Saturday’s win was extremely pleasing and I’m not sure when Canterbury last scored six unanswered tries against Auckland. Given the limited experience of this side, it was a very good performance and I was proud of them.
Throughout last week I felt the momentum building. I detected the boys were keen to give it a crack, which is not surprising given that it was Auckland that we were playing.
In saying that, despite the good build-up you never really know how the team is going to perform. Some weeks the build-up is positive and you think that the guys will play well and they don’t perform like we know they can.
What I know is that the guys love playing against Auckland. Obviously Auckland is a Union with a terrific record over the years and they are to be respected whenever you play them. As a result, Canterbury vs Auckland matches are always eagerly awaited by the players. It was like that in the past and it will be the same for many years to come.
The match was especially symbolic for Paul Williams and Mose Tuiali’i, both of whom originate from Auckland. They are both special members of our squad and I think that there was a quiet feeling of satisfaction and pride in the changing-room after the match. They, like the rest of us, enjoyed the win immensely.
To use a cliché, our win was a team win and it might seem churlish to point to individuals who stood out. What I would say is that Kieran Read was again outstanding. ‘Reado’ has really grown in to the captaincy and he is playing some outstanding rugby as well.
I have also been very impressed in recent weeks with the performances of openside flanker Hayden Hopgood. He has come up against Craig Newby and Daniel Braid, both All Blacks, in consecutive games and he has shaded both of them.
Our middle-row, which was terrific against Otago, also performed extremely well against Auckland. In Michael Paterson and Isaac Ross we have two young players with a great deal of ability and athleticism.
In the backs, both Tyson Keats and Colin Slade continue to grow as individuals each week, while centres Adam Whitelock and Tim Bateman have obviously also been standouts.
The great thing with this squad is that they are never happy with where they have got to. They always want to improve, both individually and as a team, and striving to do that is the battle that they face this week.
After reviewing the Auckland match, we know that there are still plenty of things for us to work on. It’s certainly not a case of us sitting back and letting the victories happen. If we are to keep winning we must earn it through playing well.
We are of course in the early weeks of the competition. Although the rugby has been intense, sometimes it is useful to step back and realise that we have only played three competition games. As a squad we realise this and hopefully we have our collective feet on the ground as a result.
The challenge for us is to maintain the same high standards we reached against Auckland in New Plymouth on Saturday night. Because we are a young squad, it is not hard motivating the boys to do well. They want to succeed for themselves, their families and for their province.
Taranaki will present a real challenge. Coached by Adrian Kennedy (who I regularly played against in Christchurch some years back), the amber and blacks have a strong Canterbury connection and we know that they will be extremely motivated to do well.
Taranaki shares with Canterbury a passion for rugby, an understanding of the fabric of the game if you like. They also share similar values and outlook on life and they will be tough competition on Saturday night. We expect nothing less than a rugged and highly physical encounter.
The boys enjoy being able to hold their heads high when they are out in public, knowing that their last performance was a good one. How the local public reacts to them is of course up to them, but it certainly helps when the boys have played well and done the province proud.
I would urge you all to keep supporting us. It makes such a difference to the players to know that they have the province behind them. Win or lose, they will always do their best and give their guts for the red and black. As coaches we can expect nothing more.
Until next time,
Rob Penney