RUGBY: Hint from Clint that there's plenty of motivation

Clint Going has played his fair share of club rugby at Mid Northern. But it is something of a sticking point that in more than 14 years of trying he hasn't had many titles to celebrate.
The 32-year-old fullback has one in his sights now though, because Mid Northern will play Waipu to decide the Joe Morgan Memorial Trophy winner in the final of the Northland-wide premier club rugby competition.
And there won't be many others more fired up for the clash than Going.
"It has taken a while," was about as effusive as Going would get when quizzed about the final.
"We have got some good young fellas in the team coming through this year and we have been playing all right and getting better as we have been going this season," he said.
"That is different to what normally happens with us - normally we start getting injuries and things go haywire about this time of the season."
Mid Northern beat defending champions Hikurangi 25-11 in one semifinal at Hukerenui on Saturday while Waipu marched into their second successive grand final with an emphatic 33-12 victory over Wellsford at Wellsford in the other.
They were two powerful performances that set the scene for a mammoth final between two of the best performed teams in the competition.
But for Going it is even more satisfying as Saturday was the first time in three years that Mid Northern had succeeded in a semifinal, and last year the fiery fullback was forced to watch from the sideline after copping a suspension.
The only downer for Going was news that the final will not be played at Okara Park. There was some comfort in the fact that the final would be played at Going's home turf at Hukerenui, but even he would have liked to play the feature game at Northland rugby headquarters.
"At least the ground here (at Hukerenui) isn't cut up too bad. That is another first for us, usually we are rolling around in the mud out here at this time of the season," he said.
In the first promotion-relegation game Marist managed to hold off second division Mid Western 14-10. In the premier reserve grade semifinals Hora Hora beat Waipu 24-6 and Wellsford beat Mid Northern 31-25.