Auckland

1 Oscar Cowley-Andrea, 2 Mills Sanerivi, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 4 Josh Beehre, 5 Tom Allen, 6 Tai Cribb, 7 Ofa Topeni, 8 Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo, 9 Taufa Funaki, 10 Alex Harford, 11 Xavier Tito-Harris, 12 AJ Lam, 13 Xavi Taele, 14 Codemeru Vai, 15 Rico Simpson

Reserves: 16 Soane Vikena, 17 Viliami Fangupo, 18 Hamdahn Tuipulotu, 19 Caleb Woodley, 20 Kitiona Vai, 21 James Arscott, 22 Leo Gordon, 23 Caleb Tangitau

I assume this side will change. Some of those guys were listed as injured yesterday

Northland

1 Jordan Lay, 2 Matt Moulds, 3 Marcel Renata, 4 Allan Craig, 5 Liam Hallam-Eames, 6 Rob Rush, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 Terrell Peita, 9 Sam Nock, 10 Rivez Reihana, 11 Brady Rush, 12 Reesjan Pasitoa, 13 Corey Evans, 14 Solomon Alaimalo, 15 Jordan Trainor

Reserves: 16 Jordan Hutchings, 17 Esile Fono, 18 Chris Apoua, 19 Sam Caird, 20 Jonah Mau'u, 21 Marley Murphy, 22 Paula Balekana, 23 Nathan Salmon

Very surprised we have called Jonah Mau'u into the squad, what was the point signing Zac Shanks, or even giving Hooper a rest, who isn't apparently injured.

And 2 outside backs on the bench again...

Def some head scratchers, but the starting 15 is close to full strength, so with an injury ravaged Auckland side, we won't get many better shots to roll them at EP, let's hope we don't get stage fright like we tend to 99% of the time.

Is that the Auckland under 13 side?

@African-Monkey said in Auckland v Northland:

Is that the Auckland under 13 side?

Old man Angus is there to drag the average age up significantly.

So Northland have to massive favourites with most out pack injured right?

100 or so props injured for us, and Northland stole two props from Auckland too.

@Kirwan you mean Auckland returned 2 props

I'd say if you look over the history of clashes between the sides, no way do we ever start favorites over Auckland, despite what the teams named might look like or prior form, we are more likely to get you into some form than beat you, sad but true!

I'm confused, you are calling the team Northland, but with six Aucklanders in the starting side, surely this is North Auckland vs Auckland?

@Kirwan said in Auckland v Northland:

I'm confused, you are calling the team Northland, but with six Aucklanders in the starting side, surely this is North Auckland vs Auckland?

my mate asked the question: how many Aucklanders would make the Northland side? We got to 3-4.

NPC has changed baby

@nzzp said in Auckland v Northland:

@Kirwan said in Auckland v Northland:

I'm confused, you are calling the team Northland, but with six Aucklanders in the starting side, surely this is North Auckland vs Auckland?

my mate asked the question: how many Aucklanders would make the Northland side? We got to 3-4.

NPC has changed baby

Duluth counts at least six, I'm way past being able to keep count.

It gets worse if you start looking at Auckland club players spread around the country.

I was never bothered by the name North Auckland, it carried the history, and TBH had better success to it than Northland has since the change, so by all means, call us North Auckland.

Also, I don't think you and @nzzp are talking about the same thing...i think he is referring to how many of the team named for Auckland this weekend would start for Northland this weekend, not who is from where...

Reading while working, never a good idea

@Kirwan
Haha, even the Riverhead club on the Waitemata was in the North Auckland union at one time.
Times have certainly changed!

@mohikamo

and also, Warkworth, Kaipara Flats and Omaha more recently.

@Pepe

Yes, Murray Jones out of Omaha, great player.

They had a weird residency rule back in those days too. I remember Barry Ashworth (AB) having trouble playing for Otahuhu and Auckland because he lived in Papakura (Counties). Crazy.

@Pepe All these clubs merged in 1989 to form Mahurangi, and joined Harbour, which I think is part of the reason why North Auckland became Northland.

@mohikamo Didn't even know that, I thought that club was always part of the Auckland union. Is this the club that later became Western United and then Kumeu?

@UpTheHarbs

For a few seasons (early/mid 1980s up until that merger) I played in what was a combined Northern Wairoa and Rodney club competition. It was a great competition with most clubs being of a similar strength and background.
Omaha and Warkworth were both hard work.

@UpTheHarbs

When the NARU was formed, the Kaipara district union (Helensville) was included.
They played in the Harding Shield comp.
North Auckland's first AB (Charlie Fletcher) came out of the Kaipara district.
Fletcher played for the Waimauku club, just down the road from Kumeu.