Northland look for future ITM stars

Northland ITM Cup coach Adriaan Ferris will be on the lookout for future stars when a Northland under-18 side face the visiting under-18 Ikale Tahi Tonga team in two games over the next few days.

Ferris, along with academy manager Peter Nock and Pat Stevens, have combined the region's best talent from the academy and from Northland Under-18 Vikings team to play their Tongan counterparts tomorrow at Waipu Rugby and Squash Club.

A second game will be played at Old Boys Rugby Club on Tuesday.

The Tongan Rugby Union was impressed with the Northland set- up when officials were here with the national side during the Rugby World Cup, and expressed interest in returning with this under-18 side, Ferris said.

"We were more than happy to host them," he said.

"It's a good chance for me to have a look at the younger players coming through."

Part of his job as ITM Cup coach involves overseeing everything going on at the union, including player development, Northland's national sevens campaign and, of course, the national provincial championship.

The Northland under-18 team trained together for the first time last night and although they have had a limited preparation for these two games, Ferris said he was not so concerned about the outcome of the fixtures.

"I'm more concerned about assessing players - how they train and play, the type of person they are and how they conduct themselves on and off the field," he said.

And establishing relationships with young players in the province now would certainly benefit both players and coaches in the seasons ahead, Ferris added.

The Tongan team arrived in New Zealand on Saturday and played an Auckland under-18 side on Tuesday.

They face the Northland under-18s on Friday, at 6pm at Waipu, and again on Tuesday at Old Boys, kicking off at 6pm.