Rugby tries Thursday night games and double-headers

Thursday night rugby and Friday night doubleheaders become reality for New Zealand's provincial unions from this week.

The keenly-anticipated draw for the Air New Zealand Cup's top six playoffs and repechage groups was revealed last night, with some surprises.

The first Thursday night fixture will be on September 21, when Southland host Taranaki in Invercargill. The only other Thursday game has Manawatu hosting Bay of Plenty on September 28.

However the second phase of the revised championship kicks off this week with a Friday night double whammy - Taranaki hosting Northland at 6.05pm, followed by Hawke's Bay against Manawatu in Napier at 8.05pm.

There is a second Friday night double up on Sept 22, when BOP and Counties Manukau will host games.

That goes against the preferred option of avoiding a direct clash with the network news. However New Zealand Rugby Union operations manager Neil Sorenson said several unions had indicted a preference for two Friday night games if that meant avoiding the unloved Sunday 12.30pm slot.

Of the top six teams, all their games bar one have been placed on Saturday or Sundays, the exception being Otago hosting Wellington at Carisbrook on Friday, September 29.

Of the round robin winners, Auckland from pool A host pool B champions Waikato at Eden Park next Saturday night, and Otago the following Saturday night, before travelling to Canterbury on September 30 for their third successive 7.35pm kickoff.

Waikato host Wellington and finish the playoff stage at home to North Harbour on October 1.

All three of North Harbour's games are Sunday afternoons. They host Otago this weekend before travelling to Canterbury and Waikato.

One of the key elements of the draw was ensuring a minimum five-day turnaround for all teams, plus ensuring Sky TV were able to cover all seven games each weekend.

Sorenson said several unions had been keen to trial Thursday night rugby. They were from the smaller provinces; Auckland, North Harbour, Waikato and Canterbury had no interest in that option.

"I'm not fazed by it and we've put our hand up," Manawatu chief executive Hadyn Smith said of the Thursday night trial. "It's an opportunity to test the level of support."

The draw held no surprises for Waikato coach Warren Gatland, whose team have produced some of the best rugby so far in the championship.

"It's pretty much what we expected," he said last night. "There's a number of players who have had success at Eden Park whether for the Chiefs or Waikato, and they enjoy going up there."

The top six teams are all guaranteed places in the quarter-finals and with teams carrying their points over from pool play the key is securing a home tie in the last eight.

"So there's probably not quite as much pressure on. Getting a home quarter, that's your primary goal," Gatland added.

Of the repechage groupings, where two quarter-final places are on offer, their matches are largely completed each weekend by the Saturday 5.30pm slot. The one Sunday game for a repechage game is Northland against Southland in Whangarei on October 1.

"There's no one in our group that overawes us and I think we are quite capable of performing well against all of them," said Counties Manukau coach Kevin Putt.

Northland captain David Holwell reckons the competition is fine for teams like his. "The way it's structured it's a bonus for teams like Northland. We start from scratch, there's two quarter-final spots and we want to be there," he said.

CUP SCHEDULE

Top Six group (all six qualify for quarter-finals, October 6-8, points carried over from round robin)

Auckland, Waikato, North Harbour, Canterbury, Wellington, Otago

* Round 1
Saturday: Auckland v Waikato, Eden Park, 7.35pm
Sunday: North Harbour v Otago, Albany, 2.35pm; Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington, 4.35pm

* Round 2
Saturday, Sept 23: Waikato v Wellington, Hamilton, 5.30pm; Auckland v Otago, Eden Park, 7.35pm
Sunday, Sept 24: Canterbury v North Harbour, Christchurch, 4.35pm

* Round 3
Friday, Sept 29: Otago v Wellington, Carisbrook, 7.35pm
Saturday, Sept 30: Canterbury v Auckland, Christchurch, 7.35pm
Sunday, Oct 1: Waikato v North Harbour, Hamilton, 4.35pm.

REPECHAGES
(Top team qualifies for quarter-finals, all start on 0 points)

REPECHAGE A:
Bay of Plenty, Counties Manawatu, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu

* Round 1
Friday: Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, Napier, 8.05pm
Saturday: Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau, Mt Maunganui, 5.30pm

* Round 2
Friday, Sept 22: Bay of Plenty v Hawkes Bay, Mt Maunganui, 6.05pm; Counties Manukau v Manawatu, Mt Smart Stadium, 8.05pm

* Round 3
Thursday, Sept 28: Manawatu v Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North, 7.05pm
Saturday, Sept 30: Counties Manukau v Hawkes Bay, Mt Smart Stadium, 2.35pm

REPECHAGE B:
Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Northland

* Round 1
Friday: Taranaki v Northland, New Plymouth, 6.05pm
Saturday: Southland v Tasman, Invercargill, 2.35pm

* Round 2
Thursday, Sept 21: Southland v Taranaki, Invercargill, 7.05pm
Saturday, Sept 23: Tasman v Northland, Blenheim, 2.35pm

* Round 3
Saturday, Sept 30: Taranaki v Tasman, New Plymouth, 5.30pm
Sunday, Oct 1: Northland v Southland, Whangarei, 2.35pm