Veteran Sam Nock will start at halfback for Northland against Auckland at Semenoff Stadium.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Veteran Sam Nock will start at halfback for Northland against Auckland at Semenoff Stadium.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Two key players are out of Northland Taniwha's match-day 23 for today's crucial home match against Auckland, but skipper Matt Moulds is confident others will step up to the plate.
Powerful scrummager Ofa Tu'ungafasi is back in the All Blacks, although he won't play against Argentina on the weekend, andexperienced first-five Dan Hawkins is out for three games after being red-carded last week against Southland for a dangerous tackle on Stags lock Joe Robins.
Northland got off their Bunnings Warehouse NPC campaign on a high, pipping Taranaki in Plymouth before falling to Waikato in its first home match. But the men in Cambridge blue bounced back with two wins on the trot — away against Wellington Lions and the Stags at home last weekend.
Auckland, who are second in the NPC standings, lie in wait today and Moulds is confident his side will get the job done in front of their home fans at Semenoff Stadium this afternoon.
"Everyone in the camp is aware there are certainly areas we can improve on, like our discipline, which hasn't been the best in the last few games when we've let teams easy entries in our half."
Defence has been a potent weapon in Taniwha's armoury and Moulds said they were capable of defending for prolonged periods of play if need be.
"We want to be the best defensive team in the competition and it's something our fans can expect for the whole season. Auckland has plenty of stars, athletes who can hurt if we are not defending well as a team, but we are pretty excited by the prospect of hosting them."
Playing in the right areas of the field would also be crucial against a side sitting in second position on the Evens Conference ladder, he said.
Northland is on third position behind Auckland and leaders Canterbury in their pool, but the Taniwha have played one fewer game.
Sitting on 20 points, Auckland are nipping at the heels of Canterbury (21 points) while Northland are on 14 points.
Losing a player of Tu'ungafasi's calibre with loads of experience, professionalism, techniques and tactics was huge, but Moulds said there was depth in the squad.
Hooker Matt Moulds will again lead Northland in a Bunnings Warehouse NPC match against Auckland in Whangārei this afternoon.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Coree Te Whata-Colley slots in at tighthead in place of Tu'ungafasi, and Waipu's Jarred Adams has been rewarded for a consistent performance thus far and plays on the loosehead side.
Moulds will hook the ball for the Taniwha while old warhorse Josh Goodhue and Liam Hallam-Eames of Hikurangi will provide the grunt from the second row.
Workaholic Sam McNamara packs down at the boot of the scrum. Rob Rush is another consistent performer and partners Waipū skipper Jonah Mau'u on the blindside and openside flanks respectively.
The halves pair are mostly predictable. Plucky Lisato Milo-Harris makes way for veteran Sam Nock at scrumhalf and Rivez Reihana will run the cutter from No. 10.
Heremaia Murray, who scored a try against Southland, will start on the left wing and Jone Macilai will be on the other wing.
Blake Hohaia pairs Tamati Tua in the midfield while Josh Moorby will man the fullback berth.
Regular skipper Tom Robinson is back from injury and has been named on the bench, alongside Bruce Kauika-Petersen, Ross Wright, Conan O'Donnell, Matt Matich, Kalani Going and Johnny Cooper, who will play his blazer game if he takes the field.
Crowd favourite Rene Ranger was unavailable for selection while Rush's brother and fellow Taniwha Brady Rush is with the New Zealand Sevens squad. The match kicks off at 2.05pm.
Entry for kids under 14 will again be free.
The Northland Kauri will play Hawke's Bay Tui in the Farah Palmer Cup semifinal in Napier at 11.35am today.
