There was a little show of solidarity between the two away semifinalists heading into the Tasman Tanning Premier playoffs on Saturday.

With the heavy wet weather raising the prospect of the Springvale fields being closed by the district council on Tuesday evening, Tāmata Hauhā Rātana were invited to move their training under lights at the Country Club by Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau.

No doubt every moment of preparation counts if one or the other is going to break the monopoly that home teams Waverley Harvesting Border and Byford’s Readimix Taihape have had on making Cooks Gardens finals day for the past couple of years.

“Always grateful to my Kaierau cuzzies – there’s a relationship going back with those guys, from having our guys play for them,” said Rātana assistant coach Cornel Mason.

Indeed, former Kaierau player Brooklyn Herewini showed his growth with a 12-point haul in Rātana’s thrilling 22-19 win over Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist to leapfrog them into the Pa club’s first Premier semifinal since 2011.

“After that Marist game, just big credit to the boys to get us this far,” said Mason.

Himself, player-coach Jamie Hughes, and veteran forward Marius Joseph have been having Deja Vu flashbacks to that last championship season of 2011.

“There’s nothing to lose, just proud of where we’ve come. Hopefully we take the ‘red sea’ up there with us.”

The extra weekend gap has been helpful with the side losing no-one to injury, given prop Ezekiel Anderson had been a little doubtful after the Marist game.

Mason is most excited for the younger players in the team – like Lafo Takiari and Mitai Hemi.

“It’s probably their first time in a final, let alone Premier.”

But awaiting them is an awesome Border side looking to build on their record four-straight championships, having moved ahead of Rātana’s iconic 2001-3 three-peat, while the Waverley club has the phenomenal statistic of appearing in every Premier semifinal round since 2012, the year after they returned from Taranaki club rugby.

The home side will look to honour veteran prop Ross McDonald for his 100 th Premier game for the club, but really it is the dynamic Steelform Whanganui incumbent midfield of Timoci Seruwalu and Alekesio Vakarorogo who are the talking point.

Seruwalu joined his representative partner at Border this season after another stint in Manawatu club rugby in 2023 and the pair has been lethal – Vakarorogo scoring 11 tries while ‘Big Jim’ has eight.

This includes during the 43-7 and 41-0 wins over Rātana this season.

“There was moments in the games, but it was the end of each half that they caught us out,” said Mason.

“That’s the key to stay in the game – defence and territory.

“They’ve just got two legs, two arms, like us. But to keep up with Border, you’ve got to be accurate for the whole game.”

There’s not too much Kaierau doesn’t know about Taihape before their long drive to Memorial Park – it’s only the two clubs’ fifth Premier semifinal against each other in as many seasons.

Nor does Kaierau coach Danny Tamehana need reminding Taihape hold the wood on them at 3-1.

“Absolutely, it’s a bit of history there, isn’t it?

“We’ve been like bridesmaids to them.”

The sides have each won their home games this year but under very different conditions – Kaierau getting a 27-22 victory in a rare Friday night game under lights, while Taihape held on 13-12 in a wet- weather day match played on two fields due to a player injury.

Tamehana is pleased to note during the extra weekend break that his side seems more in earnest than they did ahead of the 2023 playoff – a heavy 33-11 loss at the Country Club.

“A lot more positivity – the feeling’s different, there’s more urgency about everything.

“There’s more talk – not so much about the semi, but doing the job.”

Kaierau have also replenished from their injury issues – other than talented midfielder Jordyn Leiasamaivao Turvey who is still out with a broken hand.

Lock Josh Lane is cleared to resume his partnership with Matt Ashworth, while for the first time since the season kickoff, the front row group is at full strength.

The emphasis now goes on the playmaking spine of Ethan Robinson, Sheldon Pakinga and Peceli Malanicagi – with veteran Ace Malo backing them up as he filled in for each of them during the season.

“We’re all good in that department, everyone’s feeling pretty good, expecting big things from the boys,” said Tamehana.

“The leadership group have to step up. If they can do that, I’m working on the other boys to bring them up.”

But having locked away the Whanganui Rugby Challenge Shield for the season, ostensively by beating Border twice, Taihape are inherently conditioned for high pressure games, even with the high squad turnover they have had for this year.

Outstanding for them have been the flankers Beau Walker and Sam Reeves, while the addition of 2015 Hawke’s Bay player Kaleb Sweet during the second round was a most-welcome reinforcement.

Luke Whale took over at first-five after the concussion of his talented cousin Chad Whale and has delivered with the boot, while fullback Tyler Rogers-Holden has settled into the captaincy after Peter- Travis Hay-Horton has been sidelined with injury.

By Jared Smith

Semifinal draw, July 6, 2.35pm kickoffs

Dallison Park: Border vs Rātana

Memorial Park: Taihape vs Kaierau