Tightening up a loose unit

By WYNNE GRAY

The other night North Harbour captain Ron Cribb dined with Auckland prop Kees Meeuws and their partners.

Meeuws is not playing in tomorrow's Battle of the Bridge but the players' mateship said something about the changing nature of provincial rivalries.

As one grizzled campaigner said this week: "In my day if we spoke to the opposition a week before a game we would be rarked out big time."

But the Super 12 series draws players from the neighbouring unions at Northland, Harbour and Auckland together for about six months each season.

It has created new friendships and a tolerance which would not have existed pre-professional rugby. However the sort of amicable tabletalk Cribb and Meeuws held this week will be replaced tomorrow at Albany.

"It's mate against mate but there is a lot on it and while most of us know each other really well it will not be hard to get up for this game," Cribb said. "Both teams need to rebound after a loss. It is very important for the NPC.

"Then it will also count a lot for what will happen with the Blues next season. You don't have to motivate people a lot for this game. If anything it is about keeping them in control and allowing them to do their individual motivation."

The 27-year-old Cribb is Harbour's new skipper this season, a man looking to relaunch a career which was blighted by a serious knee injury during last year's Super 12.

He was a player coach Russell Jones first spied almost a decade ago. In those days Cribb was playing rugby league in the morning and rugby in the afternoon at Massey High School.

"He was some athlete and down the years I have been involved a bit with his play," Jones said. "I think Ron has an outstanding knowledge of the game, he has the respect of the squad, he was born and bred in North Harbour and I think he is at a point when leadership will be good for his game.

"He is ready for that extra responsibility, he is extremely passionate about succeeding and it was a bit of a gut instinct choice, really."

Cribb was keen to take on his new role. He had been in charge of the loose forwards and decision-making groups in other teams and wanted to push on. "Being captain you have to make sure you push yourself to the limit. I want to lead by example ... You can't cruise."

Cribb's captaincy initiation was difficult. Harbour lost away to Bay of Plenty. "It was very humbling afterwards ... but we were outplayed and you have to take that on the chin."

Cribb has had to endure a fair bit in the past couple of seasons. After a superb Super 12 start as a draft player for the Crusaders, Cribb played 15 tests for the All Blacks before injuries troubled him.

He has not played for the All Blacks since midway through 2001 and realistically his chance of a return for the World Cup evaporated with his injury absences this year.

The burly No 8 was picked for the NZ Maori tour to Canada after just two games back for his Massey club. Coach Matt Te Pou asked Cribb to play all three games on tour.

"It was very hot, about 32 degrees and at altitude, but Matt showed his support of me by getting me into all three games. I appreciate that and it has done me the world of good."

Now Cribb has to juggle personal and team ambitions with Harbour. He acknowledges Harbour have not been as concerted a force as they should be in recent NPC series. Once more it was a case of blending the experience of players like himself, Troy Flavell, Slade McFarland, Blair Larsen and Rico Gear with the vitality of youngsters like Luke McAlister and Hosea Gear.

"It takes time but we have been too much of a loose unit. We have to try to emulate some of the structures of other provinces," he said.

Auckland would be a very awkward opponent, especially after their opening-round loss to Otago. But as Cribb told the Battle of the Bridge midweek breakfast, he remembered being part of an unfancied Harbour side which travelled to Eden Park in 1998 and beat a powerful Auckland team.

It was time to deliver a repeat on the friends who become foes for a day.