• Magpies former Lions prop ticks all boxes

Magpies former Lions prop ticks all boxes

I'll be honest ... my first impressions of Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby prop Joe Apikotoa in 2018 weren't great.


I didn't feel he was doing enough for his Taradale club and wasn't fit enough to warrant Magpies selection despite the fact he had played for the Wellington Lions during the previous two seasons. My impressions started to change in his favour when he scored the match-winning try for the Magpies in a 2018 Mitre 10 Cup fourth round win against Bay of Plenty.


Fast forward the clock to this season and I couldn't be happier with the 24-year-old tighthead. He's ticking all the boxes and must be on track for Super Rugby selection.


"I'm enjoying myself with a good group of boys. All the boys have got fit and I'm the fittest I've been thanks to some hard work put in by our fitness trainer Luke Stephenson. He has been hard on me and it's all paying off," Apikotoa explained in the countdown to tomorrow's Mitre 10 Cup crossover clash against the Lions at Napier's McLean Park which doubles as the Magpies final Ranfurly Shield defence of the season.


It will be the first time the St Pat's Silverstream College old boy who had a stint in Spain last year has played against his former province.


"While the boys are excited it's important we treat it like every other game. You can get lost if you get caught up in the hype," Apikotoa said.


Although he was a member of the Hurricanes squad at the inaugural Brisbane Global 10s  in 2017 Apikotoa has yet to score a full Super Rugby contract.



"I hope I am knocking on the door. Perhaps I have been worrying too much about it in the past. Now I'm just focused on taking things week by week and day by day."


He hopes to return to the Magpies nest next year and if he isn't on Super Rugby duty he knows there is some unfinished business with Taradale in their quest to taste Maddison Trophy glory for the first time since 2010.


There's no doubt Apikotoa has come a long way since his first season in the Bay in 2018. It's easy to see why the Melbourne Storm NRL club got him to cross the Tasman when he left school in 2014.


"Like a lot of us Kiwis I got quite home sick so on my first visit home I stayed back in New Zealand," Apikotoa recalled.  


Magpies head coach Mark Ozich stressed securing a home semifinal is more important to his troops than retaining the shield for the summer for the first time since 2014.


"Being at home for a semifinal and then hopefully the final is massive for us. This shield game is another step towards our ultimate goal."
Ozich pointed out the match is captain and hooker Ash Dixon's 250th first class game.


"That is a massive milestone for Ash and we want to celebrate it accordingly. He will become one of only 70 players in the country to achieve that."


Ozich agreed Apikotoa had been playing some "good footy" this season.


"His level of maturity is increasing all the time. There is definitely some interest from Super Rugby teams in him. He just has to keep performing and the rest will look after itself."


Ozich was impressed with what fellow Taradale prop Namatahi Waa did in his first outing of the season against Bay of Plenty last weekend and Waa has been rewarded with a berth on the subs bench. The fact Joel Hintz and Jason Long have missed out on the 23 is an indication of the depth in the propping department within the Magpies squad.


Former All Black lock Bryn Evans has been bracketed with Tom Parsons as Parsons will be given until today's Captain's Run to prove he has recovered from a head infection. Evans brother and former All Black loosie Gareth Evans has an ankle niggle and if this isn't right Solomone Funaki will take his spot on the bench.


In-form former Napier Boys' High School captain and hooker Tyrone Thompson is expected to be in the Lions squad tomorrow.


The full Magpies team for tomorrow's 2.05pm clash:
Kurt Baker, Lolagi Visinia, Stacey Ili, Neria Fomai, Jonah Lowe, Caleb Makene, Folau Fakatava, Devan Flanders, Brendon O'Connor, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Tom Parsons/Bryn Evans, Geoff Cridge, Joe Apikotoa, Ash Dixon (captain), Pouri Rakete-Stones. Substitutes: Forwards, Kianu Kereru-Symes (captain), Sona Taumalolo, Namatahi Waa, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Gareth Evans/Solomone Funaki. Backs, Connor McLeod, Lincoln McClutchie, Danny Toala.