Rugby: Tuitavake to miss Battle of the Bridge

Anthony Tuitavake's running skills will be missed as he nurses his pelvis. Photo / Brett Phibbs

North Harbour could have done with a slice of good fortune ahead of their neighbourly contest with Auckland at Eden Park tomorrow.

Propping up the rest of the Air New Zealand Cup, the least they would have hoped for was to have all hands available for the match against an Auckland side not firing on all cylinders but finding their feet with three straight wins.

So what happens? Anthony Tuitavake, captain and by a mile their most penetrative back, pulls up with a recurrence of a niggling pelvic injury after training yesterday and is withdrawn.

"He got through the game last week, came off, and it was not in good shape," Harbour coach Craig Dowd said yesterday. "He's really struggled. The best thing would be to take two months off. But Ants being Ants he's gutsing it out and trying everything to manage it."

Tuitavake's importance to the side was underlined by Dowd and coaching chum Jeff Wilson having to move three players in the backline to find the best plan B for tomorrow.

Rudi Wulf moved from wing to fullback; George Pisi from fullback to centre; Ken Pisi from centre to wing; and regular B wing Josh York comes off the bench to the left wing.

"Anthony's world class, someone who's really going to be missed," Dowd added.

That said, the flipside was a strong 80 minutes from former All Black Anthony Boric in his comeback game after a five-month injury layoff against Hawkes Bay last weekend.

Making him captain in place of Tuitavake "took all of 10 seconds", Dowd said.

The management hadn't been expecting Boric to last the distance.

"I said, 'Go as long and hard as you can,"' Dowd said. "The message went out, 'How are you going?' and he said, 'I'm fine, leave me on'."

Auckland have jiggled their resources in the pack. Kurtis Haiu switches from lock to blindside, ensuring extra lineout height, Jay Williams comes off the bench at lock and Peter Saili moves to No 8. Chris Lowrey, who made his comeback from a knee injury last April, is on the bench.

Tom McCartney is back at hooker and Pauliasi Manu swaps places with Paea Fa'anunu at loosehead prop, while Teddy Stanaway gets the vacant left wing job, courtesy of luckless Dave Thomas' season-ending knee injury.

All Black flanker Jerome Kaino would have been handy, but has been ruled off limits by the All Black management, even though he'd been dropped from the 22 for tomorrow night's test, the last until the end-of-year tour. Why? "Ask them," Anscombe replied cryptically.

Canterbury will be prepared for a stern Ranfurly Shield challenge tonight from Taranaki, who appeal as a side with hard-nosed forwards, good kicking options and pacy backs. In tonight's other match, Waikato must beat Wellington in Hamilton, having dropped off the pace with their loss to Tasman last week.