RUGBY - Northland young guns in the spotlight against Tasman

Justin Collins has only been in the job for a matter of days, and has spent most of the new millennium playing in Auckland, but the new Northland rugby skipper has some strong belief when it comes to assessing the talent pool in the province.
So on the eve of Northland's pre-season provincial match against Tasman in Whangarei tomorrow, Collins was backing the local boys to stand and deliver in the Air NZ Cup this season.
Just as well, because so far the Northland rugby squad is bereft of imports anyway, and thanks to a list of niggling injuries the team to play Tasman tomorrow has a hyper-local theme.
There are five players on debut, two front-liners out injured and another forced out through personal reasons.
Even David Holwell is on the bench after stepping down as captain this week.
Collins, Holwell, lock Dan Goodwin, prop Tony Coughlan and first-five eighths Dan Bowden apart, the rest of the squad tomorrow have all played the entire club season in Northland this year.
That is different to recent years where a sudden flush of imports have arrived for the representative season.
Now Collins is determined to ensure that the Air NZ Cup campaign will help promote the new wave of Northland rugby player.
``I feel we have the best players available in Northland in the squad. That's what the rep scene is all about, well that's what the Air NZ Cup is all about,' Collins said.
``The players are capable of playing at this level, really, that's all we need,' he said.
Tomorrow's match marks the start of the 2008 campaign, with two more pre-season games, against Manawatu in Palmerston North next week and Counties Manukau at Pukekohe, before the Air NZ Cup opener against North Harbour.
And while negotiations to import another tighthead prop from Auckland are now underway, the push to develop more homegrown talent seems to be gathering impetus.
Justin Davies gets a start at loosehead prop tomorrow, former Whangarei Boys High School star Steve Baker is at lock on debut, Hikurangi flyer Glenn Martin is on the left wing and Damian Fakafanua, ex-Kerikeri and now Hikurangi, is filling in at centre.
But the game tomorrow could also expose the lack of depth in the squad.
There is a thin veneer of experienced representative players which is an aspect that has Northland coach Mark Anscombe on edge.
Importing back-up is not an option, as a criteria to loan players from Blues franchise partners Auckland and North Harbour includes a requirement to name any loan player in the playing 22.
So Anscombe is not going to use loan players at the expense of developing locals.
``Whereas we need cover we are not going to do it to the detriment of one of our own guys. If they (locals) are fit and available and we are happy with their form then we have got to run that way,' Anscombe said.
``It is a tough scenario, but the reality is that if a loan player is not going to be in the starting 22 then we are better off using what we have got,' he said.
The game kicks off tomorrow at Okara Park in Whangarei at 5.30pm.
NORTHLAND V TASMAN - Okara Park, 5.30pm, Saturday
Mike Davis 15 Kris McNicholl Fetu Vainikolo 14 Robbie Flynn Damian Fakafanua 13 Saul Luamanuvae Leo Taliu 12 Joel Iggo Glenn Martin 11 Blair Cook Dan Bowden 10 Gareth Arlidge Rhyan Caine 9 Tim Lempriere John Cocker 8 Peter Nixon Junior Gadolo 7 John Poff Justin Collins (c) 6 Mark Bright Steve Baker 5 Rees Logan Dan Goodwin 4 Chris Bentley Bronson Murray 3 Ben Franks Jamie McQueen 2 Mark Stewart (c) Justin Davies 1 Adrian Collier
Reserves.-
Northland: Tony Coughlan, Tim Dow, Brad Taylor, Jake Paringatai, David Holwell, Rene Ranger, Isaiah Nawaqa.
Tasman: Daniel Perrin, Tristan Moran, Hotili Asi, Nathan George, Karl Leary, Tim Taylor, Sione Holani, Kade Poki.