Waikato's Ranfurly Shield challenge gets big lift

Jonno Gibbes

New Zealand Maori skipper Jono Gibbes will return from a three-month injury break to help Waikato challenge Canterbury this weekend for the Ranfurly Shield.

Gibbes' reappearance, at lock, coincides with the restoration of the province's other All Blacks, who have been rested since the end of the test schedule.

Gibbes, Byron Kelleher, Sione Lauaki and Sitiveni Sivivatu will give Waikato a huge boost, and perhaps a psychological edge as Canterbury will not have their test players for another week.

"It has been a big lift and good for the other senior players in the squad," coach Warren Gatland said. "We have noticed there is a little bit more authority, a little more chat during training. It rubs off on the others."

Steven Bates will captain Waikato on Saturday with help from Gibbes, whose last game was in early July as a substitute in the second test against the Lions.

Since then Gibbes has been recuperating from a troublesome foot injury but was able to train enough this week to convince Gatland to choose him as lock.

"He has got enough on his plate as the New Zealand Maori and Chiefs captain and involvement with the All Blacks so we appointed Bates as captain for the NPC campaign and Jono will help him out," Gatland said.

After two straight defeats, Waikato probably need to win three of their last four games to make the NPC playoffs, so Saturday is all about getting a win. "If that happens then everything else takes care of itself," Gatland said.

He said Kelleher told him he had never challenged for the shield and he was very sparky after more than a month out with concussion.

Despite some blemishes against Wellington and Auckland, Gatland said Waikato would persevere with the blitz defence he had introduced this season. It had worked for him with Wasps and in Ireland and took some time to bed in. "It is a high risk and high reward. You know you are going to miss tackles and you know you are going to get your line broken at times but it is how you cope with that.

"A bit like South Africa really. They probably missed more tackles than anybody else in the Tri-Nations and had more linebreaks against them yet they nearly won the series.

"The benefit is turning defence into attack. There is still a lot to tweak with it, the players have to learn the triggers and who they are taking and all those things. Every defensive system is fallible, it is just making the most of it."

Gatland said the blitz system was different, it offered rugby variety in the NPC. The Bulldogs and Roosters had used it to good effect in the NRL.

Canterbury's weapons on Saturday would be their experience, their savvy, their big-match temperament. They were like the Auckland sides of the late 80s and 90s - sides who were so accurate and organised and worked hard throughout a match.

"If you make a mistake they punish you and everyone wants to emulate their standards."