The Blue and White Hoops head north for the Taniwha

Auckland travel up State Highway 1 to Semenoff Stadium for their Round 5 fixture against Northland.

The Blue and White Hoops will carry momentum from a positive outing against Otago on Saturday night. Solid defensive performances and opportunistic counterattacks played a role in their 35-17 win.

The Auckland coaching staff have remained consistent for the Northland clash, with the only change to the starting XV at hooker. Robbie Abel starts in the front row, and fellow Waitemata club man Soane Vikena moves to the bench.

Abel lines up with Alex Hodgman and Marcel Renata, both props displaying their experience and skill at scrum time against Otago.

The inclusion of All Blacks Angus Ta’avao and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will bolster the impact provided off the Auckland bench.

Ta’avao will line up for his first cap for the Blue and White Hoops in 2022 and his 46th for the province.

Tuivasa-Sheck expressed his talent in his Auckland debut against Bay of Plenty and will be welcomed back into the squad for the Round 5 fixture.

Grammar TEC club members Corey Evans and AJ Lam start outside captain Harry Plummer in the midfield.

Manukau halfback Manu Paea comes on to the bench and will look to make his mark in the later stages.

Auckland managed a win in their last outing against Northland in a game that did not come without its challenges. The 2020 fixture at Eden Park featured several casualties for Auckland, forcing the game to move to uncontested scrums. A late charge by Northland was held off by a battered Blue and White Hoops team to take the win, 24-20.

Kick-off is from Semenoff Stadium, Whangarei at 2:30pm.

 

Auckland team v Northland

  1. Alex Hodgman (Eden)
  2. Robbie Abel (Waitemata)
  3. Marcel Renata (University)
  4. Jamie Lane (Ponsonby)
  5. Connor Vest (University)
  6. Blake Gibson (Ponsonby)
  7. Adrian Choat (Waitemata)
  8. Jackson Pugh (Marist)
  9. Taufa Funaki (Marist)
  10. Harry Plummer © (Grammar TEC)
  11. Salesi Rayasi (Marist)
  12. Corey Evans (Grammar TEC)
  13. AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
  14. Tomas Aoake (Ponsonby)
  15. Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby)
  16. Soane Vikena (Waitemata)
  17. Jordan Lay (University)
  18. Angus Ta’avao (Eden)
  19. Hamish Dalzell (College Rifles)
  20. Vaiolini Ekuasi (East Tamaki)
  21. Manu Paea (Manukau)
  22. Simon Hickey (Grammar TEC)
  23. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (East Tamaki)

 

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