Northland No 8 wants revenge against Southland

4.00pm

Promising No 8 Jake Paringatai remembers what it felt like last rugby season when Northland lost to Southland.

When he steps out for Northland in Saturday's NPC match in Invercargill on Saturday, he hopes he can repay the favour.

Paringatai has made an impressive start to this year's NPC season with two eye-catching displays in the first two rounds of the competition.

But after experiencing a humbling loss to Southland in Whangarei last year, Paringatai is keen to set the record straight.

So he's heading to Invercargill with a touch of revenge in mind.

"I remember that (Southland) game all right. I was there, it was my last game of the season, and they won with a skanky try in the last few seconds," Paringatai said.

Named as part of an unchanged starting line-up to play Southland, Paringatai is hoping the form of the Northland team this year means they can turn the tables on the host team on Saturday.

By naming an unchanged starting team from last week's loss to Auckland, coach Bruce Hodder has given his players a big vote of confidence.

There is just one small adjustment in the whole squad, with imported lock Mike von Dincklage added to the reserves bench ahead of Karl Christensen.

It is likely too that Paringatai will be nominated to mark Southland's power forward Paul Miller, the man who provided much of the impetus for the Invercargill based team last season.

But perhaps the biggest challenge looming for the Northland team though will be coping with what is predicted to be near freezing conditions.

The whole of the southern tip of New Zealand has been buried in snow for over a week.

That may also dictate many of the tactics on Saturday.

Not that Paringatai is admitting any concerns about the weather.

"I lived down that way for four years. The cold was one of the reasons I came up this way, but I know what it's all about."

Northland: Matt Faleuka, Fero Lasagavibau, Hayden Taylor, Jared Going (captain), Aaron Baigent, Julian Huxley, John Senio, Jake Paringatai, Aaron Wright, Maseke Davu, Brad Taylor, Tim Henwood, Bronson Murray, Tim Dow, Ryan Wederall. Reserves, Simon Lemalu, Stan Wright, Mike von Dincklage, Luke Ottley, Thomas Toailoa, Josh Levi, Rhyan Caine.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)

NPC points table

NPC fixtures