Two games on tour
The National, Friday 19th April 2013
By JOHN PANGKATANA
THE Monier Pukpuks development squad has lined two matches on their two-week tour of the Gold Coast, Queensland, from April 24 to May 4.
The 30-man development squad that was announced earlier this week has been given a foot in the door to vie for a spot in the Oceania Cup team.
Monier Pukpuks head coach Allan Manning yesterday confirmed the development squad had a chance to showcase their skills against an Australian Rugby Union (ARU) Under-20 development team and a club from the Gold Coast.
He said there was interest for the development squad to play the Currumbin Alleygators or the Gold Coast Breakers on the visit to Australia.
Manning said they had their first game lined up for April 27 and the second one against the ARU development side on May 2.
“If we can squeeze one more in we will to give the players ample opportunity to prove themselves,” he said.
Manning said the matches were important towards devising a game plan that would be suitable to the players.
“It’s all about strengthening those areas where we lack the depth and playing these matches against Australian sides will expose where we need to improve on.”
He said the Oceania Cup was only 11 weeks away and all the players needed to show what they had.
Manning said the players needed to maintain consistency at the club level before and after the tour to cement their spots.
The Monier Pukpuks are the defending champions of the IRB sanctioned Oceania Cup.
Port Moresby will play host to seven Federation of Oceania Rugby Union (FORU) countries vying for the Oceania Cup in June.
The winner will play Fiji in a play-off that will determine who will join Pool A for rugby’s showcase event, the 2015 World Cup in England, alongside Australia, hosts England, Wales and the repechage winner.
The Oceania Cup competing unions are from American Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.