Marist, Kamo to cross swords in cracker of a clash

The signs are good for another ripsnorter of a club rugby match at Kensington Park tomorrow when Whangarei neighbours Marist and Kamo cross swords.
Marist captain Cameron Eyre and coach Donny Stevenson could have their work cut out trying to keep their young side focused after their upset win over the Western Sharks last week.
If the Marist players are expecting to beat Kamo easily, they could be in trouble with Kamo desperate to prove that they have underperformed for much of the season.
"Hopefully that won't be too much of a problem, the boys know they aren't rock stars and know they've got to do a lot more than just turn up to get a result," Eyre said.
Kamo are no mugs, despite their poor position on the PGG Wrightson premier table. They play an attractive brand of rugby led by a well-drilled and competent forward pack and their young backline contains plenty of potential - if they can unleash it.
If Kamo can bypass their recent history of poor starts and still be in the match at half-time, they will  have a good chance  of  winning and overturning their first round 10-27 defeat.
"The Kamo boys reckon they've only really clicked twice in the season and so we're hoping we can keep them off their game because if they do find confidence ... then they become pretty damned dangerous," Eyre said.
After a strong showing against Old Boys last week, Hora Hora will have heightened expectations in their match against Mid Western at Hora Hora Park.
Despite their shaky numbers and their sparsely populated training sessions, Hora Hora still pack some firepower and will be up for another big match against Mid Western.
Mid Western are tough to beat at home but are a much easier target when they're on the road. Hora Hora will do their best to come up with a plan to counter Mid Western playmaker Lachie Munro's game and, if they succeed, anything is possible.
Old Boys will be expecting a vastly improved performance than they managed against Hora Hora last week, if they want to beat the Western Sharks at their fortress at RD1 Park in Dargaville.
The Sharks have slipped from the top of the competition table after suffering consecutive away losses to Hikurangi and Marist and will be hoping to take it out on Old Boys. Sharks coach Myles Ferris said the losses were hard to take because it had shattered the Sharks' previous air of invincibility.
"Now we'll have teams that are hoping to nail down fourth spot in the playoffs targeting us as four points they can win," he said.
Mid Northern return  for their match at Wellsford's Centennial Park, hoping for easy pickings after Wellsford fell apart against Mid Western in the last round. Wellsford will want to strengthen their wide defence after it was found wanting last week.