LEAD STORY - RUGBY: Magpies on alert as Johnson juggles

Pending fatherhood may see Michael Johnson miss the Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby side's ITM Cup opener against Canterbury, in Christchurch, on Friday night.
Blindside flanker Johnson and wife Caroline, a former Hawke's Bay premier league netballer and coach of the Bay secondary school champions Napier Girls' High School, are expecting their first child and tomorrow is the due date.
"It's just a waiting game ... you can't predict these things," Johnson, 32, told SportToday after a visit to the midwife and a Magpies gym session yesterday.
"It's a pretty exciting time ... you don't want to miss the arrival of your first baby," said Johnson.
At the same time, Johnson is still displaying the tremendous commitment which has been a trademark of his 126 first class games for the Bay - the first way back in 1998. Should baby arrive tomorrow night, Johnson will be on the Friday morning flight from Napier to Christchurch.
If he doesn't travel, Johnson is confident his replacement, Trent Boswell-Wakefield, and the rest of the Magpies will perform well in his absence.
"That's the beauty of this year's team ... we've got depth from one to 28 and any one of us will do the job."
The Magpies "Mr Consistent" for the past decade, Johnson is again displaying the form which saw him selected for the Hurricanes two Super seasons ago.
"I'm not giving up so the younger players can take my spot. I want to keep ahead of them and I'm really enjoying the season ... it's going to be another big year for the Magpies," said Johnson.
He has heard the rumours suggesting if he didn't travel south it might be a ploy so he can turn out for Napier Old Boys Marist in Saturday's Maddison Trophy semifinal against Havelock North at Anderson Park. He pointed out Magpies management wouldn't allow him to play on Saturday.
The Johnsons' new arrival will be the fifth grandchild for Johnson's parents Bruce and Anne, of Dannevirke - the most travelled parents in Magpies history - and the first for another Dannevirke couple Pat and Sue Walshe.
Johnson has been bracketed on the subs bench with Grant Webb in case the baby arrives early and Johnson can catch a late flight south.
"We're not counting on him ... first babies usually come late," said Magpies co-coach Peter Russell, a father of two.
Not considered for tomorrow's Magpies flight were prop Anthony Perenise, who has a shoulder problem, and winger Sinoti Sinoti, who collected a hip injury during last week's pre-season win against Manawatu. Both are expected to be available for next week's second round clash against Bay of Plenty in Napier.
"We've got a good mix of directness and flair. There's some good hype within the squad ... more than I've experienced at the start of the last three seasons with the Magpies," said Russell.
Boswell-Wakefield will be one of seven starting XV Magpies who will make their first class debuts for the Bay at AMI Stadium. Former Australian rugby league star Luke Rooney (from fullback), second five-eighth Ryan McLeod, first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick, halfback Kahn Fotuali'i, No 8 Mike Coman and former Manu Samoa prop Kaas Lealamanua are the others.
Should hooker Eugene Smith and lock Leighton Price get game time off the bench they will also make their first class debuts for the Bay. Because of Sinoti's injury, Richard Buckman moves from the midfield to the right wing and this gives McLeod his first crack at the big time.
The HB Magpies team to play Canterbury on Friday night: Luke Rooney; Richard Buckman, Jason Shoemark (captain), Zac Guildford; Ryan McLeod, Daniel Kirkpatrick; Kahn Fotuali'i; Mike Coman; Karl Lowe, Ross Kennedy, Bryn Evans, Trent Boswell-Wakefield; Clint Newland, Hika Elliot, Kaas Lealamanua.
Substitutes: Forwards, Eugene Smith, Josh Keys, Leighton Price, Michael Johnson/Grant Webb; backs, Chris Eaton, Andrew Horrell, Mark Jackman.