By Gary Caffell
Wairarapa could be the “dark horses” at the national Evergreens men’s softball tournament in Christchurch over the weekend.
Virtually all of the team are part of the Kuripuni Sports Bar Giants team which is yet to taste defeat in this season’s Hutt Valley President’s grade competition and Giants president Allan Clarke says they should not be under-estimated.
“Obviously it’s another step up but most of the guys have been there, done that in the past and I can’t see that being a problem,” Clarke said.
“If they click anything is possible.”
Opposing Wairarapa in pool play will be Hutt Valley, Waikato and Auckland with Auckland, the defending champions, likely to provide the most biggest test there.
On the local front three Giants teams will have the chance tomorrow to keep themselves in the reckoning for some silverware come the season’s end.
The premier three men’s squad will progress to the final of their Inter City competition featuring teams from both Wellington and Hutt Valley if they beat Totara Park at South Park, starting at 1.30pm.
As it happens these two teams also met last weekend and it was Giants who came away with a comfortable 9-4 win there.
With players of the calibre of Chris Feary, Michael McDermott, Sean Robinson and talented youngster Korban Sutherland leading the way a repeat success for Giants is on the cards.
The Apache Jacks Giants under-15 and under-13 sides have to win their matches, also at South Park, tomorrow morning (10.30am start) to make the finals of their respective Hutt Valley competitions.
Up against the under-15s is a Wainuiomata side which are top of the points table.
However, Giants have beaten them once already this season and are quite capable of repeating the dose here.
The under-13s meet Te Aroha, a team which has beaten them twice in 2017.
However, the last clash between the two saw Giants give them plenty to think about before losing 9-4 and they will have taken confidence from that effort.
The Giants women’s team will also be in action tomorrow.
They take on Army in a Hutt Valley major B fixture at Taita Drive and a comfortable Giants win is in the offing.
