KEY POINTS:
Auckland might have the big names, but coach Pat Lam wants them to match the attitude their opponents will bring to their Air NZ Cup rugby clash in Napier on Thursday.
Unfancied Hawke's Bay have soared to third place in the standings and Lam doesn't subscribe to the
theory that luck or the bounce of the ball has got them there.
It was something more straightforward than that.
"They're working hard and playing as a team," Lam said.
"There's no stars there. It's just a good work ethic and we need to match that if we have any chance of beating them."
Lam said the coaching staff of Peter Russell and assistant Tom Coventry had turned Hawke's Bay into a fitter and stronger unit, and one with plenty of commitment.
"The team that everyone is talking about in the competition is Hawke's Bay and that's all about their team work."
Lam was disappointed with Auckland's performance in their 22-13 defeat of Taranaki last Friday night, a result that kept their unbeaten record intact.
But he has kept his starting 15 largely untouched, with just two changes, one of them because of injury.
All Black Troy Flavell has been omitted so as not to risk making a minor hamstring strain more serious and Brad Mika comes into a rejigged loose forward combination.
Up front, prop Chris Heard is elevated from the bench in a straight swap with Saimone Taumoepeau.
However, Lam has opted for the status quo in the backs, and he indicated that they had been responding during training to being given another chance.
"They've been pretty focussed this week - the whole team have," he said.
"The guys are pretty disappointed. We let ourselves down and there's a real desire to put that right, and we need to. It's a top-of-the-table clash and Hawke's Bay have been phonemenal this year and we're expecting a full house down there."
The Magpies have already tripped up two big city teams at McLean Park in Wellington and North Harbour and Lam doesn't want Auckland to join the list.
"We realise that if we go out there as individuals again, we'll struggle," he said.
"The only way we'll beat these guys is as a team and that's the real focus this week - everyone getting the job done."
- NZPA
