23 August 2014
Mid Canterbury v West Coast
@ Ashburton 2:30 PM – BET NOW
We continue our Head 2 Head Previews with Mid Canterbury v West Coast.
MID CANTERBURY
2013 finish: Meads Cup champions
The Hammers, again under coach Glenn Moore, recorded the best Ranfurly Shield challenge of any Heartland side in the past 14 years in holding Counties Manukau to 46-10 which indicates they will be a hard side to de-throne this season.
The bulk of the 2013 champion squad, which dropped only one match, is back again and bolstered by the addition of a few experienced players – Tasman flanker Gary Redmond, Northland prop Scott Vessey and North Otago lock Eric Duff while Canterbury-based fullback Matt Thatcher will be the Player of Origin.
Add in the return of ex-Canterbury and Tasman winger Willie McGoon, Ponsonby goal-kicking first five Murray Williams (123 pts last season) who has repped for Auckland, Bay of Plenty and the Chiefs, Canterbury halfback Jake Ashby (injured at pesent) and mid fielder Peni Manumanuniliwa and possibly Otago three-quarter Dwayne Burrows.
Hooker James Carr is sitting on 99 games for the union while last year’s captain and No 8 Jon Dampney plus props Tokalua and Simon Fleetwood are all in the selection mix.
The backline squad again includes former Taranaki and Samoan international second five Esera Lauina, NZ Heartland rep halfback William McKenzie, fullback Richard Catherwood and utility back David Maw.
Missing from last season are former Otago and Manawatu lock Grant Polson (retired), mid field back Manase Nonu and Canterbury loan winger Muleli Bula.
Mid Canterbury, endeavouring to match Wanganui (2008-09) in winning back to back Meads Cups, has tune-up games against Southland and South Canterbury.
LATE NEWS: ( Thanks Jason Ree – Mid Canterbury )
Scott Vessey has pulled out due to injury before the shield game, James Carr has retired (Played 108 games) , also they have ex-Tasman Winger Brenton Connell, back in the fold after playing for Methven this season
Mid Canterbury Heartland Squad 2014 – (Announced Saturday 26 July)
WEST COAST – http://westcoastrfu.com
2013 finish: Meads Cup semi-finalists
Reaching the Meads Cup semi-finals for only the second time, the previous occasion being in 2008, the Coast impressed with a fourth overall Heartland ranking last season.
West Coast gave eventual champions Mid Canterbury a real test in the Meads semi-final in Ashburton before being pipped 28-25 after twice leading and finally being foiled in the last minute of play.
Earlier there had been notable away wins over Wanganui (25-24) and Lochore Cup champions South Canterbury (30-25) plus the thrilling 14-12 Seddon Shield victory over Nelson Bays thanks to a wet weather drop goal from Tim Priest.
Winning the Seddon Shield for the first time in 33 years was a feather in the cap for the red and whites who now faced the formidable task of defending the trophy on successive weekends against Marlborough, Buller and Nelson Bays before the Heartland starts , they were successful over Marlborough before losing 31 – 42 to Buller.
Coast’s strength will revolve around current NZ Heartland reps Alan Monk (flanker), Troy Tauwhare (hooker) and Tim Priest (first five) along with hard-working loosie Rowan O’Gorman (top try scorer with six last year) and strong locks Josh Manning and Kalave Auali’itia plus front rowers Heroshi Tea and Andrew Williams (both Samoan test players)
Robert Thomson is a strong-running fullback and Maleli Mudu (69 caps) can be an elusive winger.
The Canterbury-based coaching pair of Alan Lindsay and Sean Cuttance again have a pool of talent to pick from this year.
West Coast Heartland Squad 2014
West Coast Team to Play Mid Canterbury on Saturday
1 Lolesio Lavea 2 Troy Tauwhare 3 Ryan Kennedy 4 Kalave Aualiitia 5 Brad Houston
6 Alan Monk 7 Josh Hill 8 Rowan O’Gorman 9 Nick Makea 10 Tim Priest 11 Gareth Price
12 Sean McClure 13 Josh Costello 14 Peter Te Rakau 15 Jason Wright
REPLACEMENTS:
16 David Oates 17 Darcy Ralph 18 Chris Mason 19 Logan Winter
20 Mark Le Lievre 21 Nathan Smith 22 Phillip Thomson
MID CANTERBURY v WEST COAST
Saturday 23 August, 2.30pm at Ashburton Showground, Ashburton
Played: 5, 2006-2013 | Mid Canterbury wins: 4 | West Coast wins: 1
Last match: Mid Canterbury 28 West Coast 25, 19.10.13 in Ashburton (MC SF)
Last West Coast win: West Coast 24 Mid Canterbury 9, 02.09.06 in Greymouth (P)
Biggest Mid Canterbury score: 29 (29-24), 29.09.12 in Greymouth (HC)
Biggest West Coast score: 25 (25-28), 19.10.13 in Ashburton (MC SF)
Biggest differential: West Coast by 15 (24-9), 02.09.06 in Greymouth (P)
HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES | |||
Head-to-head matches: MID CANT – WEST COAST | |||
19.10.13 | Mid Cant | West Coast | 28 : 25 |
29.09.12 | West Coast | Mid Cant | 24 : 29 |
27.09.08 | Mid Cant | West Coast | 07 : 05 |
08.09.07 | Mid Cant | West Coast | 23 : 12 |
Last matches: MID CANTERBURY | |||
26.10.13 | Mid Cant | North Otago | 26 : 20 |
19.10.13 | Mid Cant | West Coast | 28 : 25 |
12.10.13 | Buller | Mid Cant | 13 : 31 |
05.10.13 | Mid Cant | Thames Valley | 44 : 11 |
28.09.13 | King Country | Mid Cant | 17 : 32 |
21.09.13 | Mid Cant | South Cant | 34 : 27 |
14.09.13 | North Otago | Mid Cant | 19 : 18 |
07.09.13 | Mid Cant | Wairarapa | 29 : 23 |
31.08.13 | Horowhenua | Mid Cant | 09 : 13 |
24.08.13 | Mid Cant | Poverty Bay | 31 : 12 |
Last matches: WEST COAST | |||
19.10.13 | Mid Cant | West Coast | 28 : 25 |
12.10.13 | Wanganui | West Coast | 24 : 25 |
05.10.13 | West Coast | North Otago | 22 : 32 |
28.09.13 | Thames Valley | West Coast | 18 : 33 |
21.09.13 | West Coast | East Coast | 15 : 11 |
14.09.13 | South Cant | West Coast | 25 : 30 |
07.09.13 | West Coast | Poverty Bay | 30 : 14 |
31.08.13 | Wairarapa | West Coast | 32 : 12 |
24.08.13 | West Coast | Buller | 23 : 17 |
13.10.12 | Buller | West Coast | 26 : 18 |
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