Star-studded Tasman backline throws plenty at Stags
“We defended really well with accuracy and effort until we made one or two errors, and they were gone. Will Jordan and some of those jokers are pretty sharp and take advantage of that."
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The Southland Stags have had a defensive workout in the 36-7 loss to a Tasman Mako team that featured four players released from All Black duties.
Southland travelled to Christchurch on Friday to take on Tasman in its final preseason hit out before the opening round game against Otago in Invercargill on Saturday, August 10.
Tasman got out to a 24-0 halftime lead and eventually won 36-7.
Stags coach Matt Saunders acknowledged there will be a lot to review defensively from the Tasman game given the sheer amount of defending they had to do.
Attack wise he said there are promising signs, although Southland had little opportunity to show that against Tasman given the little ball it had to work with against Tasman.
The stacked Tasman starting backline included All Blacks Will Jordan and David Havili who are both returning from injury.
Jordan got through 60 minutes and Havili 50 minutes.
All Black looseforward Ethan Blackadder and halfback Noah Hotham also got some time off the bench for Tasman.
“The effort was very good from us, they were just at a different level today… I can’t fault the effort, and that is what I said to the boys on the bus. We just need to get better, and it showed the level we need to get to,” Saunders said.
“They were a quality side, and we just couldn’t get a lot of ball. It was probably 70% possession, and we also couldn’t get out of our 22, so we have got a few things to remedy there.
“We defended really well - with accuracy and effort - until we made one or two errors, and they were gone. Will Jordan and some of those jokers are pretty sharp and take advantage of that,” Saunders said.
Englishman Charlie Powell appears to have impressed the Stags coaching group with his defensive performance on the wing against that powerful Tasman outfit.
The Stags may not come up against another backline with the same sort of quality that Tasman possessed this season, and Saunders welcomed that challenge in preseason on Friday.
“It just showed the boys that is the All Black level with Will Jordan’s timing and just his quality. We did a good job on him, just until we didn’t. There are fine margins at that level when you make a wee error. It doesn’t take much.”
Saunders indicated they are relatively settled selection wise at this point saying there are unlikely to be many surprises in the 23 named to play against Otago in round one.
Probably the most intriguing call will be at first five-eighth with former Melbourne Rebels player Jake Strachan now under an injury cloud after picking up a leg injury against Tasman.
If Strachan is ruled out Byron Smith or Jason Robertson will likely slot into the No 10 jersey.
Prop Joe Walsh is another now under an injury cloud for round after also picking up a leg injury against Tasman.
The likes of outside backs Michael Manson and Rory van Vugt, as well as looseforward Leroy Ferguson, missed the game against Tasman but they are likely to be available for selection against Otago at Rugby Park.
Meanwhile, Southland’s first-round opponents Otago suffered a 47-0 preseason loss to Canterbury in Christchurch on Saturday.
Hopefully Faletoi Peni is available. He can bring something to add value.
hopefully everyone is available for stags day