AUCKLAND

It was meant to be Auckland’s final to win in 2020. The team had easily dispatched opponents Tasman 31–10 in round-robin action a month earlier and came through a tough semi-final against Waikato 23–18.

But finals in any sport can be unpredictable and so it proved at Eden Park, as Tasman beat the blue-and-whites 13–12 to defend their NPC Premiership title. Head coach Alama Ieremia has an abundance of young talent to work with. Seven Auckland players made this year’s New Zealand Under-20 squad, the most from any union – hooker Soane Vikena who played for the Blues, No 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, midfielders Corey Evans and Meihana Grindlay, props Josh Fusitua and Sione Ahio, and halfback Manu Paea.

Flanker Niko Jones made his debut last season and showed some of the outstanding attributes inherited from his father Michael Jones.

The young guns always need guidance and Auckland has plenty of experienced older heads in the wider group. “The critical thing is leadership on and off the field,” Ieremia says. “We have our game drivers who can help guide us around the park in Harry Plummer, who can play 10 and 12, lock Scott Scrafton is a good lineout leader for us, loose forward leader Blake Gibson, plus props Alex Hodgman, Jordan and James Lay, and fullback Zarn Sullivan.” Other standouts are flanker Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa back from injury, Māori All Blacks prop Marcel Renata and Waratahs hooker Robbie Abel, who played a key part in the successful 2018 campaign for Auckland, which was Ieremia’s first in charge. Brilliant try-scoring winger Salesi Rayasi had a superb season last year for Auckland and Caleb Clarke should be firing when he returns from the Olympics with the All Blacks Sevens team. The arrival of rugby league superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will be a major talking point ahead of the NPC. The former New Zealand Secondary Schools representative has made the change back to the 15-man game after a dazzling league career. The 27-year-old, known to all as RTS, played his junior rugby for East Tamaki Rugby Club and later College Rifles Rugby Club, while attending Otahuhu College. “The exciting thing for me with his arrival is we have tweaked a few things in our game, which is right down his alley in terms of his positional play, attack and defense. He comes into a team that is evolving,” says Ieremia. “I see him on the wing first and eventually moving to centre. He has a roving role that I am pretty excited about. We as coaches feel he can offer a lot around that plus his aerial game, what he brings to our attacking game and his counterattacking game.”

COACH: ALAMA IEREMIA CAPTAIN: HARRY PLUMMER HOME GROUND:

EDEN PARK, AUCKLAND

WEBSITE: www.aucklandrugby.co.nz TICKETS: www.ticketmaster.co.nz ADDRESS:

PO BOX 56-152, DOMINION RD, AUCKLAND 1446

PHONE: 09 815 4850 EMAIL: info@aucklandrugby.co.nz TAB ODDS: AUCKLAND $4.50