Big week ahead for Taranaki

Photo above: Taranaki and Hurricanes prop Mike Kainga dislocated his knee and will be out for 4-6 weeks. Photo by Dave Lintott Photography

It’s a big ask but every team has to play three games in ten days during the national provincial championship which has been the pattern over the last few years.  

Taranaki will taste that this week as they head to Pukekohe on Wednesday to play an unpredictable Counties Manukau side and then then travel to Hamilton on Sunday with an opportunity to take the Ranfurly Shield off Waikato – ironically the team that took it off them in 2012.  

Counties Manukau will back up their effort on Sunday when they are away to Auckland.   Let’s not forget that Taranaki beat Southland last Thursday night 30-14 but had the weekend off to be fully prepared for what is install this weekend.  

So far in the competition Otago, Northland, Hawkes Bay and Auckland have played the dreaded three games in 10 days, with both Northland and Hawkes Bay yet to collect wins in 2016.

These are two very important matches in the context of the competition as Taranaki have won three from four matches sitting fourth with 14 points, one behind third placed Waikato while Counties Manukau are fifth two points behind the amber and blacks. Canterbury and Auckland are leading the competition with 20 and 16 points respectively.  

Despite prop Mike Kainga forced out for between 4-6 weeks with a dislocate knee, it seems like most of Taranaki’s front line players have recovered from injury. Leighton Price played a pivotal role in his first start of the season against Southland, flanker Lachlan Boshier came off the bench for his first game for Taranaki this year in the same game and looks to back to full fitness. Wing Latu Vaeno came off the bench for the Taranaki Development XV after recovering from a leg injury.   

Regular Captain Mitchell Crosswell missed the Southland clash due to a niggly injury that he picked up in the Tasman loss but is expected to be back for both of this week’s matches. The remaining players still recovering from injury are Fin Hoeata and Charlie Ngatai with no word yet on when the latter will return.   

The statistics are looking healthy too with first five-eighth come fullback Marty McKenzie the leading points scorer with 65 points with a 15 from 15 conversions and an 83% penalty success rate. Meanwhile their tackle and lineout success rates are within the top five of the competition but their scrum dropping slightly in the rankings after being well within the top four earlier in the competition.  

Taranaki’s side is named early this week ahead of their Counties Manukau clash.  

After their brief North Island tour, Taranaki are back at home two weeks in a row against Manawatu on Saturday 24 September and Canterbury on Sunday 2 October, before playing away to Wellington on Sunday 9 October. Taranaki’s last home game of the season comes in the final round against Auckland on Thursday 13 October in the final round of the competition.