Rugby: Auckland not taking the Makos lightly

Mark Anscombe. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Auckland are taking nothing for granted when they host Tasman in a crucial national provincial championship match tomorrow.

Third in the standings heading into the final weekend of the round-robin season, Auckland are one win away from their first semifinals appearance since 2007, with the match against Tasman effectively a quarter-final.

However, sudden-death rugby is something Auckland has become accustomed to over the last few weeks.

"For the last three weeks of the competition we've had to win every game or our season was over and this is like a quarter-final really isn't it?" said Auckland coach Mark Anscombe.

"If we win and do it well, we could have every chance of getting a home semi and that's our goal, we want to be in control of our own destiny," he said. Auckland have been shorn of much of their star power, with six All Blacks, including captain Daniel Braid, missing.

But Anscombe knows his team performed well without them earlier this year, and has implored them to do the same against Tasman.

"We've done pretty well this year without them.

"You've got to think back that we achieved about 27 points in the competition without the All Blacks so we know we can do it.

"It's just about having the confidence to play the rugby we know we're capable of."

While Tasman are 11th with just four wins, two of those victories have come in the last fortnight against Bay of Plenty and Northland.

After losing to them in Nelson last year, Anscombe is not about to take Tasman lightly.

"They can't make the top seven but finishing the season with three wins is something that they'll be striving to do.

"They beat us down there last year, it wasn't a good performance by us so we owe them one and we've got to step up and show what it means to us to make the playoffs."

Anscombe made six changes to his side with Tevita Mailau replacing John Afoa at prop, Chris Lowrey for Onosa'i Auva'a at flanker and Tom McCartney at hooker ahead of Ash Dixon, while Sean Polwart will make his first start for Auckland in place of Braid.

Second five-eighths Benson Stanley will lead the side in the absence of Braid.

In the backline, Atieli Pakalani starts at wing in place of Joe Rokocoko and Ben Atiga comes in for Isaia Toeava at centre.

- NZPA