Rugby: Taranaki look to win back respectability

NEW PLYMOUTH - Two F words - frustrating and forgettable - best sum up the respective 1999 NPC first division rugby seasons for Taranaki and Southland.

It has been frustrating for Taranaki with two wins and forgettable for a Southland side still chasing a win.

Southland head into tonight's clash at New Plymouth without an NPC first division win away from home since the inception of the competition.

With wins against Northland (57-21) and Counties (35-10), Taranaki rightly go into the match as favourites and a victory would give their season some respectability.

Taranaki captain Andy Slater is expecting a win judging by his sharp comment after the 18-17 loss to Auckland last Saturday.

"I'll tell you now. We'll be going off. I've had a gutsful of this," he said.

The last time the two sides met in New Plymouth two years ago Taranaki won 74-43.

It was a match in which Taranaki centre Mark Robinson bagged five tries - a first division record matched by Waikato's Rob Gordon (1990), Auckland's Terry Wright (1984) and Carlos Spencer (1996).

Taranaki have controlled most of their games through their powerful pack led by lock Slater, props Gordon Slater and Tama Tuirirangi and No 8 Campbell Feather. But for all their dominance, they have not put points on the board.

They will be without Gordon Slater as he has been flown to England to stand by for the All Blacks in the World Cup following a calf injury to prop Kees Meeuws.

The backs have been growing in confidence and signs have been good in recent games. The switch from fullback to first five-eighths of Mark Urwin and the introduction of talented Aaron Broughton are moves which should work well.

Urwin impressed at first-five in the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato in early September, while Broughton is an attacking player.

Southland's Paul Miller is the danger player. The hard-driving No 8 scored four tries this season, and close to the line the big man is difficult to stop.

The Southland pack started the season strongly, with former New South Wales prop Simon Kerr and hooker Davin Heaps leading the way.

Halfback Brett McCormack is the key figure in the backs and his darting runs from rucks and mauls could worry the home side.

The teams for the 7.35 pm kickoff to be refereed by Manawatu's Neville McAlister are.-

Taranaki: Aaron Broughton, Neil Brew, Kerry Eynon, Faapulou Soolefai; Mepi Faoagali, Mark Urwin, Richard Jarman, Campbell Feather, Neil Crowley, Andy Slater (captain), Paul Tito, Darryl Fale; Tama Tuirirangi, Dawson Tamati, Tony Penn. Reserves: Dean Magon, Jamie Cameron, Brendan Haami, Chris Luke, Kevin Barrett, Simon Kurth, Daniel Smith.

Southland: Andrew Flint, Pailate Fili, Anthony Lafaiali'i, Philip Taylor, Josh Heke, Raymond MacDonald; Brett McCormack (captain), Paul Miller, Bevan Leckner, Steve Jackson, Justin Cullen, Stu Harvey, Aaron Dempsey, Davin Heaps, Simon Kerr. Reserves: Backs, Craig Wells, Damon Templeton, Kelvin Coghlan, forwards, Roger Newell, Brendon Pascoe, Nigel Horrell, Clark Frew. - NZPA