - John Langford

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