Pirates face tough first battle - March 2015
CHANGING COLOURS: In a reversal of the recent trend, former Pirates midfielder and ex Wanganui High School student Kameli Kuruyabaki has moved over to Kaierau and will face his old team tomorrow.
WANGANUI Car Centre Kaierau are determined to prove that youth is not wasted on the young as the first Tasman Tanning premier game on Spriggens Park in 2015 should be a cracker against their old rivals Integrity Motors Pirates tomorrow.
Kaierau vs Pirates was always the classic cross-town contest, but it has taken on an extra edge in recent seasons after former Kaierau coach Phillip Morris left the Devon Rd headquarters for the Pirates lair, taking with him a number of strong Pacific Island players who would eventually form the nucleus of the squad that won the 2014 championship.
Kaierau have floundered since, yet still lifted when facing their old mates - having pulled off upsets in the first round of games in 2013 (12-5) and last year (25-20) - results Morris admitted were his team's worst of those campaigns and corrected with big wins (45-0, 41-14) in the second round.
It remains to be seen if fortunes will swing this year after last weekend's season opener saw Pirates travel to Memorial Park and lose 19-18 to PGG Wrightson/Ballance Taihape, while Kaierau pulled off a remarkable 38-24 victory in Ohakune over 2014 finalists McCarthy's Contracting Ruapehu.
Kaierau coach Keith Savell said while Ruapehu had lost a few key senior men, guiding his team with three 18-year-olds in the starting XV, they played freely.
Kaierau moved their veteran fullback Ace Malo into first-five, inside of their other Steelform Wanganui incumbent Areta Lama, while they experiment with other players under the protection their senior men can somewhat provide.
"We've got a few who want to try out, so we're trying them in different places."
With four byes each, Kaierau will not settle on a concrete Premier line-up for several weeks, given they have two Saturdays without games in April.
In a reversal of the Pirates migration, the defending champions' standout midfielder and New Zealand Under-19 Heartland rep, Kameli Kuruyabaki, has switched to Kaierau this year to play alongside some of his schoolboy mates.
The transition appears smooth after he was named the game MVP against Ruapehu.
"His intention was always there to play for Kaierau at some stage, and we're certainly happy to have him," said Savell.
Through these last two seasons of doldrums, Kaierau's greatest asset has often been their Achilles heel - a brave nature to spread the ball at every opportunity not being met with the ability to always control it.
Through the rounds they are often one of the competition's highest points scorers, while also conceding the most.
"I encourage them, if they think something's on, to give it a go," said Savell.
"But you have to rein them in a little bit.
"It's got us unstuck a few times."
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist will be hoping the raft of Under-20 players they introduced last year will be a little older and little wiser when they travel to Memorial Park to play Utiku Old Boys in the season opener for both teams.
"We only get younger," said coach Jason Hamlin.
The side have made a couple of good pickups as former NZ Heartland player of the year Cameron Crowley returns from Australia, although the winger is out injured currently.
Handy lock Lake Ah Chong will join the team from the disbanded Marton Premiers, while Hamlin is hopeful the other 2014 Wanganui representatives in prop Viki Tofa and winger Simon Dibben are available - although that depends on injury and work commitments.
Because of the early season disruptions, Marist had only two warm-up games in five weeks.
Utiku coach Gavin Thompson was also only able to get his guys together for three games before the season kick-off proper.
The team will welcome back their Fijian imports for a second season, with Michael Nabuliwaqa, Semi Radradra and Malakai Volau all confirmed.
In the other matchup, Taihape will travel to the Pa to meet Harvey Round Motors Ratana, smarting from their heavy 46-7 loss to Border in Waverley last week.