The Tasman Makos players are hoping to have their cake and eat it too.

They’ve already devoured the cake - made in the shape of the coveted Ranfurly Shield they hope to win on Saturday - now they just have to demolish Taranaki.

Prop Sam Prattley, his girlfriend Carlie Verhoef and mother Deidre Prattley made the cake for his teammates, which they ate at lunchtime yesterday.

Prattley said they decided to surprise in the lead up to this weekend’s big game with ‘‘a little something to get the boys pumped up’’.

The cake was half red, to represent Marlborough and half blue to represent Nelson Bays and had a Mako shark on top.

Prattley said the double layered chocolate cake was a hit with the boys, and he joked once his rugby career was over he might open a cake shop.

‘‘I haven’t had any negative feedback, only a few people worried about their skin folds. The boys tended to go to the middle of the cake than take the fatty icing on the outside.’’

Lock Fillipo Levi ate two pieces and grabbed two more as a ‘‘post meal snack’’.

First five Quentin MacDonald also gave it the thumbs up.

‘‘It was real nice ... gotta burn the carbs off now.’’

The Tasman Makos take on Taranaki in a Ranfurly Shield match on Saturday.

It is only the second Ranfurly Shield challenge for the Makos, who lost their first challenge 20-26 to Wellington in 2008.

The team had a last minute upset win against Canterbury at Trafalgar Park on Friday night. The Makos won 25-22 with a try by Kieron Fonotia sealing the win in the dying minutes.