Rugby: Inexperience up front for Waikato

By Chris Rattue

Selection and injury may add a touch of inexperience to the Waikato front-row options for tomorrow's NPC rugby semifinal clash against Wellington in Hamilton.

Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke has initially ruled out prop Michael Collins because of an upper thigh injury, although there remains an outside chance he could be on the bench.

That brings into the reserves the 20-year-old Deacon Manu, a New Zealand Colts trialist this year who has yet to play an NPC match.

But Waikato have also recalled their former front-rower Nick Mantell, who has played 24 games for the province, to be on standby in case Collins, the Chiefs' captain, is finally ruled out.

Mantell was unavailable for the NPC season because he is in his final year of medical studies, and was loaned to the Auckland development team where he has played at tighthead prop, although he has been used as a hooker in the past by Waikato.

"Michael Collins tells me he is okay but the doctors tell me not this week," said Searancke. "He would only be on the bench, so we can wait until Saturday anyway."

And Searancke has preferred the 21-year-old Anton Edwards, the New Zealand Colts hooker for the past two years, ahead of Guy Coleman.

Coleman has held the hooking spot made available by Greg Smith's absence for most of the season through his commitments to Fiji. Edwards, who made his first NPC run-on appearance for Waikato in the loss against Northland last week, has won the nod mainly on his lineout-throwing ability.

Edwards made his senior debut as an 18-year-old with third division Wanganui in 1996, and Searancke said the 115kg hooker "has a very big future."

But it will be a test of fire for him against the wily Wellington front row of Mike Edwards, Norm Hewitt and Englishman Kevin Yates.

Wing Bruce Reihana, who had an ankle problem, comes in for Keith Lowen on the wing; tough-tackling flanker Nick Holten returns from a three-week absence forced by a shoulder injury in place of Tony Petero; and Ryan Wheeler comes onto the bench after passing tests relating to concussion suffered against Otago a fortnight ago.

The normal stand-down period for concussion is three weeks, but Waikato manager Steve Gilbert said that could be shortened if a player passed a medical. Wheeler went through four hours of tests and gained a pass.

"He was only knocked out for five seconds, so we thought it was worth testing," said Gilbert.

Searancke said it had been a tough call to drop Lowen.

"I thought he had a good game against Northland, but his and Mark Ranby's time in the midfield is probably coming, especially with the retirement of Matthew Cooper."

Wellington coach Graham Mourie has kept the lineup that beat Otago. First five-eighths David Holwell has been cleared after suffering double vision following a knock in last Sunday's match.

The country's punters have placed fairly even money on Waikato and Wellington, but the money has piled on Auckland for their semifinal against North Harbour at Eden Park.

As of yesterday, $40,000 had gone on Auckland, with just $300 on North Harbour.

North Harbour coach Wayne Shelford yesterday named an unchanged lineup from the side that beat Canterbury.