Selwyn Times: March 27, 2019

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday March 27 2019 23
Breaking down the Ellesmere sides
•From page 21
A couple of senior players
up-front will look to bring up
milestones this year, with Gareth
Seymour approaching 300 games
and Roger Mockford eyeing up
150.
“If we can make it to the
(playoffs) that’d be a big
achievement for us.”
“We won our last 10 out of 11
when we had guys on deck so
we’re always a danger, it’s just a
case of keeping guys together,”
McGuire said.
•Lincoln
Lincoln will aim to go back
to their powerful forward pack
to set a platform for victory this
year after a middle-of-the-pack
effort last season, coach Kris
Partridge said
Veteran halfback Jason
Pietzner is sitting on 296 games
for the club after suffering a
detached retina during the preseason,
which ended his 2018
campaign.
“He’s been training with our
division three team but he said
he’d make himself available if we
need him and it’d be nice to get
him to 300 but we’ll see.”
Partridge said his team will
look to target the Ellesmere
derbies.
“We got ourselves up for some
of the bigger games and then let
ourselves down in what some
would consider easier games.”
KEY: Cameron Powell will be an important contributor if
Springston are to build on their first year in division one rugby.
PHOTO: KAREN CASEY
He said the return of Scott
Edmonds to the loose forwards
after a season ending ACL injury
last year is a boost.
”In the backs, we’ll be looking
at our play-makers – Brett
Mather, Harry Millar – to steer
us around the park.
“Traditionally, Lincoln has
always had a strong forward
pack and I think that’ll be our
strength again, but we have some
sharp backs, too.
“Being undefeated at home and
pushing for the playoffs would be
great for us.”
•West Melton
Chris Fifield’s team is aiming
to have a winning record this
season.
”We are similar in personnel
to last year but with good playing
numbers which is exciting,” he
said.
”Our goal is to make the top
four but if we could win more
games than we lose, that’d be
great.
“We’re more organised and
we’re fitter than we were 12
months ago.
“We won’t have a heap of
SPORT
x-factor, but if we play well as a
team, we’ll be right.”
Fifield said much would rely on
Kane Meyerhoff, who will likely
run the backline from the No 10
jersey but can also play halfback.
The forwards will be led by
co-captains Ben Calder and Dan
Cunningham.
•Rolleston
Rolleston just managed to
avoid the Ellesmere competition
wooden spoon last year, and
coach Tim Knowles is hoping an
extended pre-season will see his
team ready come Saturday.
”We’ve been training as a team
since October with a players
academy in an effort to try
something new,” he said.
Knowles said the team is young
with most of the players under
the age of 25.
”We want to be able to match
it physically and start the season
with a hiss and a roar and then
the skills will come with more
game-time,” he said.
”The goal is to push for top
four this year.
“I think we’ll have a good frontrow,
really strong set piece and
we’ve brought some speed into
the team to play that expansive
game that we tend to play.”
Knowles said he would like to
see his team play complete 80min
rugby, as opposed to last year
where they often fell away in the
last 20min.
The team will rely on No 8 Sam
Baird, but will also have 19-yearold
former Canterbury Country
under-18 representative Luke
Inwood at No 10.
•Hornby
Last season’s cellar-dwellers
want to be more competitive this
season.
Coach Steve Fenemor hopes
a larger squad will create more
competition for places and less
fatigue.
“It’s basically the same squad
but with a few extra players,” he
said.
“We’ve got a young squad so we
want to target a couple of games
in each competition and topple a
couple of teams.”
New captain Jaydin Law can
slot in anywhere from first-five to
fullback and Fenemor hopes he
can be a spark in the backline.
In the forwards, front-rower
Francis McGoon will be charged
with laying a good platform for
the young team.
“If we could win four games in
each competition we’d be really
happy.
“We don’t want to be the easybeats
like we were at times last
year.”
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