No rest for Razor’s red and blacks this week
Memories of last year’s embarrassing upset at Albany has helped spur Canterbury coach Scott Robertson to name seven All Blacks for Sunday’s re-match with North Harbour.
Six-time champions Canterbury introduced a raft of rookies for last year’s visit to North Harbour and paid the price in a 29-24 defeat.
It signalled the start of a shaky end to the round robin campaign, culminating in Canterbury losing twice to Tasman and missing the NPC final for the first time since 2007.
Robertson, who plans to rest some players during Canterbury’s series of three games in the next seven days, is taking no chances at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday.
So the likes of Matt Todd, Ryan Crotty, Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Dom Bird, Tom Taylor and Luke Whitelock won’t be able to loll in the Lazy-boy with a big bag of crisps watching the Rugby World Cup highlights just yet.
All seven were named on Friday in Robertson’s run-on XV which features only two changes to the side that beat Hawke’s Bay 29-14 last Saturday.
Tom Sanders replaces Reed Prinsep at blindside flanker and utility back Marshall Suckling gets his first start of the season on the left wing.
North Harbour have had two wins, against fellow championship strugglers Southland and premiership cellar dwellers Counties Manukau last weekend, but Robertson is paying Steve Jackson’s side some respect by naming his big guns.
‘‘Everyone remembers the score from last year. We went up pretty confident with the group we took, but we got touched up by a pretty good North Harbour team on that night. We are taking a decent side up there and understand the importance of the game.’’
Robertson and assistants Joe Maddock and John Haggart have kept faith with young five-eighths Richie Mo’unga and Rob Thompson after their dominant performances against the Magpies.
‘‘They had a great little combination working. Losing [centre] Jack Goodhue, you hope someone would stand up and Rob’s done that and taken his opportunity to date.’’
Robertson said Suckling had earned his start as a replacement for Super Rugby wing Patrick Osborne, who is still nursing a calf niggle. Suckling, 26, is a Sumner product who spent several seasons with Otago before returning home this year. Veteran utility back Cameron McIntyre is back on the bench after missing the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay games after tweaking a leg muscle at prematch goal kicking practice in Palmerston North.
The Harbour backline features former Crusaders wing Nafi Tuitavake, Matt McGahan, son of former Kiwis rugby league captain Hugh McGahan, and Michael Little, whose father, Walter, was a 1990s All Black.