Canterbury weary of Magpie threat
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:41
Canterbury may have put one over Hawke's Bay already this season, but coach Rob Penney warns of the 'threat' the Magpies may bring to Christchurch for their Air New Zealand Cup play-off on Saturday.
The Red and Blacks beat Hawke's Bay 30-7 in their round-robin match at the AMI Stadium on September 27, however, Penney will impress on his players the need to take their semifinal challenge very seriously.
"Hawke's Bay are a tough unit with attacking threats all over the park," Penney told Canterbury's official site.
"They can play a variety of styles and their forwards are very robust too."
Penney and assistant coach John Haggart were pleased with their team's performance against Tasman, with Canterbury scoring seven tries and looking ruthless on attack and defence.
Backs James Paterson, Paul Williams, Scott Hamilton, Casey Laulala and Tim Bateman are dangerous from anywhere and flyhalf Colin Slade had one of his best games for Canterbury at the weekend - kicking five goals from six attempts and scoring a try for a 16-point haul.
Canterbury's forwards again impressed in the set pieces and kick-offs, so it seems Penney's side may be peaking at just the right time.
