Raw meat meets old heads for Maori
weather has been kind to us. The boys who joined us over the weekend have got into the books and got up to speed quickly and are good to go.
“Some of the guys are a little bit banged up — 100 minutes of rugby in the Mitre 10 Cup final has taken its toll but we’re managing the boys’ loads pretty closely as we don’t want to overcook them. They are smart, professional players, and they know how to prepare for this game,” he said.
“A lot of those guys on the bench will bring energy and there’s also a little bit of strategy because there was a good percentage of them played in the (Mitre 10 Cup) final last week, and we want to respect the fact that they are a little bit banged up, but they will bring good energy.”
The squad includes Sam Nock and Isaac Salmon who were added to the squad last week, and sevens sensation Regan Ware, has been named to start on the wing, after he was called into the squad as an injury replacement.
“Regan’s opportunity comes unfortunately through an injury to Caleb Makene who was injured in the final. Regan trained with us at our camp in Tauranga and made a really good impression and fortunately, the All Blacks Sevens accommodated our request to have him released. He was another player who really showed his ability during Mitre 10 Cup with Taranaki.”
McMillan said he was expecting their US opposition to be physically demanding.
“They’ll be what we expect from a lot of American athletes, big, strong, a direct style of rugby, a lot of mauling … a very physical encounter. We’re prepared to match fire with fire but want to be smart and use a bit of width as well. We need to respect the fact that the Eagles have some power up front. They have tall timber and we need to ensure we get our share of quality ball to give our backs the opportunity to play and to have a mindset of spreading the ball and doing justice to the Maori jersey .
“This weekend will be a fantastic occasion, a triple header, and it’s been great to be at the same hotel as the Black Ferns. It will be good to watch them play, and Ireland v Italy – there are a lot of Irish supporters in town – so yes, it will be a massive occasion,” McMillan said.