Rugby: Eden Park hurdle for Makos

Charlie Piutau will be an important part of the Auckland arsenal. Photo / Greg Bowker

Aucklanders are backing themselves in their fortress against southern challenge.

The Tasman Makos have never beaten Auckland at Eden Park, but they will be buoyed by a sterling second spell last week at Taranaki which ended their three-game losing streak.

Last year's ITM Cup runners-up and early front-runners face Auckland tonight in the first Premiership semifinal, Auckland's first at home since 2010. Tasman's impressive and abrasive loose forward Pete Samu is back, via the bench.

Auckland welcome No 6 Joe Edwards back from a week's hiatus because of injury. His physicality was missed in the 31-16 win over Counties Manukau last weekend.

Sam Prattley took a bad stinger to the neck in that clash and is replaced by Isi Tu'ungafasi, who joins big brother Ofa in the front row.

It remains tough to break into the Auckland back three, and Rieko Ioane and Lolagi Visinia have missed the 23 cut.

The unheralded Auckland tight five stood tall in last month's win over the Makos, and more of that will be needed after the Steelers exposed them at the set-piece in the first half last weekend.

At centre, Kieron Fonotia and Charlie Piutau have been in top form and will look to penetrate in the middle as well as unleashing their outsides.

"Tasman will be difficult in a semifinal, but we know if we play our best game, we can beat anybody," said coach Paul Feeney. "I've got no problems if the game's up tempo when you look at our firepower. But it's bound to be a close game and it'll be won on two or three small things."

Should the sides be level at fulltime, 20 minutes extra time will be played. If that doesn't produce a winner, the team that scored the most tries in the game will triumph. And if this doesn't work, the win goes to the regular season winner, which was Auckland, 28-19 last month.

Auckland have dropped only one match - the 27-21 reverse to Canterbury in round three - at Eden Park since July 2011, so they have made this ground something of a fortress.

"The boys would much rather play here than anywhere else," said Feeney.

• Auckland captain Simon Hickey will join French Top 14 club Bordeaux-Begles, which has former Blues teammates Luke Braid and Peter Saili on their books, after the ITM Cup, but will return to the union for next year's season.

Auckland v Tasman

Eden Park, 7.35 tonight

Auckland: Melani Nanai, Bryce Heem, Charlie Piutau, George Moala, Ben Lam, Simon Hickey (c), Kaito Shigeno, Akira Ioane, Mitch Karpik, Joe Edwards, Scott Scrafton, Michael Fatialofa, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Greg Pleasants-Tate, Isi Tu'ungafasi; Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Tom McHugh, Jono Owen, William Lloyd, Matt Matich, Jono Hickey, Mitch Hunt, Vince Aso

Tasman: Mitchell Scott, Viliami Lolohea, Kieron Fonotia, David Havili, Kade Poki, Marty Banks, Jimmy Cowan, Liam Squire, Shane Christie (c), Vernon Fredericks, Joe Wheeler, Alex Ainley, Siua Halanukonuka, Quentin MacDonald, Kane Hames. Reserves: Jesse MacDonald, Ross Geldenhuys, Brock Kaahu, Marco Kotze, Pete Samu, James Lash, Trent Renata, Alex Nankivell