Auckland vs. North Harbour - The Battle of the Bridge

nzzp

@steven-harris we're going to smash them this year! Bring it on.

...cos I'm not nervous at all...

Duluth

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Duluth

http://www.mitre10cup.co.nz/News/33257/preview-auckland-v-north-harbour

1 Sam Prattley, 2 Robbie Abel, 3 Marcel Renata, 4 Fa'atiga Lemalu, 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, 7 Dalton Papalii, 8 Akira Ioane, 9 Jonathan Ruru, 10 Harry Plummer, 11 Salesi Rayasi, 12 TJ Faiane (captain), 13 Tumua Manu, 14 Melani Nanai, 15 Jordan Trainor

Reserves: 16 Mike Sosene-Feagai, 17 Jarred Adams, 18 Marco Fepulea'i, 19 Michael Fatialofa, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Desma Liaina, 22 Jacob Umaga, 23 Caleb Clarke

1 Luatangi Li, 2 James Parsons, 3 Sione Mafileo, 4 Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5 Ben Nee-Nee, 6 Glenn Preston, 7 Dillon Hunt, 8 Murphy Taramai, 9 Bryn Hall, 10 Bryn Gatland, 11 Tevita Li, 12 Harrison Groundwater, 13 Daniel Hilton Jones, 14 Mark Telea, 15 Shaun Stevenson

Reserves: 16 Luteru Tolai, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Tony Tuungafasi, 19 Danny Drake, 20 Hapakuki Liavaa-Moala, 21 Lewis Gjaltema, 22 Loketi Manu, 23 Nick Smith

Bold players are the ones who also played last years match (Nee-Nee played this game too but has swapped sides of the bridge)

4 Aucklanders and 13 Harbours players

Injuries account for a lot of the differences. However a lot of the fringe Auckland players got cleared out in the last year

sparky

@duluth

Hunt Vs Papali'i is the battle I'm looking forward to. A place on the All Blacks EOYT is up from grabs.

Duluth

@sparky

I’m sure Hunt will tour. I think it’s worth making room for Papalii too.. it’s a big squad

sparky

Both will be in the 51 but I suspect only one of them will be in the official 32 who go to Europe.

Hunt has more experience, but Papali'i looks the better long term prospect.

Steven Harris

@duluth Lentjes was very good for Otago when he came on,superb over the ball,my choice would Papalii,I just think he is way more physical than Hunt or Lentjes.

KiwiMurph

All Harbour so far.

They look very up for this.

KiwiMurph

Auckland get some ball down the right end of the field and score.

nzzp

@kiwimurph said in Auckland vs. North Harbour - The Battle of the Bridge:

Auckland get some ball down the right end of the field and score.

Great to lead after having the ball for about three minutes out of twenty

KiwiMurph

Akira straight through Hunt and Auckland score again. Papali'i has started strongly.

gt12

Future AB 8 to future AB 7, try.

Hunt not doing himself any favors.

Tim

Auckland midfield really good today.

Tim

Stevenson has been good. Unfortunately Scotty Stevenson said at the start of the game that "his Super Rugby future is secure down the motorway".

gt12

@tim

Excellent.

KiwiMurph

Prattley is an idiot. But we knew that.

KiwiMurph

Cripes that was not good from Stevenson!

Tim

@kiwimurph Yep, followed my praise with a shocking play.

African Monkey

Can't say I'm overly impressed with Dillon Hunt. Looks journeyman level at best.

KiwiMurph

Abel gives away the penalty then misses the tackle. Not a great few minutes.

Yeah Hunt not having much impact - looks small out there.

The Silver Fern

Auckland vs. North Harbour - The Battle of the Bridge