Draw sees Turbos gasping for air

Manawatu's Turbos could have done without three five-day turnarounds between matches in this year's national provincial championship.

They will cop the first abbreviated layoff in the renamed ITM Cup after their opening game against Southland on Saturday, July 21, having to strip again to play champions Canterbury the following Thursday night.

The only consolation is that both games are at FMG Stadium.

The situation has hardly pleased coach Dave Rennie, and has come about because Sky Television refused to screen two games concurrently on Fridays, as it did last year. This time, there's an extra game on Sundays.

The New Zealand Rugby Union took ages to produce a draft draw. It was finally sent out on a Thursday, when Rennie was away, and a reply was demanded by the following Monday. When Rennie got back and studied the draw, it was too late for the NZRU to make changes.

Manawatu and Bay of Plenty are the only two unions to have five-day gaps inflicted on them. Some other unions have none.

"You can turn a team around in five days but the issue is injuries," Rennie said. "You have such a limited window to get players back.

"But that's what we've got and we've just got to get on with it."

Six-day gaps were common last season; Manawatu had three.

Five-day intervals really equate to four days, because the day before a game is a light captain's run. Ironically, Manawatu's third game, against Northland at Whangarei, comes 10 days after the Canterbury match.

That aside, and the absence of a Ranfurly Shield match against Southland, Manawatu have a choice home draw, hosting most of last year's top six teams at Arena Manawatu. The other opponents at home are Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Auckland, Tasman and Waikato.

The away games are against Northland, Counties-Manukau, Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Taranaki and Otago. Seven of the Turbos' 13 games are 2.35pm matches, four in Palmerston North. They have three Thursday nighters, two at home and one at an unamed Bay of Plenty venue.

Turbos fixtures

Saturday July 31 v Southland, 2.35pm, Palmerston North; Thursday August 5 v Canterbury, 7.35pm, Palmerston North; Sunday August 15 v Northland, 2.35pm, Whangarei; Saturday August 21 v Counties-Manukau, 5.30pm, Pukekohe; Sunday August 29 v Hawke's Bay, 2.35pm, Palmerston North; Saturday September 4 v Wellington, 2.35pm, Palmerston North; Thursday September 9 v Bay of Plenty, 7.35pm, BOP venue; Friday September 17 v Auckland, 7.35pm, Palmerston North; Sunday September 26 v North Harbour, 2.35pm, Albany; Sunday October 3 v Tasman, 2.35pm, Palmerston North; Saturday Oct 9 v Taranaki, 2.35pm, New Plymouth; Thursday October 14 v Waikato, 7.35pm, Palmerston North; Saturday October 23 v Otago, 5.30pm, Dunedin.

- © Fairfax NZ News