Rugby: Swamp Foxes rate themselves a chance

By Chris Rattue

Thames Valley will not lack support when they take on Waikato in the season's second Ranfurly Shield challenge in Hamilton today.

And confidence is not exactly down either. Whereas Wairarapa Bush were only too willing to predict they would suffer a heavy defeat last Saturday, the Swamp Foxes are giving themselves a chance.

"Although I'm not as comfortable as I was on Saturday," said coach Norm Pratt, who has lost his experienced second five-eighths, Dion Lawson and might lose lock Keith Robinson to injuries suffered in club games at the weekend.

But Pratt, the headmaster of Hauraki Plains College, is not exactly giving up hope a la Wairarapa Bush.

For a start, the local derby will mean plenty of Valley voices will be heard at Rugby Park. Pratt has boosted that as well. All pupils at his college were given the chance to go to the game and two buses carrying about 50 youngsters will make the trip.

"I'm hoping we'll have more supporters at the game than Waikato," said the Thames Valley coach. "I reckon the game is 30-70 - we've got a real chance of catching Waikato early in the season.

"You can look at early last season when Bay of Plenty ran Waikato very close [25-18].

"We've got a very good forward pack and I believe our loose forwards - and our whole back five - can get an advantage in the speed to the loose ball.

"I was very impressed with Wairarapa Bush's defence, although they didn't fan wide enough, but I think they kicked the ball away too much.

"That won't be our intention. You've got to aim to score points or else you haven't got a chance. I'd rather lose by 40 trying to do something, than lose by 20 through just sitting on our haunches.

"I think people realised from last year that we can give people a run for their money. Mind you, even after losing 10 or so players, that Waikato team is still a very strong one. It's amazing really."

It will be Thames Valley's 12th challenge, and they have never lifted the shield. After a couple of seasons when they battled to stay in the second division, they blossomed somewhat last year, just missing the semifinals.

They have a number of imports, including Auckland Suburbs first five-eighths Teri Rahui, their outstanding performer last season. But they have also lost experienced fullback Aaron Taylor to work commitments, while backs Kyron Bax, Steven Hill and Sheldon Waetford and flanker Brad McNaughten are either making their debut or have just a couple of Valley games to their credit.

Waikato have got test lock Royce Willis back on loan from the All Blacks, and prop Michael Collins will make his return from injury from the bench accompanied by suggestions that he might be tried as a hooker this year.

"I think some people in the Chiefs might be looking at him as a future hooker," said Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke.

"I'm not looking at it seriously but we might consider it if Michael is comfortable and it fits in with what we need."

Waikato have lost Roger Randle, Scott McLeod, Ryan Wheeler, Marty Holah and Guy Coleman to injury, and Rhys Duggan, Glen Jackson, Bruce Reihana, Todd Miller, Deon Muir and Mark Cooksley to the Maori team, who are about to play two games in Fiji.

Late notice about the Maori tour upset Searancke, although he agreed with Pratt that he could still field a strong line-up.

"It's great to have the big fellow [Willis] back and we've still got a pretty strong forward pack and some good young backs," Searancke said.

"I wish we had got earlier notice about the Maori tour. I don't want to bag people when it comes to representing their country, but we only found out around June, when we'd already organised our training camps.

"I believe Thames Valley are going to give us a much tougher game than many of our guys realise. And when it comes to local derbies, you can throw the form book out the window."

Waikato: Damian Karauna, Jeremy Murray, Mark Ranby, Keith Lowen, Matthew Cooper, Michael Blank, Ben Willis; Tony Petero, Nick Holten (captain), Royce Willis, Chresten Davis, Hayden Scown, Paul Martin, Greg Smith, David Briggs. Reserves: Wayne Warlow, Brad Miller, Isaac Boss; Jared Nordstrom, David Dillon, Deacon Manu, Michael Collins.

Thames Valley: Kyron Bax, Aaron Steel, Sheldon Waetford, Sirele Driu, Steven Hill, Teri Rahui, Aaron McDonald; Stephen Trebilco (captain), Simon McKearney, Glynn Sutton, Keith Robinson, Brad McNaughten, Sa McCarthy, Roger Wilton, Hayden Rasmussen. Reserves: Wayne Roberts, Bevan Robinson, Chris Burgess; Karl Davis, Craig Foote, Denis Hazelton, Tatupu McCarthy.

Kickoff: 3pm.