Rugby: No 'rebuilding' excuses for Harbour

By Chris Rattue

This has to be the year that North Harbour make a major statement in New Zealand rugby.

That was the message from Harbour assistant coach Allan Pollock last night in the countdown towards the team's opening NPC clash at Albany tonight against Ranfurly Shield holders and beaten 1998 finalists Waikato.

Pollock said the team's last two training runs had shown a new, more steely resolve compared to the traditional Harbour training "which always involves a lot of humour."

Pollock said that for a number of Harbour stalwarts, the 1999 season presented their last chance to win an NPC title.

"This will be Ian Jones last NPC and he's never won the title. Hopefully it won't be Walter Little's last, but it will be for Frano Botica.

"It's a last chance for some of these fine players and it really means something to them, and that is rubbing off on the other players.

"The last thing you wanted to be was a Harbour reserve anywhere near the ball at our last training - you just got blown out of the way.

"Blokes like Oz [Glen Osborne] have always been full of humour but we really noticed a bit of a new attitude this week.

"We know the greater Auckland public is very discerning about their rugby and Harbour fans have lived close to a province which has won a lot in recent years.

"We know if we don't start delivering immediately, the newspaper headlines will start appearing, and our supporters will go 'here we go again.'

"Peter Thorburn started a rebuilding in 1997, Buck [Wayne Shelford] and I carried it on last year, but you can't keep saying you're rebuilding for ever.

"It makes this match against Waikato a huge one for us. We have to make an immediate statement. We know the pressure is on us. We have got to deliver this year."

Both sides are close to full strength and neither should be greatly affected by call-ups to the All Black World Cup squad.

Waikato coach Kiwi Searancke has left Chiefs captain Michael Collins on the bench, with David Briggs starting at loosehead prop, but Searancke said Collins was still working back to match fitness after injury.

Waikato are bolstered by the inclusion of test bench lock Royce Willis, and Bruce Reihana is their other leading World Cup squad contender.

Harbour's Jones, Troy Flavell, Mark Robinson, Slade McFarland and Osborne are among the World Cup chances but there is a possibility they will not lose any players to the campaign.