Eagles set to soar but watch out for North Harbour
PETALING JAYA: Borneo Eagles may be everyone’s favourite to retain the title when the 47th edition of the Cobra 10s rugby tournament begins at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) in Kelana Jaya today.
But do keep an eye on New Zealand outfits North Harbour, who are making a return to the tournament after a lapse of eight years.
The New Zealand team, powered by Maori All Black halfback Christopher Smiley and New Zealand Sevens development squad winger Mark Telea, could very well turn out to be the dark horses of the 16-team, two-day tournament.
North Harbour manager John McKittrick said that they are excited to be back for the tournament for the second time.
“There are some top teams from around the world featuring in the tournament and we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“We have just completed playing in our domestic 15-a-side programme. We have a mixture of high-performance athletes from our development squad and young players from our academy,” said McKittrick.
“So it’s a mixture of seniors and juniors. We are not setting any targets as we expect every game to be tough. The tournament is getting stronger every year. The humid weather here could pose a problem for us.”
North Harbour are in Group D with NNK Northlink of South Africa, West RFC of Australia and NS Wanderers.
Group A has Borneo Eagles, Duka Old Boys of South Africa, Singapore Barbarians and KL Tigers.
Former champions Daveta of Fiji, Western Province of South Africa, Global Lions of New Zealand and Sabah Eagles are in Group B.
Group C comprises last year’s runners-up Cobra, Auckland Varsity Vipers, Charis Wolfpacks Rugby and Panthers Blowpipe.
Apart from North Harbour, the other team who could give Borneo Eagles a run for their money are Daveta.
In fact, Daveta team manager Jon Lotu has announced that “we are here to win the tournament”.
“We have not played in the tournament since we won it in 2012. We expect a tough challenge, especially from the New Zealand clubs,” he said after the managers’ meeting yesterday.
Entrance is free for the tournament and fans can expect some top-class action.