Rugby: Ash Dixon keen for Magpies to do top-flight 'justice'

Magpies captain Ash Dixon thanks the sponsors at last night's launch. Photo / Duncan Brown

New Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby captain Ash Dixon reckons he has carried a bit of a chip on his shoulder for the past four years.

"The last time we were up in the Premiership we didn't do it justice," Dixon said after the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup squad was introduced to more than 220 sponsors at last night's season launch hosted by the Bluewater Hotel in Napier.

He was referring to the 2012 season when the Magpies were relegated a season after their promotion. A Maori All Black, who has played 64 first class games for the Magpies since his 2008 debut, Dixon, is confident there will be no repeat of that this season.

"We are good enough to make the semifinals. We've got a lot of players with Super Rugby experience who are capable of playing some good footy."

However Dixon, who is a two-time world age group champion and a one-time Super Rugby champion with the Highlanders last year, warned it may take the squad a couple of weeks to become familiar with the new tackle and breakdown rules being trialled this season.

"As captain, I'm not going to ask the players to do anything I wouldn't do. I'm not the type of captain who is going to say a lot. If I can get myself sorted the boys will follow."

Dixon, 27, believed there are several players in the Magpies squad who didn't get a lot of Super Rugby time this year who will have a point to prove during the Magpies Premiership campaign which begins with a match against Wellington at Napier's McLean Park on Saturday.

"I'm not going to name them but they know who they are."

If the two-season Highlander and Hurricane and former Blues hooker continues his recent form there's a good chance Dixon will gain Maori All Black selection for a fourth season this year which will mean a trip to Chicago. But the father of two refused to look that far ahead.

"I just want to keep improving week by week. If that leads to Maori All Black honours, I'll be happy."

Dixon, who played for Auckland during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, has an extra incentive to lead the Magpies to victory on Saturday. Son Boston turns two the following day and he believed a win would make an ideal double celebration for the weekend.

Magpies head coach Craig Philpott, who will be at the helm for the fifth season, described Dixon as "a player at the top of his game and the ideal bloke to lead this group of good men".

Philpott told sponsors he believed his squad was making progress with the new rules. Before he invited his players to mix and mingle with the crowd he made sure those from Havelock North had washed their hands in the wake of the gastro crisis.

"I'm quite serious. We can't afford to have any more players unavailable for the weekend."

"On a lighter note, I have spent a fair chunk of this week telling some of our players campylobacter isn't a Russian athlete."

When Philpott introduced new manager Terry Gittings he congratulated him on his ability to master the Fijian, Samoan, Tongan Maori and English names within the squad.

Gittings told the function he was astounded by the work the coaching staff and players put in to represent their province.

The player who attracted the biggest cheer last night when introduced was one-test All Black halfback Brad Weber who is back home after representing Otago and Waikato. Weber is likely to be one of at least eight players who will make their first class debuts for the Magpies against the Lions.

Hawke's Bay Magpies Mitre 10 Cup squad:

Mark Abbott, Michael Allardice, Trent Boswell-Wakefield, Shannan Chase, Geoff Cridge, Israel Dagg, Ash Dixon, Chris Eaton, Brendon Edmonds, Mason Emerson, Gareth Evans, Tolu Fahamokioa, Tiaan Falcon, Ross Filipo, Robbie Fruean, Matt Garland, Ben Hamelink, Mason Kean, Tony Lamborn, Jason Long, Jonah Lowe, Sam McNicol, Lewis Marshall, Ben May, Marino Mikaele-Tu'u, Hugh Renton, Brodie Retallick, Ricky Riccitelli, Billy Ropiha, Fa'alemiga Selesele, Jorian Tangaere, Ryan Tongia, Sanaila Waqa, Brad Weber, Ihaia West, Ellery Wilson.