Te Pou promises strong Maori team for Lions clash

Maori coach Matt Te Pou. Picture / Fotopress

New Zealand Maori rugby coach Matt Te Pou will field his strongest ever team against the British and Irish Lions here in June.

Te Pou is close to finalising his 24-man squad, which will include first-choice All Blacks, and is working long hours to ensure no stone is left unturned in preparations to try to beat Sir Clive Woodward's Lions.

Te Pou said he, assistant coach Donny Stevenson and fellow selectors Stu Forster and Hika Reid have nearly finalised with their squad, although it will not be announced until May 22 -- the same day the All Blacks triallists are named.

"This will be the strongest team on paper that I've ever had," Te Pou said.

"I've been involved with the team since 1994 and we've never had all our All Blacks available, albeit having close to a 90 per cent win record in that time."

The closest New Zealand Maori got to a full-strength team was when they took on the Wallabies in Sydney in 2001 but there were still some All Blacks unavailable.

This time the likes of test prop Carl Hayman would be available.

"Our forward pack will have a lot of All Blacks with a lot of experience and we're going to need that.

"The Lions have a lot of experience in their pack -- guys who have come through a World Cup campaign and are experienced in trench warfare."

There was no doubt the Maori team could match the visitors in the running game, but they need to combat a hardened Lions forward pack if they are to have win at Waikato Stadium on June 11.

Te Pou is pleased with the form of Maori players in the Super 12 to date and is happy to see the recent resurgence of the Chiefs -- not just because he is a former assistant coach.

"The Chiefs are hitting their straps now and that is critical because we have a lot of our players in that squad."

He has met with potential squad members and been to Waikato Stadium to talk to the Chiefs' management to get tips on using home advantage to its maximum there.

"A lot of planning has gone in -- more than any other game I've ever been involved in.

"If there's anything that can give us an edge we've got to do it."

The Maori team will warmup for the Lions game by playing Fiji in Suva on Friday, June 3, the day before the Lions' tour opener against Bay of Plenty in Rotorua.

- NZPA