Flying fans can have three times the excitement

Justin Collins

If you are a rugby fan and own a helicopter, have a mate with a siren on top of his car or are Superman, tomorrow is your lucky day.

In their wisdom, the New Zealand Rugby Union planners have plonked three Air New Zealand Cup matches at Mt Smart Stadium, Eden Park and North Harbour Stadium one after the other.

There are two ways of looking at this: visitors up for today's test can stick around and watch their team on away duty.

But what of locals who fancy watching more than their own team?

Auckland are the meat in this tripledecker and the planning pre-supposes fans of Counties Manukau and North Harbour aren't fussed about whizzing from Mt Smart Stadium to Eden Park, or from Eden Park across the harbour bridge to Albany in time for kickoff.

The NZRU are clearly excited. This week, they put out a release on "the festival of rugby" in Auckland, pointing to "wall-to-wall Air New Zealand Cup action".

That's pushing it a bit as anyone who has watched the competition for any length of time would attest.

First stop for helicopter pilots tomorrow is Mt Smart, where Counties Manukau host another team aiming for their first win in the competition, Northland.

The difference is Northland have been waiting since 2002 for a top flight win, three years of wall-to-wall defeats; Counties have just returned from four years away from the premier division.

Counties looked good in their narrow opening weekend loss to Otago only to ship 50 points against Hawkes Bay, who hadn't scored a single point and conceded 82 in their first two games. Yes, you did not misread that.

Counties coach Kevin Putt has done only minor tinkering.

"The shock tactic of making wholesale changes does nothing to develop confidence and ability to move forward. I've got to show a degree of faith that we will get it right again," he said.

He suspected the problems in Napier came from an attitude of "try to hit six runs off every ball". Translation: they got a bit big for their boots.

Whisper it, but Northland must rate themselves a big chance to end New Zealand rugby's most talked-about drought.

Their aim will be to make an early impact and they have experienced David Holwell and Justin Collins to provide leadership. "If we give Counties a start they will just grow in confidence. The main thing is our set piece has to give us a platform to work off," Northland coach Mark Anscombe said.

* Auckland are sailing along at the top of pool A and even shorn of their All Blacks should handle a Bay of Plenty team who haven't managed to fire yet. But "we have been here before, we know it's only a start and there's a long way to go," Auckland coach Pat Lam warned.

The backline has been rejigged. Ben Atiga and Jamie Helleur combine in the midfield, James Somerset gets his first start on the wing but the forwards look solid, which is as well considering the Bay boast a tight five of Super 14 strength.

Their problem has been grabbing their chances. So New Zealand Colts wing Lance MacDonald has been brought in, along with pacy fullback Charles Baxter, and Mike Delany moves from No 15 to first five-eighths in place of Murray Williams.

* And finally over the bridge where North Harbour can join Auckland in sewing up a Top Six playoff spot against Wellington.

Promising Anthony Boric moves to lock, making room for Vili Maafu to make his first start of the competition at blindside flanker. Tusi Pisi replaces Luke McAlister at first five-eighths.

Plenty of interest will focus on how Conrad Smith is progressing at centre for Wellington, as his comeback from a broken leg continues, with the All Blacks' end-of-year tour in mind.

And there'll be more than the odd pair of eyes cast at the Harbour bench where the big chap wearing No 22, name of Jonah Lomu, will be itching for a run.

In the other two games of week four today, Waikato can maintain their momentum in what might turn into an awkward visit to Otago, while most of the interest in Manawatu's bid to find a bit of credibility against Taranaki will be on the debut of Palmerston North Boys High pupil Andre Taylor on the right wing.