Rugby: Top point scorer Anscombe benched for Tasman

Gareth Anscombe has scored 98 points. Photo / Getty Images

The only player to have started all Auckland's seven games this season takes a turn on the bench for tonight's visit to Tasman.

First five-eighth Gareth Anscombe is the top scorer in the ITM Cup, with 98 points, at an 81 per cent success rate.

The New Zealand under-20 pivot makes way tonight for English-born Piers Francis, whose only chances thus far have come from the bench.

"Gareth has had a big workload this season so we wanted to give other guys an opportunity and Piers is excited about the challenge," Auckland coach Mark Anscombe said.

The coach has made five changes from the starting XV which edged out Counties Manukau by three points at Eden Park last week.

Elsewhere, Peter Saili is over his rib cartilage injury and starts at blindside flanker for Nathan Hughes; Ash Dixon starts at hooker with captain Tom McCartney moving to loosehead prop and giving workhorse Charlie Faumuina some time off; Toby Morland gets another chance at halfback while Charles Piutau comes on to the wing in place of last week's try-scorer George Moala.

Auckland will want to keep up a decent little run of results. After winning one of their first four, they have now won their last three.

But they would be wise to be wary of their championship opponents.

Tasman, who won their last meeting in Nelson two years ago, sit second to last in the second tier division.

Since beating Hawkes Bay for their sole win on August 2, they have lost their last two games against prominent premiership teams Canterbury and Taranaki by a combined seven points.

"There's personal hurt from last time but this time the fact is we see where we're sitting on the ladder and if we're going to be in the hunt to make the final we've got to take full advantage of the points on offer," Mark Anscombe said.

The Auckland players will be wearing glow-in-the-dark bootlaces tonight in support of Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education and Research (Casper).

The last time Auckland played Tasman in Nelson in 2009 they lost 12-9, and Anscombe said while it was a memory they were eager to do away with, the primary focus was on continuing their charge for a finals berth with just three games remaining.

"Down here they're a dangerous team. We don't have good memories of being down here so we've got something to rectify from what happened last time. It still hurts and there are a few of the guys that are still here from the last time, but that's not our main motivation."

TASMAN
Trafalgar Park, Nelson, 7.35 tonight

Tom Marshall
Robbie Malneek
Kieron Fonotia
Andrew Goodman
Lucky Mulipola
James Marshall
Steve Alfeld
Mark Bright
Shane Christie
Jonathan Poff
Joe Wheeler
Pablo Huete
Sam Prattley
Q. MacDonald
Fai Mika

Tasman: Francis Smith, Craig Moore, Liam Squire, Vernon Fredericks, Shawn Begg, Jack Umaga, Mitchell Scott, Hamish Cochrane.

AUCKLAND

Brent Ward
Joe Rokocoko
Hadleigh Parkes
Teddy Stanaway
Charles Piutau
Piers Francis
Toby Morland
Chris Lowrey
Sean Polwart
Peter Saili
Steven Luatua
Josh Townsend
Tevita Mailau
Ash Dixon
T. McCartney (c)

Auckland: Pauliasi Manu, Charlie Faumuina, Liaki Moli, Sam Henwood, Alby Mathewson, Gareth Anscombe, Francis Saili, Angus Ta'avao.