Waikato stay grounded

New Waikato coach Warren Gatland will want to get off to a flyer tonight before the Mooloo faithful. Picture / Amos Chapple

Waikato's experienced midfield man, David Hill, got it right when assessing prospects of an opening-round win over a combative Taranaki at Hamilton tonight.

Forget that the Mooloo men have off-field concerns and might lose key openside maestro Marty Holah to England at the end of the year; or that halfback Isaac Boss departs for Ireland after round seven; or that they lost their two leadup games to Northland and North Harbour either side of a camp in Queensland.

All that will drop into the background when last year's semifinalists take on the team who scored more tries than any other in last year's round robin and missed the top four by a point - edged out by Waikato.

Hill, who revives his successful first/second five-eighths Chiefs double act with Steven Donald tonight, said: "Everyone's on zero points. This is a good chance to get out on our home paddock and put a pretty passionate performance together, get everything in place and show what we've got."

New coach Warren Gatland is ambitious to do well at the province he played 140 games for from 1986-94. He has a winning pedigree from his time in Ireland and England and will want to produce a flyer tonight before the Mooloo faithful.

He is without All Blacks Sitiveni Sivivatu, Byron Kelleher and Sione Lauaki, and regular captain Jono Gibbes is injured. Still, there is class and Super 12 experience dotted throughout a side to be led by hardworking No 8 Steven Bates.

Holah, 28 and with 33 test appearances, is in Saracens' sights. They have former All Black captain Taine Randell and Holah's former Chiefs team-mate, Glen Jackson.

Holah's contract expires at the end of the year and so long as Richie McCaw is around, his All Black chances will be limited.

"Players with Marty's level of experience have to look at their options and he's obviously working through the various options he's got," said Waikato union chief executive Gary Dawson.

Boss is off to Ulster after round seven. He has to be there then to qualify for the Heineken Cup competition. But Kelleher should be available by then, injury and All Black selectorial whims permitting.

Boss qualifies for Ireland through a grandmother and has had an Irish passport for several years.

"My goal is to get over there and have a couple of years to give it a crack and try to get into an Irish squad for the next World Cup."

As for Taranaki, they are without flying No 7 Chris Masoe but one Fijian loss, beefy No 8 Tomasi Soqeta, has opened the door for another, Sisa Koyamaibole, who gets a start tonight.

The 120kg Fijian test player was at Counties Manukau last year and now has a chance to step up a class.