Frustrated Knight raring to go in final

Southern loose forward Adam Knight. Photo: Gregor Richardson
Southern loose forward Adam Knight. Photo: Gregor Richardson
Adam Knight has rarely been sighted for Southern this season but he is easy to spot when he has been on the field.

That is because the talented Otago loose forward is sporting a tremendous moustache.

The 24-year-old might have rid himself of his upper lip accessory by now except his team-mates decided he had to keep it until he had scored a try - rugby players can be so cruel.

Normally that would not be a problem. A game or two and the thing would be gone. But not this year.

Knight has spent most of the winter nursing injuries but he will be ''good to go'' for Saturday's premier club final against Harbour at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

He picked up an ankle complaint while training with the Highlanders and missed the opening five rounds.

Just as he was set to return for the round six match against University, he injured his quadricep and was out for ''a good two and a-half months''.

''I finally got a try the other week but decided to keep it [the moustache] until the end of the season,'' Knight confessed.

''It has been a pretty frustrating season.

''You want to be out there helping the boys perform and helping them slug it out during those cold winter days rather than sitting on the sideline. But injuries are part of it.''

One of the matches he sat out was his older brother Simon's 100th premier game for the club.

''It would have been awesome to get out there with him on his 100th game but I kept the waters up for the big fella and that kept him trucking along.''

The pair team up off the field as well to ''knock up a few houses''.

''I just got signed off not long ago actually. It [my apprenticeship] dragged out a bit with rugby.''

Their father, Richard Knight, played a record 170 games for Otago, so rugby is
in the DNA.

Knight is contracted to Otago until the end of the season but his immediate focus is on helping Southern secure its first senior banner since 2007.

The Magpies were the early favourites and have lived up to their billing. They were top of the standings at the end of the round robin and beat Kaikorai 15-10 in the semifinal.

But Harbour was arguably more impressive in the other semifinal, dispatching Dunedin 40-27.

Knight felt Southern had more to give than it showed against Kaikorai.

''The discipline side of things cost us. We kept ourselves under pressure by giving away easy penalties and we didn't nail our attack.''

Defensively, though, Southern was sound. Kaikorai was not able to score a try until deep in injury time.

Knight feels if his team can put defensive pressure on Harbour and be more clinical, the 10-year title drought might come to an end.

''In the big games you might only get one or two of those key moments so we just need to make sure of them.

''Harbour have big ball carriers and threats right across the park. We need to stop their momentum, work hard on defence and make most of the big opportunities.''

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