Rugby: Waikato coach cheerful despite disappointing start

Chris Gibbes says the key to the game is keeping things simple. Photo / Sarah Ivey

New Waikato coach Chris Gibbes isn't above dishing out a bit of rough humour at his own expense.

"I knew there'd be some massive challenges this year, and it hasn't disappointed on that front," he said of his team's one-win, two-loss start to the Air New Zealand Cup.

A disappointing 16-6 loss to Southland was followed by a 30-22 win over Manawatu before getting a 46-13 dunking by Canterbury last week.

Waikato play championship leaders Bay of Plenty in Mt Maunganui on Saturday and Gibbes, stepping up from being Tony Hanks' assistant last season, said his belief in the players remains intact.

"We are a good side, no doubt, we just didn't play well," he said. "Basically we didn't execute the things we'd trained for. We didn't quite bring the performance that that game deserved. For all of us, the whole union and people of the province, it was really disappointing."

Gibbes said the key was keeping things simple, and tidying up "the little areas of our game that are going to make a big difference".

Gibbes said there had been some hard talking at training this week.

"The players were genuinely hurting but we've addressed it, fronted some individuals, some units in terms of lineouts and scrums. We know where we went wrong, know how to fix it and we've made massive strides in that this week."

Gibbes will be without injured former All Black loose forward Sione Lauaki and flanker Jordan Smiler, who has been suspended for the game for his dangerous tackle on Canterbury's Tim Bateman, not to mention Waikato's four All Blacks.

He maintained, three weeks into the 13-round championship, he's not worried about the points table, which has Waikato second bottom, seven points adrift of BOP.

"But you don't want to get too far away from the leading bunch, because with no quarter-finals, and straight into the semifinals, you need to be in the hunt."

North Harbour, desperate to avoid a third straight defeat, have made three changes for tomorrow night's match against Northland at Albany. Mike Harris returns at first five-eighths in place of All Black Luke McAlister; Viliame Ma'afu swaps places with Richard Mayhew at No 8; and former All Black wing Rudi Wulf returns from injury in place of Ken Pisi. Flanker Tom Chamberlain is still recovering from a pre-season bout of concussion and halfback Chris Smylie is recovering from a hamstring strain.

Northland have brought in Brook Gilmore for Troy Woodman on the wing and Eroni Gadolo replaces flanker Joel McKenty in their two alterations from the starting XV which lost to Auckland in Kerikeri last weekend. Okara Park has been cleared for the visit of Otago next week, after being in poor condition due to wet weather in the early part of the season.

* North Harbour v Waikato
Albany, 7.35pm tomorrow

NORTH HARBOUR

Jack McPhee
A. Tuitavake (c)
George Pisi
Andrew Mailei
Rudi Wulf
Mike Harris
Matt France
Viliame Ma'afu
Malakai Ravulo
Chris Smith
Filo Paulo
James King
Ben Afeaki
Michael Mayhew
Michael Reid

NORTHLAND

Jared Payne (c)
Brook Gilmore
D. Fakafanua
Derek Carpenter
Rene Ranger
Lachie Munro
Luke Hamilton
Cameron Eyre
Matt Clutterbuck
Eroni Gadolo
Cameron Jowitt
Daniel Goodwin
Karl Haitana
Mikaele Tuu'u
Bronson Murray

Reserves:

North Harbour: James Hanson, James Afoa, Richard Mayhew, Robbie Colhoun, Nafi Tuigamala, Ben Botica, Nafi Tuitavake

Northland: Tim Dow, Matt Wallis, Daniel Faleafa, Joel McKenty, Rhyan Caine, Jon Elrick, Sione Fonu