Second division favourites feel the nerves

By LINDSAY KNIGHT

The Nelson Bays team will not arrive in Napier for today's second division NPC final until just a few hours before kickoff.

Usually, any New Zealand team preparing for a major match is at the venue at least 24 hours before.

But Nelson Bays coach Balie Swart does not think an undue risk is being taken, or that the team's match preparation will suffer.

Flying to Napier today is the players' decision, stemming, in part, from the short turnaround after their semifinal against Counties Manukau last Sunday.

"It's not an issue," Swart said yesterday. "It was the players' call. As long as we're on the field when the whistle blows is all that matters."

The team were travelling on a charter flight from Nelson, due to leave at 9am, and would only take 50 minutes to reach Napier.

Though Hawkes Bay are strongly fancied to win the title for the third consecutive year, having won the round-robin match between the sides 40-14 and having the home-ground advantage, they seemed the more nervous camp yesterday.

Coach Kieran Keane warned Hawkes Bay fans to play down the hype evident before last weekend's semifinal against North Otago because it was not a help to the team's mental state.

"With too much hype you just set yourself up to be knocked over," Keane said.

So the narrow and lucky win over North Otago, plus an equally close round-robin match against the same side, may have done Hawkes Bay some favours.

"The way we let North Otago back into the game after being up 18-5 was certainly a salutory lesson," Keane said.

Hawkes Bay have not been beaten in the second division since the 2000 semifinals and that record, plus memories of the province's great Ranfurly Shield eras of the 1920s and 60s, were traditions Keane believed should be cherished.

But the expectation the Bay as a union should be in first division, and the failures in the two playoff matches of 2001-02, had placed a monkey on the back, Keane said.

It was, therefore, especially important for the Bay to think only of today's match and not any possible playoff with Northland next weekend.

"We as a team are just looking forward to this match," he said. "It is a big day."

In the one change to the starting XV, fullback Colin Bourke, 19, has been chosen ahead of Tim Manawatu.

Bourke is typical of the talent produced by Hawkes Bay and inevitably enticed to other parts.

Swart was relaxed about his side's chances and seemed pleased they had underdog status. Because of it, speculation about possible first division status being achieved within the next two weekends had arisen.

"The odds are stacked against us, but our team are not ready to give it away just yet." Swart was content that at least one of his side, former South African prop Daniel Muller, would be with a first division union next year.

Swart himself is returning to South Africa to take up a post with the Sharks and is satisfied with the job he has done in Nelson over the past two years.