Rugby: Mentality likely to decide premier final

Grant Hassall

Photo: Southern's prided themselves on their scrum this season. Photo by Spinna Photography.

Mental aptitude could well decide the CMK Taranaki men’s premier rugby final on Saturday.

Both Stratford Eltham and Southern head into the final, which will be played along with five other finals at Yarrow Stadium, with confidence after surprising semifinal victories.

Southern has risen strongly during the second round and despite trailing Coastal for the first 50 minutes in the semi, illustrated the required faith to succeed.

Southern’s carefully spoken coach, PJ Gidlow, said his side deserved their berth in the finale.

“The boys have worked hard after a couple of games didn’t go their way,” Gidlow said.

The change came when the team “believed in themselves”, with the catalyst for the growth being the 22-14 win over Stratford Eltham on June 8.

“I’m proud of what they have done.”

Southern boast an impressive pack, headed of course by the irrepressible Michael Bent. It would seem that their best chance of success would be to take Stratford Eltham on up front, where captain Wilson Parata and big Shay Smith, a rep cricketer to boot, provide more than adequate height.

Southern’s conversion of that forward pressure into points was greatly aided last weekend through Meihana Grindlay. While Grindlay saw only a derisory 11 minutes with the Blues this season, the advantages of being a full-time professional, coupled with the confidence he gained from his blockbusting 2023 with the Bulls, was so evident and decisive against Coastal.

That means that Southern have enough power to wrestle the title, a point not lost on Stratford Etham coach Ross Williams.

Williams admitted that Southern “had wanted it more” when the two teams last met. That is unlikely to be the case for the final – which is the first since the introduction of the current format in 1983 to not feature a north Taranaki side in the decider – with Williams presenting a settled side which has worked hard and trusts the team systems well.

Stratford Eltham have the advantage on two statistical fronts. They know what playing in a final is like – “lessons from last year,” Williams said – and they boast six members of the recently announced Taranaki Bulls NPC squad. Southern have just three.

Although when the Taranaki development wider training squad numbers are added to the mix – there are four from Stratford Eltham and six from Southern – things start to become interesting.

The rise in recent seasons of the central Taranaki side, with its strong community support, has certainly been assisted with the arrival of a number of skilled players from outside the province, especially in the backline where the precocious Adam Lennox has shone.

Williams and co have done well to blend that talent with the locals, where raw-bone co-captain Scott Jury provides a fitting connection to the halcyon days of the 1960s when Stratford reigned supreme. Jury’s late grandfather, Alan, also a Taranaki rep, was a stalwart of that team which was so ably coached by Don Carlson.

The neutral punters are likely to favour a Stratford Eltham victory, but as Tukapa and Coastal both found out last Saturday, teams can’t afford to leak five tries in playoff games and win. Defence, along with mental toughness, could be the deciding factors.

Southern has excelled with four teams appearing during finals day, a fine achievement. Their defending champion women’s side, though, face a major hurdle against the unbeaten Clifton which posted a resounding 64-15 win when the two sides last met four weeks ago.

CMK Taranaki club rugby finals day, July 13, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth

Division 3: Southern v Tukapa, field No 4, 10.30am start, referee Dr Chris Morrison.

Division 2: Patea v Bell Block, field No 1, 11.30am start, referee Tim Biesiek.

Colts: Inglewood v Tukapa, field No 3, 12 noon start, referee Ross Hanan.

Division 1: Southern v NPOB, field No 4, 12.30pm start, referee Warwick Lahmert.

Women’s: Clifton v Southern, field No 1, 1.30pm start, referee Chloe Sampson.

Premier: Stratford Eltham v Southern, field No 1, 3.30pm start, referee Will Johnston.

Premier teams:

Stratford Eltham: Marika Parker, Harry Hansen, Daniel Bishop, Semisi Balenaisa, Matthew Kissick, Scott Jury, Dayle Bailey, Hemopo Cunningham, Leone Nawai, Obey Samate, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Nathan Clough, Rocky Olsen, Brendon Coupe, Adam Lennox. Reserves: Trint Kelsen, Aaron Tosland, Henry Marchant, William Butler, Zarhn Collins, Chayce Bailey, David Avery.

Southern: Dylan Skipworth, Liam Nelley, Michael Bent, Wilson Parata, Shay Smith, Walter Cole, Daniel Parete, Jesse Parete, Jade Taylor, Cody McGrath, Benny Katene, Brendon Hikaka, Meihana Grindlay, Tane Leatherby, Brent Aston-Landers. Reserves: Maioha Kershaw, Keightley Watson, Brad Saxton, Brad Saxton, Luke MacLeod, Jack Meads, Jackson Ormond.