Ieremia hopes history repeats in final
Auckland coach Alama Ieremia concedes his team may have stumbled into tomorrow’s Mitre 10 Cup final against Tasman, but feels that won’t count for anything come 6.35pm.
Up until the final round Auckland were clearly the strongest team in the competition.
They had already confirmed top spot in the standings and comfortably beat Tasman 32-10 during the regular season. But then came the 34-33 loss to relegationthreatened Canterbury. In the semifinal against Waikato it took Jack Whetton earning his team a penalty in the 80th minute to stop the Mooloo men snatching a last-gasp victory.
‘‘We’ve sort of stumbled into the final, but we’re in the final,’’ Ieremia said.
‘‘There’s pressure on to get it right, but we’re pretty excited.’’
Ieremia has made several changes to his squad for the final, with halfback Taufa Funaki coming onto the bench.
James Lay and Niko Jones move into the starting lineup and Whetton makes his return to the starting XV after suffering a shoulder injury in the previous meeting with Tasman in round six.
This is Auckland’s second final in three years. In 2018 they beat Canterbury 40-33 in an extra time thriller.
As is the case with provincial rugby, Auckland’s team is significantly different from now to then. Just five players from the runon team two years ago are in the starting lineup this weekend.
But while the personnel may have changed, Ieremia said the feeling inside the squad is similar.
While Auckland haven’t always been at their best this season, the same could be said for Tasman, who suffered upset defeats to North Harbour and Canterbury, as well as the loss to Auckland.
‘‘I suppose if there was a trait of this year’s competition, it’s been like that, teams have been up and down,’’ Ieremia said.
As in 2018, the Eden Park gates have been flung open and anyone can come along for free. No need to order a ticket online, just rock up.
About 22,000 people came to the final two years ago, and Ieremia hopes a similar number tomorrow can give his team an advantage.
For finals, there’s always a fine line for coaches to walk. Get the players to understand the importance of the game, but still remain focused for 80 minutes.
‘‘You’re probably kidding yourself if you’re not thinking about the final and us as a young group, we actually embrace the fact that it’s a final,’’ Ieremia said. ‘‘But we’re also making sure that it doesn’t take away from the way we prepare and that we prepare like normal.
‘‘As coaches, you can normally judge that through the week, complacency or homework and also the excitement levels are really important.
‘‘But you’ve got to embrace the final, it’s really important and that starts with the coaches, because they get a gauge of how the week goes.’’