RUGBY - Selection race for scrum spot steps up the pace

The search to find a suitable replacement to fill the hole Jake Paringatai has left at the base of the Northland rugby scrum is boiling down to a battle between Wellsford utility John Cocker and Hora Hora's new loose forward Blair Urlich.
Cocker emerged as one of the few to make noticeable strides in his second season in the Northland squad last year, his efforts off the bench late in the campaign giving him an edge.
But the unexpected arrival of Urlich, the former Blues Super 14 loosie who has a hatful of games for North Harbour to his credit, has added some intrigue to the selection race.
But their form as the Joe Morgan Memorial club rugby championship hurtles towards the business end of the season isn't the only focus for the representative selectors.
Northland coaches Mark Anscombe and Bruce Robertson are poised to select a large contingent of fresh faces to their squad this season, a factor that is adding a level of intrigue to the competition.
But heading into round eight of the competition, they are still pencilling in names and juggling their options.
"The guys we are looking at for No 8 are John Cocker at Wellsford and Blair Urlich with the Hora Hora boys. But we need to find a hooker, a centre and pretty much cover for all our positions in the squad," Anscombe said.
"The opportunity is out there from one to 15 in the team. There are no positions in the squad where we have an exaggeration of players," he said.
To date the impending provincial selection has played second fiddle to the weekly grind of the race for Joe Morgan Memorial honours. But as the weeks pass by the sideline whispers are growing in volume about who might be currying favour with the selectors.
The loose forward puzzle is two thirds solved, with Blues veteran Justin Collins due home soon and openside flanker Joel McKenty back from a short stint overseas and poised to launch back into action here next week.
But the search for midfield backs is by far the most pressing and the hunt for a representative hooker to replace Tim Dow ongoing. Anscombe said he was tossing up between attending either Kamo's fixture against Hora Hora at Kamo to cast his eye on new Kamo hooker Juan Cordy and and incumbent squad members like lock Steve Baker (Kamo) and centre Warren Dunn (Hora Hora) or heading to Kensington Park to see Wellsford tackle competition leaders Marist.
There is little reason for the selectors to head to Maungakaramea where Mid Western play Waipu.
There are a few players making strong bids from the Hikurangi team who host the plucky Western Sharks and there could be a rout if Mid Northern hit their stride against Old Boys at Okara Park No 2.
The Northland under-18 competition will take centre stage at Okara Park tonight when Kamo High School and Whangarei Boys High School clash in the annual Mason Cup inter-school fixture.
That game kicks-off at 5.30pm tonight followed by another under-18 fixture between Southern and a well-performed Otamatea unit.