Waikato midfield major threat for Southland

Powerful Waikato midfield backs Keith Lowen and Mark Ranby are likely to cause problems for Southland in Invercargill today.

Their size, power and speed pose the main danger for Southland's backline.

Coach Leicester Rutledge watched Lowen and Scott McLeod cut up Southland's midfield in a thrilling Ranfurly Shield challenge last season.

He knows the Lowen/Ranby pairing will be just as menacing and keen to set away try-scorers Roger Randle and Bruce Reihana.

"Last year their midfield was the winning and losing of the Ranfurly Shield," Rutledge said.

"So we really have to stop their momentum and stay in their face."

Southland's midfield of second five-eighths Joe Naufahu and centre Anthony Lafaiali'i are expected to be under constant pressure.

Lafaiali'i was confirmed in the starting team yesterday ahead of Joel Wilson, who has not recovered from the shoulder injury which ended his game against Bay of Plenty last week.

However, Naufahu and Lafaiali'i's will also be keen to show their attacking qualities and build on the slick back display shown in last week's relegation-relieving 36-20 win over Bay of Plenty.

The Southland backs grabbed four of the five tries, with three of them coming from sweet moves.

Rutledge cannot remember the last time Southland backs scored four tries in an NPC first division game and said it had given them a big confidence boost.

He sees no reason why it cannot happen again if the forwards do their bit up front.

"There's nothing better for the forwards to set up good ruck or maul ball, get up off the ground and see a winger score a try in the corner," Rutledge said. "I'm sure if they can do the same again, then who knows what might happen.

"We're also at the business end of the season and a lot of professional careers can go one way or the other at this time of the year.

"We want to make sure that our guys are still going forward."

For that to happen the Southland pack have to muscle up against a huge Waikato eight, which includes four genuine lineout winners in locks Mark Cooksley and Chresten Davis, No 8 and captain Jonno Gibbes and usual lock Royce Willis, who will play blindside flanker.

For all Waikato's forward power, they could lack speed, an area Southland will attempt to exploit.

- NZPA