Rugby: Pool play puts pressure on University

The Gallagher Shield is back on the line as the Auckland premier club rugby season begins.

Auckland University won the Gallaher Shield after 17 years and cleaned up at the annual union awards last year, but they are not taking a passive approach to the new Auckland premier club season, which starts today.

Coach Dean Bickerton says he has about 80 per cent of his squad back, though several have injuries. They play Waitemata in today's opener.

The westerners are always tough to topple on their home turf, and Bickerton knows the pressure is on to start well because of a change in format for the competition.

"We've got a hard run in the first three games - Waitemata, Suburbs and Papatoetoe - so we can't afford to drop any of those games," said the second-year head coach.

"We'll be looking to field our best [available] line-up then. That will set us up. But we are not looking to defend the Gallaher. We have to win it,"

Varsity are in the eight-team blue pool. The white pool has seven teams, including last year's beaten finalists Grammar TEC.

That is a change from the previous 15-team round-robin. The aim is to qualify in the top four of your pool to contest the eight-team Alan McEvoy Memorial Trophy, held by Varsity. Points are not carried over.

"If you make the top eight, you've got seven very good games of rugby with no week of easing off," said Bickerton.

Then come the Gallaher Shield semifinals.

Industrious hooker Kurt Eklund will again lead Varsity, and they will field a formidable pack, even without the injured, Connacht-bound Nepia Fox-Matamua.

Lock/loosie Sean Brookman and loose forward Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray return from injury, and it is a good thing Varsity have enviable depth in the loose trio as Sean Polwart is with the Chiefs and Mitch Karpik will soon join the NZ Under 20s.

They will also lose four NZ Universities players - prop Marcel Renata, lock Tom Robinson, Dominikovich-Murray and centre Liam Steel - after round two for at least two matches.

Former Manu Samoa halfback Brenton Helleur, whose goalkicking was decisive in the 2014 final, will line up at halfback, with Zac Southern, a No 10 from Christchurch via Japan, outside him.

Luke Graham is at fullback, but wing Ben Paltridge is heading to Japan for a contract.

Several John Drake Memorial Scholarship winners will line up for Varsity, but 2014 recipient Marius Tonu'u, out of Otahuhu College, is biding his time in the Under 21s.

Papatoetoe host Pakuranga in a defence of the Sir Fred Allen Memorial Challenge Cup.

Several changes have been made in the coaching ranks. Former Manawatu and MAGS First XV coach Charlie McAlister takes the reins at Suburbs, Pati Maligi will again seek to reawaken Waitakere City, and Dave Usu joins East Tamaki, who won the pre-season Pollard Cup. Sam Wimsett takes over at Marist, and Otahuhu and Maungarua also have new coaching staffs.

All seven premier games start at 2.45pm today.