Coast Meads Cup contenders

NGATI Porou East Coast’s exciting win against Poverty Bay at the weekend has set the scene for a thrilling final round of Heartland Championship games before the playoffs.
D efending champions North Otago and last year’s beaten finalists, Wanganui, are assured of finishing one and two, no matter what happens in Saturday’s last games before the playoffs.
The Coast are in contention for their first Meads Cup semifinal appearance — after failing to win a game last year and recording only one victory in each of the previous two seasons.
If the Coast, joint fourth with Buller, beat Horowhenua Kapiti in Otaki they will have 26 points, or 27 if they get a four-try bonus point.
Mid Canterbury, currently third on 25 points, are away to North Otago.
Anything less than a win opens the door for the Coast, Buller, and Thames Valley.
Buller host West Coast, who can sneak into the Lochore Cup if they win and Poverty Bay lose at home to King Country, dropping the Bay out of the top-eight playoffs .
Thames Valley, fifth on 21 points, need to beat South Canterbury in Paeroa and hope the Coast and Buller lose.
“There are a lot of permutations going on around the last games, but to be honest we haven’t even thought about everything that can happen,” said Coast coach Ngarimu Simpkins who, along with his assistant coach Rua Tipoki, has been leading from the front on and off the field.
“It wasn’t until yesterday that beating the Bay sank in.
“The adrenalin has been pumping since Saturday and even Rua and I, who have a fair bit of experience at higher levels, are surprised at the effect the win in Tolaga has had on our supporters and even some neutral fans.
“But now that we are in with a chance of booking a spot in the top four we’ll probably talk more about that in training this week.
“One thing we won’t do is focus on what can or can’t happen. Our first priority will be to beat Horowhenua Kapiti.
“This is their final so we won’t be taking them for granted.”
Although Tipoki and Simpkins did not score any points at the weekend, their contributions were acknowledged by blindside flanker and one of the stars of Coast during their glory days, Morgan Wirepa junior.
“It’s big ups to Ngarimu and Rua,” he said.
“It’s all down to them what’s happened this season. They are not just good players . . . everything is so professional.
“The competition for places each week is intense; no one wants to miss training for fear of being left out.
“Ngarimu has more to do with the forwards, while Rua runs the backs — he’s a fantastic organiser.
“The two of them have given the rest of the guys a belief that we can win.”
Tipoki said the win against the Bay was special in that both teams came out and gave everything.
“It wouldn’t have been the same if one team had run away with the game.
“It’s a testament to the respect we have for Poverty Bay that a win against them makes our season special.”
Simpkins said that no matter what happened at the weekend, all the credit belonged to the players.
“We’ve got guys travelling up to two hours to get to training and we’re getting between 25 and 30 players at training.
“It makes it hard when we pick the team, leaving out guys who have travelled so far, but the team always has to come first.
“At the same time it would be great if some of our players made the Heartland team or went on to make a living out of the game.
“Ever since the game turned professional, rugby is all about opportunities for players and coaches here and overseas.”