Harbour aiming to start with hiss and a roar
North Harbour will be desperate to shed their tags as notorious slow starters when the Mitre 10 Cup season swings into gear tonight in Albany.
Harbour have been slow out of the blocks in the past two season and it has partially cost them Championship semifinal berths. But now they must replicate last season’s corresponding fixture on this ground, where they toppled Premiership side Counties Manukau 28-20.
Coach Steve Jackson has named four debutants in the starting XV plus four more on the bench, while ever- green halfback Chris Smylie will make his 50th appearance for the union should he enter the fray.
North Harbour will look to their Super Rugby players to lead the way, and hooker/captain James Parsons, well rested after a heavy workload with the Blues, halfback Bryn Hall and wing Tevita Li will need to be influential.
“There is no question we have a big task ahead of ourselves. Counties are a big, physical side who will look to dominate the contact area. We need to execute our game plan and then have trust in the structures that we have put in place,” says Jackson, mindful that a 3-0 pre-season record, including victory over Auckland, counts for little, but is perhaps an indication that North Harbour’s implementation of the new breakdown trial laws in their club rugby was advantageous.
That means all eyes will be on referee Shane McDermott.
Wing Mark Telea has played himself onto the bench after some sterling form for his Massey club and then for North Harbour in pre-season.
Counties Manukau have potentially 12 debutants and new coach Darryl Suasua hopes they are all up to speed as fast as possible with the new laws.
“No one’s really talked about last year’s result, but I guess the guys who were there [nine of this 23] were disappointed,” Suasua says.
There is talent aplenty in the Steelers, and the side will be even stronger next week when their two All Blacks Sevens reps are back on deck, plus others returning from injury. Jimmy Tupou will captain the side from lock.