Rugby: Auckland hopes rest on allrounders

By Wynne Gray

The versatile talents of Carlos Spencer and Doug Howlett are weapons Auckland will be looking to for guidance in tomorrow's opening round of the NPC at Eden Park.

After tours with the All Blacks and NZ Colts, the pair have been slotted into the backline along with another well-performed NZA back, Caleb Ralph, for the first match against Wellington.

That fortune for new coach Wayne Pivac has been repeated in the pack where he has been able to use All Black prop Craig Dowd and been given the medical green light to play locks Charles Reichelmann and Leo Lafaiali'i who have been restricted by injuries from recent trial matches.

There were still a couple of injury concerns to flanker Mark Carter and wing Iliesa Tanivula which had to be checked today, while national blindside flanker Dylan Mika's knee is a bit tender and his return will be left until round two.

If Tanivula, an exciting utility back who was loaned to the ACT Brumbies this season, is fit, Howlett will play at fullback. As a wing Howlett was a star in the NZ Colts tour but has played well at fullback for Auckland before and will fill in for the injured Adrian Cashmore.

On paper, Auckland appear strong, especially now that Eroni Clarke has also got through two trial games to test his Achilles tendon and will help bolster an already-powerful midfield.

Much of the initial inspection for Auckland will come for the pack, in midwinter under lights, where new skipper Paul Thomson will be demanding a win to help rectify the ordinary NPC results of last season.

Much will also be asked of Spencer, a player of enormous gifts but whose Super 12 contribution from first five-eighths was below the expected standards.

Pivac said: "Because of the nature of the season with players away with the All Blacks, NZA, Maori and Colts sides, everyone has been coming and going, so there couldn't be any more disruption."