1 Jarred Adams (Suburbs)
2 Leni Apisai (Ponsonby)
3 Angus Ta’avao (Eden)
4 Scott Scrafton (Grammar TEC)
5 Jack Whetton (Grammar TEC)
6 Adrian Choat (Waitemata)
7 Blake Gibson (Ponsonby)
8 Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Ponsonby)
9 Taufa Funaki (Marist)
10 Simon Hickey (Grammar TEC)
11 Salesi Rayasi (Marist)
12 TJ Faiane (c) (Pakuranga)
13 Tumua Manu (College Rifles)
14 AJ Lam (Grammar TEC)
15 Jordan Trainor (Ponsonby)

16 Mike Sosene-Feagai (Marist)
17 Marcel Renata (University)
18 James Lay (University)
19 Hamish Dalzell (College Rifles)(DEBUT)
20 Sione Tuipulotu (Eden)
21 Jonathan Ruru (University)
22 Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC)
23 Zarn Sullivan (College Rifles)

Auckland head to Rotorua for the first of two games on the road. The Blue and White Hoops play Bay of Plenty in a Premiership showdown on Friday night.

Head Coach, Alama Ieremia has made only one change to the team that was victorious over Manawatu on Sunday.

College Rifles Lock, Hamish Dalzell comes onto the bench in the fourth debut for the season for Auckland. Dalzell replaces All Black, Patrick Tuipulotu who will be in camp for the upcoming International Bledisloe.

Auckland will face Bay of Plenty after a short 4-day turnaround from their Sunday afternoon fixture against Manawatu, although Ieremia is confident that his team will be ready.

“We don’t want to look at the short turn-around as an “out” for the team. We have a lot of respect for Bay of Plenty. In this competition, anyone can be beaten on their day. So, we need to be switched on for the job come Friday night”.

Really pleased to see form rewarded

we're going to get fucking murdered

Interesting to see if Hickey and Funaki are considered as our first choice 9 and 10 or just rewarded for having good games last week.

@mariner4life said in BOP v Auckland:

we're going to get fucking murdered

I would even suggest the 8.5 point head start wont be enough either at the TAB

Who is going to murder who? Has the BOP team been named yet? Are they going to play their best players, and put players in their best positions this week? If so, then it might be a real contest. That is not a strong looking Auckland lineup - just Ta'avao, Gibson, Faiane and maybe Scrafton as standouts at this level.

@ARHS I think BoP have been hiding a lot of big injuries (injuries been a lot worse than what has been declared...if declared) and I don't expect them to be playing this week. And to @mariner4life 's point, we also have to play a lot better than we have..so we look likely to be royally fucked regardless of a team naming.

@bayimports said in BOP v Auckland:

@ARHS I think BoP have been hiding a lot of big injuries (injuries been a lot worse than what has been declared...if declared) and I don't expect them to be playing this week. And to @mariner4life 's point, we also have to play a lot better than we have..so we look likely to be royally fucked regardless of a team naming.

Clayton could start by introducing our tight five to each other at training. Then maybe we won't look as lost when defending rucks within our own 22....

Bay team:

Maybe I should suggest more often that none of our players are likely to come back soon... lol ....Welcome Emoni, Otere and most importantly Mitch Karpik

We still need to play a lot more cohesively to beat Auckland though..

@bayimports Yahoo! Pleased to see Carter and Garland back in the mix also. Looks a far stronger proposition than last week. Fingers crossed they will combine better too.

Intriguing midfield with two Sevens boys. It could be fun to watch.

Scotty Curry and Ware as the starting midfield, would not have picked that. Let’s hope they see some ball, if the tight forwards do a little better than last week....

Ware was a centre at school even though he has played on the wing more recently.

Ruru started?

With 21 on his back? Wtf?

Not very upright ...

That was a terrible call for a turnover penalty

@nzzp it's O'Thief what do you expect.