Rugby: Hookers eye royal battle

Ash Dixon

Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby hooker Ash Dixon must be considered a hot candidate for the New Zealand Maori team's end-of-year tour to Asia.

"If our Magpies team keeps playing well, other things [like the tour] could come," Dixon said yesterday.

However, he knows it doesn't pay to look too far ahead. Like his Magpies teammates, Dixon, who was a late replacement for the injured Corey Flynn on last year's Maori team's tour of North America, has placed a huge emphasis on their "one game at a time" philosophy and has a more immediate priority, the captaincy in today's Ranfurly Shield defence against the Bay of Plenty Steamers at Napier's McLean Park.

Dixon was promoted from his regular vice captain's role after Brendon O'Connor was ruled out after failing to get the all-clear with his concussion tests after being knocked out against Otago last weekend. Dixon, 26, who will be playing his 49th first class game for the Magpies, was relaxed about the extra responsibility.

"It's the same old story ... I just have to lead with my actions," Dixon said. "There's a lot of experience in the side which makes my job easier. Shoey captained the Magpies for two seasons," Dixon said, referring to Jason Shoemark.

Dixon's biggest concern is the after-match speech.

"I would rather just play on the paddock. I'm not really a public speaker but I will give it a go ... I've watched some of the captains around and I've seen how they throw a couple of cliches into their speeches," Dixon said.

The former Hurricane will mark another member of last year's New Zealand Maori team, Joe Royal, today. Last week he had the honour of outplaying one of his future Highlanders teammates and rival for the first string rake role at the Dunedin-based franchise, Liam Coltman, when the Magpies thrashed Otago 41-0.

"Liam was in a pack which was going backwards for most of the game but I will take that. I was just happy to get the win" the father of two explained.

Outplaying Royal would be another huge step for Dixon on the way to securing a berth in the Maori team which will play two "tests" against Japan in Japan and one against an Asian Selection in Singapore. Dixon isn't getting too carried away about the individual tussle.

"I would be more happy if we keep the shield for the summer. That's more important than my own performance ... I want to see the Magpies secure a home semifinal and a home final in the ITM Cup Championship," Dixon said.

If the loud yelling during the Magpies training sessions are an indication, this year's team boasts the necessary spirit to achieve those goals.

"There's a good spirit within the camp. Everyone is enjoying their job and that's what the ITM Cup is about ... playing for the jersey," Dixon said.

"We have a lot of fun with competitions and games which keeps things fresh. But come match day we've got our game faces on."

Following O'Connor's withdrawal, Tony Lamborn switches from the blindside flanker's role to the openside. Trent Boswell-Wakefield will start in the No6 jersey and Tom Stanley will be the substitute loosie.

Halfback Chris Eaton will be the vice captain in his 82nd first class game for the Magpies.

"Brendon [O'Connor] wasn't quite 100 per cent. He knows his body and has a professional attitude," Magpies head coach Craig Philpott said when announcing O'Connor's withdrawal yesterday.

Bay of Plenty is a team similar to the Northland outfit which upset the Magpies earlier this month. The Steamers don't have a lot of big names but they're capable of upsetting more fancied opposition as they proved with their dominant patches during the first half of last weekend's 27-12 loss to Auckland.

Steamers coach Kevin Schuler said there had been a real buzz in his squad at training this week.

"You can't plan a season around a challenge but when the opportunity arises you really have to have the mindset to do everything you can to get it.

"It is a real special rugby trophy and it can do wonderful things for the Bay. It has been here once before and we all remember how cool that was. It is ingrained in the heart of New Zealand rugby," Schuler said.

He agreed his troops could take plenty of confidence out of the Auckland game and he was confident his players had the ability to beat the Magpies.

"We are confident in what our attack can do. We are not going down there to play conservatively. We are pretty confident in what we can do up front as well. This will be the best game ever to win the battle of the Bays," Schuler added.

While the progress of former Magpie and Steamers right winger Tino Nemani will be watched with interest, it's crucial the Magpies forwards restrict the freedom of Steamers captain and lock Culum Retallick and promising No8 Carl Axtens. It will be interesting to see if 2013 Taradale club player and Steamers substitute prop Siegfried Fisiihoi gets any time off the visitors pine.

Today's curtain raiser will be a C grade rep fixture between the Napier West and Hastings East teams. It was originally going to be the women's NPC match between Hawke's Bay and Manawatu but the Manawatu side couldn't get to the Bay in time so this match will be played at Park Island at the same time.