Rugby: Scrum key to Maori fortunes

Dwayne Swweeney will start at centre this weekend against England. Photo / Alan Gibson

If giant prop Clint Newland had his way, Maori coach Jamie Joseph would be signed up for the Highlanders ... yesterday.

The 130kg prop has been called into the starting line-up for the Maori to counter an England scrum that was dominant in Australia and has been impressed by what he has seen, believing Joseph has Super 14 credentials.

"Easily," Newland said. "He's a hard man and the trainings have been hard, but they've been really good.

"He would be great for [the Highlanders]."

The struggling franchise is in the market for new coaching staff after Glenn Moore and assistant Peter Russell were last week told they would have to reapply for their positions. Russell has since said he would not reapply.

Joseph might need to start dusting off his CV but he has more immediate concerns, trying to lead the Maori to a clean sweep in their centenary year. They have secured comeback victories over the Barbarians and Ireland that have seen them dig themselves out of sizeable holes.

They know they will not be able to give the English the same sort of latitude.

There is a sense that everything will begin at the scrum tonight, hence Newland's selection and the secondment of All Blacks scrum guru Mike Cron to Napier.

"He's an awesome scrum coach. He's come in, says a few words here and there and everything clicks into place," Newland said.

"We've done quite a bit work with our scrum and it's come on in leaps and bounds since our first game. It should be a good competition."

For Newland, getting a start on his home ground will be the highlight of the 30-year-old's career.

"It's going to be a huge occasion and I can't wait to get out there. My olds are coming up and heaps of people from where I grew up, just down the coast a bit."

Akitio to be precise, a coastal Wairarapa hamlet where one small shop services a population that fluctuates between 30 and 300 people, depending on the season.

When Newland was at primary school there, a decent game of sevens was impossible, with the roll topping out at 12.

England will not have come up against anybody of Newland's bulk in Australia, but there is a sense of familiarity about every game they play, according to coach Martin Johnson.

"The fortunate thing about England," he said, "is that wherever you go, everyone wants to beat you. It's quite nice. It means every game is a big game and the bigger the game the better."

Johnson was set to meet referee Craig Joubert, who has emerged as a pivotal figure.

The South African gained a reputation during the Super 14 as the referee who allowed for little or no competition for the ball at the breakdown.

NZ MAORI

Robbie Robinson
Sean Maitland
Dwayne Sweeney
Luke McAlister
Hosea Gear
Stephen Brett
Aaron Smith
Liam Messam (c)
Tanerau Latimer
Karl Lowe
Jarrad Hoeata
Hayden Triggs
Ben Afeaki
Corey Flynn
Clint Newland

ENGLAND

Delon Armitage
David Strettle
Mathew Tait
Brad Barritt
Chris Ashton
Charlie Hodgson
Danny Care
Phil Dowson
Steffon Armitage
Chris Robshaw (c)
Geoff Parling
David Attwood
Paul Doran-Jones
George Chuter
David Flatman

NZ Maori: Dane Coles, Bronson Murray, Isaac Ross, Colin Bourke, Ruki Tipuna, Willie Ripia, Jackson Willison.
England: Rob Webber, Dan Cole, Dan Ward-Smith, James Haskell, Ben Youngs, Shane Geraghty, Ben Foden.

Napier, 7.35 tonight