FORWARDS: Tim Perry - HARLEQUINS, Sam Prattley – WAIMEA OLD BOYS, Quentin MacDonald - CENTRAL, Francis Smith – MARIST, Campbell Johnston - OVERSEAS, Tevita Cavubati – WAIMEA OLD BOYS, Riki Hoeata – WAIMEA OLD BOYS, Joe Wheeler - HARLEQUINS, Filipo Levi – MARIST AUCKLAND, Shane Christie - NELSON, Liam Squire - MARIST, Tevita Koloamatangi - STOKE, Vernon Fredericks - WAITOHI, Gary Redmond - MARIST, 1 x Forward – TBC
BACKS: Steve Alfeld - NELSON, Jeremy Su’a - MARIST, Hayden Cripps - HARLEQUINS, Andrew Goodman (Captain) - NELSON, Kieron Fonotia - MARIST, Bryce Heem - WAITOHI, Mitchell Scott - NELSON, James Lowe – WAIMEA OLD BOYS, Tenina Sauileoge – PAPATOETOE AUCKLAND, Tom Marshall - NELSON, Robbie Malneek - NELSON
Tasman Makos rugby captain Andrew Goodman admits there's already plenty of excitment in the camp as the countdown continues towards this year's representative ITM Cup campaign. "The good thing [about] the way the season's starting this year, I think the boys have really got that extra motivation with Canterbury at home first up and obviously the big carrot of the Ranfurly Shield sitting there, it's pretty exciting times," Goodman said.
Joe Wheeler made his playing comeback to rugby, after 14 weeks of rehabilitation, for the Harlequins Club against Central at Lansdowne Park last Saturday and came through the 40 minutes he played unscathed.
"I'm pretty happy with how my rugby's going at the moment. ITM Cup's a step up from club rugby, but I think I'm ready for it." - James Lowe
The Tasman Rugby Union has appointed Gary Stevens as head coach of the Tasman B representative team, with Mike Fraser as his assistant. Leith Bruning has also been appointed the Tasman under-20 head coach with his brother, Kyle, as his assistant.
His impressive efforts off the side of Marist's scrum have attracted plenty of attention from those that matter, leading to his predicted selection among the latest crop of Makos recruits.
Big congrats to Tasman's own Moana Forbes on making the New Zealand Women’s 7’s Squad to play in the Fiji International 7’s – August 3-4. Go 4 Gold!
Tasman's loose forward stocks have been bolstered by the arrival earlier this week of New Zealand under-20 No 8 Jordan Taufua. The 105kg and 1.82m loosie is on loan from the Canterbury Rugby Union, and has been called in to help fill a void after flanker Liam Squire broke his ankle while playing for Marist against Nelson in the Tasman Trophy club final almost five weeks ago.
Billie Collins (Awatere), Willie Alaiasa, Gareth Smith (Central), Kent Strange (Collingwood), Mike Wells (Huia), Reuben Northover, Connor McKinnon-Stevenson, Peter Brown, Latham Jones (Marist), Nathan Oakley, Jake Cresswell, Regan Marshall (Moutere), Nathan Baxter (Nelson), Jade Bevan (Renwick), Paul Tasker, Lucuster Mati, Manu Parkin (Riwaka), Patrick Tafili-Reid (Stoke), Tyler Kearns, Jackson Harvey, Riley Johnstone (Wanderers), Daniel Hytongue, Jordan Murphy, Jay Wright, Tom Cross (WOB).
Waitohi 18 (Vernon Fredericks, Manu Mataele tries, Daniel Hawkins con, pen, field goal) v Harlequins 15 (George Millar, Simon Muir tries, Hayden Cripps con, pen). Half-time: Waitohi 15-0
Man of the match: Waitohi first five-eighth Daniel Hawkins
Nelson 30 (Farrell Mulipola, Andrew Goodman, Robbie Malneek tries, James Lash 3 pens, 3 cons) Stoke 10 (Shawn Begg try, Jake Beleski pen, con) Ht 6-10.
The Tasman Makos ranks were boosted considerably at the weekend with confirmation that Melbourne Rebels winger Peter Betham had signed for the ITM Cup campaign this year.