/ 13 May 1999

TIATIA LOOKING FOR ALL BLACK SPOT

HURRICANES No 8 Filo Tiatia says his form “hasn’t been too bad, and hasn’t been too good”. That could also sum up the uneven form of the Hurricanes going into their last match of the 1999 Super 12, against the desperate-to-win Highlanders at Athletic Park on Saturday. Tiatia, hopeful of a World Cup squad spot earlier in the season, probably hasn’t done enough to keep himself at the forefront, and his last chance comes against likely test player Isitolo Maka. “I’ve been working on my game and what the selectors want, like trying to be second support player and boosting my workrate.” Tiatia describes his rivalry with Maka as “healthy,” and believes the Hurricanes have a good chance on Saturday. “Otago definitely wants to win and we aren’t going to make it easy for them,” he says.