Border prepare for fresh semifinalists Marist
By Jared Smith
If you’ve already broken a four year drought, how hard can it be to go 80 minutes more?
Having accomplished their 2021 Tasman Tanning Premier goal of finally breaking into the semifinals, Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist feel like they have nothing to lose heading to the daunting Dallison Park this Saturday to face the eagerly awaiting favourites Waverley Harvesting Border.
Having missed the post-season every year since 2017 under a succession of coaches, Marist lifted from the indignity of the 81-14 hammering by Byford’s Readimix Taihape on May 29 to winning four of their remaining six games and snatching fourth spot.
Second year coach Travers Hopkins recalled the honesty session the players undertook at training the week after their Memorial Park humiliation.
“They weren’t major tweaks, but they were things that needed to happen.
“That game was probably the best thing for us.
“We approach [the semifinal] like every other game, I have a firm belief in the players.
“If we focus too much on who they’ve got, and what they do, we lose focus on what we can do.
“We love the underdog tag.”
Taihape were given a much sterner test in Marist’s 17-5 loss in their return outing, and while Border were ultimately comfortable 33-5 winners in Waverley on May 15, as they were 39-10 in the season opener at Spriggens Park on April 24, Marist did have periods of ascension in both games.
They were clutch with come-from-behind victories over both Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau and McCarthy’s Transport Ruapehu, and then secured the historic playoff spot with their 31-15 win over Settler’s Honey Ngamatapouri up the Waitotara Valley last weekend.
Scoring tries were former Steelform Whanganui prop Viki Tofa, young outside backs Cajun Teki-Botica, and Ioane Hough, plus two men who have come to define Marist’s spirit – inspirational captain Brad Graham and teenage sensation Rangi Kui.
Taken on added workload as Marist lost players to season-ending injuries, including fellow loose-forward George Foster with a fractured jaw, the ironman Graham is the only team member to play all 800 minutes of the regular season.
His efforts saw him share runnerup in the Premier MVP list with Border’s talented No8 Semi Vodosese – Graham and Ruapehu’s Campbell Hart the only players to make the Top 5 both this year and 2020.
“If you looked for the epitome of a hard, grass roots club man, he’s your man,” said Hopkins.
“The way Brad plays the game as well – just tops so many areas of the game.”
A regular winger who wanted his debut 2020 season to be with Ali Arc Logistics-DNA Kennels Marist Celtic in Senior after he finished school, the gifted Kui moved into first-five midway through the campaign and had Boys Own Annual moments with match-winning kicks and tries over Kaierau and Ruapehu.
Also spearheading the youth movement were the O’Leary’s – Ben and Connor – who started the season with the Buffalos but had too much competitive fire not to come up to Premier.
A Wanganui Senior cricket representative and Central Districts age grade player, Connor O’Leary showed Hopkins the elite athlete’s mentality when he made the coach promise that if he saw him giving less than 100% to pull him off the field immediately.
“The O’Leary’s, there’s a few of them, I’ve never met one happy to just do it for fun, or wants to come off second best.”
But having played both representative cricket and rugby himself, while seeing off dozens of hot-shot opposition first-fives in his professional career, there will be no sentimentality for Marist’s story from Border’s maestro Craig Clare.
With Border averaging over 41 points per game, Clare has the backline humming with an offence centred on winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone – in sublime form with 20 of his team’s 64 tries this campaign.
In previous conversations, Border coach Cole Baldwin would discuss the little faults here and there he wanted to fine-tune, but now we have arrived at the penultimate game to decide if they will go back to Cooks Gardens to defend their Rosebowl Trophy, the confidence is justifiably showing.
“We’ve turned the corner – looking pretty good,” Baldwin said.
“We’ve learned a bit over the years, we’re not naive enough to think it’s a formality. Nothing’s ever confirmed.
“[Last week], Rua brought a fair bit, they were competitive, but we just took our opportunities and got a few tries.”
After a winning streak of 17 straight games was ended by Taihape at Memorial Park, Border has been able to work their handful of injured players who missed that clash back into the fold.
“We’re probably as strong as we can be. There’s got to be a couple of decisions made, about who starts and who makes an impact off the bench,” said Baldwin.
As well as Clare and Tikoisolomone, expect big games from Vodosese, flanker Angus Middleton, and fullback Nick Harding, while winger Tom Symes will play his 100th Premier match for the club.
As Cooks Gardens beckons, this will be Border’s last home game of the season – having won 14 straight matches at Dallison Park over three seasons – so a bumper crowd will be expected.
“Our community always supports us and looks after us,” said Baldwin.
Kickoff 2.30pm.
