‘THE BIG BOYS’

NGATI Porou East Coast coach Ngarimu Simpkins is rolling out the heavy artillery for their Meads Cup semifinal against North Otago in Oamaru tomorrow.
“North Otago have some big units in their team — this is a game for the big boys,” said Simpkins, who will wear the No. 2 jersey.
“It’s a semifinal, all or nothing. We have some good young players who will get their chance next year but this is a game for our experienced players.”
Former New Zealand Maori Mutu Ngarimu starts at No. 8 after coming from the bench against Horowhenua-Kapiti last week.
Morgan Wirepa junior moves from the back of the scrum to his accustomed blindside flanker role. Robin Wyllie, rested last week, returns to the openside.
Regular lock and the team’s most improved player Ricky Waitoa, also rested last week, reclaims his No 5 jersey.
Simpkins has also made changes to his backline.
Regular halfback Charlie Harrison, rested last week, will feed the scrum.
Clayton Kiwara, who has not been on a losing Coast side since signing for them four weeks ago, is back at first five-eighth.
Left winger Mike King moves to centre with hard-running Verdon Bartlett coming in on the wing.
Despite the Coast conceding 50 points when the teams met in round three in Oamaru, Simpkins said he was confident his side could win tomorrow.
“North Otago are a good team. We’re under no illusions about what is ahead of us but we have been improving with every game. We are a lot more patient than we were at the start of the season.
“We’re also better prepared to play them this time around. We’ve done well to get here but we don’t want this to be the end of the season.”
A win for the Coast on Saturday would also ease the memory of an embarrassing 116-3 loss to North Otago side in the opening game of last season’s championship.
“Those days are gone,” said Simpkins. “One of the things Rua (Tipoki, Coast assistant coach and captain)) told the players at the start of this year was we might not win every game but we wouldn’t be an easy team to beat . . . he was right.”
Simpkins said the players had exceeded all his and Tipoki’s expectations by finishing third in the round-robin.
“At the start of the year we thought we had a good chance of knocking on the door for a Lochore Cup final — to make the Meads Cup (top four) is awesome,” said Simpkins in his first season as a Heartland Championship coach.
“We knew we had some good young local players and some experienced locals.
“Once we got Sikeli Vorenasu (fullback) as a loan player we knew we had a game-breaker. Now that we’ve got Clayton Kiwara and Rua and Tom Teaeki (winger) we have three game-breakers.
“Mike King is another who has come up with crucial tries this season.
“The Meads Cup wasn’t on the radar until we beat Poverty Bay in Tolaga Bay. That gave us the chance to make the Meads Cup by beating Horowhenua Kapiti last weekend. Now that we are in the semis we don’t want it to end this weekend.”