Success breeds a problem

By CHRIS RATTUE

Champions by name, although many of the names are different this year.

That is the quandary for Auckland's supporters, as they contemplate a new season where their title winning side - which included many emerging stars anyway - must re-build already.

Success breeds All Blacks and in one season, the Wayne Pivac and Grant Fox-coached side went from having just one international in Doug Howlett, to providing eight in John Mitchell's squad.

It's not a problem Pivac and Fox would complain about. A major part of their brief is to elevate players to international level. Like Canterbury and possibly Otago, it casts a major unknown over this NPC season.

Pivac is not shirking from pressure. He wants the side to go one step further than last season, when they won the semifinal in Christchurch and the final in Hamilton after finishing third on the ladder.

Pivac said: "Realistically half of our starting XV from last year are available so it's really a new look side. So it's not really the same team out their defending the title.

"But we are certainly backing ourselves to be in the playoffs. We want to go one step better and get some home ground advantage. We make no secret of that.

"It's going to be an exciting challenge, with the ABs away, and teams like North Harbour and Taranaki come right into the picture."

It will also be a big test of Auckland's depth, something they have worked hard on in recent years.

"We had a lot of players going overseas and retiring at the end of 1999 and 2000. In 2001 we invested in a lot of young talent in the NPC side and development team," Pivac said.

"We also had the high performance unit working behind the scenes and a lot of those players are now frontliners. We think what we have been doing is working and this is going to be a big test for it."

The big problem for Auckland in the early stages is at prop, especially with Nick White out for about six weeks after injuring a calf muscle against Samoa.

But the rest of the forwards look strong. Auckland have three Super 12 locks, plus the starting loose forwards from the champion Blues.

A newcomer to watch is loose forward Sione Lauaki, who made an instant impression coming on against Samoa.

There is a more vulnerable look to the Auckland backs.

Orene Ai'i will run the show as he did in the last World Cup year when Auckland won the title, and future All Blacks prospect David Gibson will be at halfback.

But Pivac said: "You might recognise a lot of the names in the backs but they haven't actually played together in these combinations until this season.

"Orene is our preferred first five and we expect big things of him.

"He's really looking forward to the opportunity of starting each week. He's been in the shadow of Carlos [Spencer] for some time, and getting over some niggling injuries in the last couple of seasons."

Maybe the key for Auckland is the confidence that NPC and Super 12 titles have built, and the knowledge that their systems are producing the goods. The Pivac-Fox combination, with the guiding hand of technical adviser Graham Henry, has far greater experience and success than any of the other coaching teams. It will help overcome the loss of key players.

Waikato should be a title challenger. They charged through the competition last year, losing just once to Otago, and rocketed players such as centre Regan King to national attention.

Once again, the Super 12 put a dent in Waikato's reputation, and 2002 All Blacks King, Keith Lowen and Keith Robinson are in international limbo this year. It is a familiar Waikato story. But they have a formidable NPC tradition.

Although not badly affected by international call-ups, they have lost star outside backs Roger Randle and Bruce Reihana, plus midfielder Mark Ranby. Key forwards Deon Muir and Royce Willis have also departed.

The prospects for Northland and Bay of Plenty look similar - they will not give the title a shake and will be delighted to avoid the relegation battle. They suffer the problems of non-Super 12 franchises in being unable to attract and retain enough top players.

Taranaki have a solid group of Super 12 players and if ever there was a time when a non-Super 12 franchise could take the title, this is it. On that score, Taranaki look the best bet, especially as North Harbour - the other NPC middleweights - are light in the backs.

As for the capital challenge, it looks shaky. The loss of Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo removes a lot of their attacking edge, and they will miss Collins' hardcore defence.

Tana Umaga's experience will be sorely missed in the backs. Maybe Christian Cullen can inspire in his farewell season. Much has been made of Jonah Lomu's return from serious illness, but that has the potential to be a distraction new coach John Plumtree could well do without.