Canterbury unchanged for Auckland
Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:56
Canterbury named an unchanged starting XV for their Air New Zealand Cup crunch match against arch rivals Auckland in Christchurch on Saturday.
The only change is to the replacement bench, where Nasi Manu is in at the expense of James Broadhurst.
Canterbury are still without a host of injured stars - like Sean Maitland, Casey Laulala, Corey Flynn, Stephen Brett and Hamish Gard.
This is, without doubt, the game of the weekend - between two sides with 133 years of rivalry.
It was business as usual last weekend as both Canterbury and Auckland had wins, after losing their matches in the first round.
Canterbury was still not as accurate as they would have liked against Otago, although a win on the road is still important and they were more convincing than what the 20-13 final scoreline suggested.
Auckland on the other hand was also reasonably convincing, pulling through in the second half to score a comfortable 22-6 win over the always gutsy Taranaki.
The Canterbury side will be primed for this match. Auckland always brings out the best of any player wearing red and black and this Saturday will be no different.
Expect Canterbury to look to continue to improve their accuracy, while at the same time developing their set-piece. Against Otago last weekend their line-out (both on their own and opposition throws) was particularly impressive and in this facet of the game Michael Paterson will be important.
The Canterbury scrum was also sound against Otago, although Auckland will be another step-up. The real challenge for the home side will be on the ground. In this facet of the game Auckland’s Daniel Braid is one of the best in the country. His battle with Hayden Hopgood promises plenty and will be a very good test for the Shirley flank.
If Canterbury can continue to improve their set-piece, work hard on their accuracy and rely on their kicking game to put pressure on the visitors then they should do well.
Canterbury: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Scott Hamilton, 13 Adam Whitelock, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 James Paterson, 10 Colin Slade, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Hayden Hopgood, 6 Kieran Read (captain), 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Michael Paterson, 3 Campbell Johnstone, 2 Ti'i Paulo, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Steve Fualau, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Nasi Manu, 19 George Whitelock, 20 Steve Alfeld, 21 Ryan Crotty, 22 Kosuke Endo.
Date: Saturday, August 16
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock
TMO: Josh Noonan
