Posted October 13

Ferdinand is proud of his Taranaki boys, as is Mark Allen. Both are also known as the Bull and both have as their prime characteristic a fierce determination. They ignore the rain and the floods, and they get on with the job, just as Taranaki did with Ranfurly Shield holders Waikato at Rugby Park in New Plymouth last Friday night.

It was a horrid night for all but the ardent rugby fan. They were treated to a driving display of wet weather rugby by a dedicated Taranaki team. The home team scored the only try of the match and simply shut down Waikato. As they have done all season they ignored the weather, and the reputations of their more accomplished opponents.

The spirit of Ferdinand rides on, fed by the enthusiastic motivation of schoolteacher and coach Jed Rowlands. His tactical appreciation and ability to inspire his players is a main factor in their repeated victories over Auckland, for the Ranfurly Shield last season, and the NPC. Now their rise into semifinals has stirred positive thoughts of going all the way.

It will be a tough call to come through two further matches against the top sides in the country but Taranaki have already shown they have the balls. Their leader Andrew Slater and his brother Gordon are powerful forces in a strong, unyielding pack. They have a steady flyhalf in Jason Holland, a tradesman in the Ian Foster tradition. Outside him is one of the country's best centres in Mark Robinson, a speedy runner who made an impact from his very first game. His breaking and setting up play for his wingers is a missing element in much of New Zealand rugby at present.

At back is another solid young player in Mark Urwin. Perhaps the wingers need a little more pace and deception, or simply outright speed and size. The word from New Plymouth is that the scouts are taking their overseas holidays in Fiji this summer as they scour for another Vindiri. Meantime the province is managing to ignore the rain and the floods as it revels in its first ever NPC semis. A win in this championship would make a mockery of the proposal that Taranaki be merged and submerged into a Hurricanes West regional team. Go for it, Bulls! ENDS

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