Rugby: Brutal start for Taniwha

Northland halfback Sam Nock, seen here playing Taranaki last season, will be in the mix to play Bay of Plenty in week four of the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup. Photo / John Stone

Northland's Mitre 10 Cup coach Richie Harris says the Taniwha can expect a "pretty brutal start" to the 2016 season, however, their week one fixture against Manawatu offers marginally better odds of success first up compared to last year's opening match - a Ranfurly Shield challenge which saw the Taniwha go down 39-10 to Hawke's Bay.

"It is what it is," Harris said of the recently-released draw.

"It's a critical first game from a coaching point of view. The start is so important," he said of the Manawatu fixture at Toll Stadium.

"They had a tough year last year and are moving down from the premiership to the championship, so it's really important that we get on top of that."

Noting the week two match against Auckland at Eden Park will be a real test, followed by an away game to Otago before returning home to play Canterbury, Harris is upbeat that the tough start to the season will put the Taniwha in good stead for the remainder of the competition.

"That's when the squad will be at their fittest," he said.

"There's a bit of a break through the middle, and then a regular sort of finish. There's some real advantages."

The 2016 Mitre 10 Cup (formerly ITM Cup) plays across nine weeks with every team playing one Wednesday night fixture in a double-up round.

The semifinals will be played over the weekend of October 21-23, with the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Final to be played on October 28 and the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership Final on October 29.

Northland's Mitre 10 Cup season:

Week 1: Manawatu (home)
Week 2: Auckland (away)
Week 3: Otago (away), Canterbury (home)
Week 4: Bay of Plenty (away)
Week 5: Tasman (away)
Week 6: Wellington (home)
Week 7: Waikato (home)
Week 8: Southland (away)
Week 9: North harbour (home).