HB legends light fuse of Magpies flanker

MATCH UP: Magpie Tony Lamborn's battle with Shane Christie should be a match highlight against the Makos tomorrow night. PHOTO/FILE

Magpies v Makos
McLean Park, Napier

Should the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team continue on their winning way tomorrow, flanker Tony Lamborn reckons a YouTube clip will command a lot of the credit.

"We watched a clip of the Magpies 1960s Ranfurly Shield era team in action this week. We saw how they played as brothers and how they really enjoyed playing with each other. We realised we were missing that a little bit," Lamborn, 25, recalled.

"At our next training session we were really tight. Hopefully that will be reflected in our game against the Makos," Lamborn said, as he pondered tomorrow night's Mitre 10 Cup Premiership seventh round clash against the Tasman Makos at Napier's McLean Park.

The match will be played in front of most of the members of the 1960s shield era team who will be attending a reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Magpies' 6-0 Ranfurly Shield win against Waikato in Hamilton.

"After the game we want to look those blokes in the eye and be proud. There will be so many legends of Hawke's Bay rugby there," Lamborn said.

While helping the Magpies produce a performance the likes of former All Blacks Blair Furlong, Neil Thimbleby, Ian MacRae and Bill Davis, would be impressed with is an incentive for the team, there is another for Hurricane Lamborn.

He has yet to earn a Canes contract for next year and he knows a top performance against Makos captain and Highlanders co-captain Shane Christie will enhance his chances.

"Shane is someone I can put myself against. With his skill level he is a similar player to me ... good with the ball in hand and a smart player. He is the No1, 7 for the Highlanders and I want to be the No1, 7 in the country," Lamborn said.

"At the same time my No1 goal is to keep helping the Magpies turn our season around by playing good rugby. If that happens Super Rugby selection should just happen."

Something already confirmed for Lamborn is a berth in the US team to face the Maori All Blacks in Chicago in November.

This could feature another Lamborn-Christie battle.

After the Maori All Blacks the Eagles will take on Romania and Tonga.

Havelock North's Lamborn scored a try on debut for the Eagles in a close loss to Italy during the June international window and also helped them beat Russia.

These internationals, the birth of his and wife Abby's first child, Jack, and helping the Canes win their first Super title were high on Lamborn's list of 2016 highlights.

Then there were the lows - the Magpies losing their first five games of the season and his withdrawal from the Counties-Manukau game with a gastro bug.

"It was a case of us Magpies needing to have a good look at ourselves. We had to get back to the basics. We've got all the names and all the plays, we just weren't quite finishing off," 2015 Magpies player-of-the-year Lamborn said, as he reflected on those five losses.

"That win against Southland last week was a real confidence booster. We got to training on Monday and there was another hop in our step. We're really happy ... we've definitely turned the corner."

As expected, Magpies head coach Craig Philpott and his assistant Danny Lee retained the same team which beat the Stags for tomorrow night.

Philpott said his troops worked hard for the first half of this week and they reduced their schedule yesterday.

Hawke's Bay age group product and New Zealand under-20 utility back Caleb Makene will start on the left wing for the Makos.

Former Magpies hooker Jesse MacDonald is likely to get game time off the subs bench.

Along with Christie, other key players in the Makos team are blindside flanker Tevita Koloamatangi, All Blacks prop Kane Hames, first five-eighth Marty Banks and centre Kieron Fonotia.