RUGBY - Davis amped up to debut in ruthless contest

Mike Davis is not a name too familiar in Northland rugby circles. Not yet anyway.
There is good reason for that. The 24-year-old fullback has been forced to sit in the shadow of a bloke called Hayden Taylor so far this season, partly because of injury but also because Taylor has more than 120 games under his belt for the province.
But Davis finally gets his chance tonight. He will stride out in his Air NZ Cup debut at Rugby Park in Invercargill.
Taylor has been ruled out with a mysterious neck injury at the precise moment that Davis reckons he has finally shaken off a hamstring tear that has kept him out of the selection rotation for the first four weeks of the competition.
Not that it has been all bad, especially from a fullback's point of view. So far three of the four Northland fixtures have been played in miserable conditions, so watching from the grandstand has had some benefits.
There is nothing quite like playing though. Being forced into a watching brief has lit a fire under Davis. If he was a horse he would be straining at the reins.
"It has been pretty frustrating with the hamstring thing, it seems like a very long time waiting for it to come right," Davis said.
"I did that hamstring in pre-season about six weeks back, managed to come back for a run with the B team and then strained it again which was when it started to get me a bit down," he said.
"But now I am 100 per cent, which is good for the mind, and I just can't wait now, I just can't wait."
Being forced to be a witness rather than a participant for the impressive start to the season has had other benefits too. Davis has had the chance to analyse everything closely, but has also had the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
"I thought it would be more frustrating than it was in the end. But I have found the games really enjoyable to watch, especially the game in the wet against Tasman. Just watching the boys hammer it out was quite exciting."
Davis hopes tonight's game won't be such a gruelling wet weather wrestle. He is keen to show his attacking skills in a backline he says is under-rated.
"So far the forwards have been forced to carry most of the workload with the conditions we have been playing in, but we have a lot of talent in the backline I reckon and we just need a chance to have a go."
The game against Southland is set to be a ruthless contest between two evenly matched teams too. The hosts are reeling from a difficult start to the campaign and are keen to make a statement to their hometown fans.
Northland are hunting a quarterfinals berth now, although they are not quite ready to admit it yet. A victory tonight would still leave a lot of work to be done, but most of the key encounters on the horizon are home games.
It is that crucial home ground advantage that Southland will be banking on tonight. It has been a while since Northland has turned up in Invercargill with a chance of winning.
• NORTHLAND V SOUTHLAND
Rugby Park, Invercargill, 2.30pm, tomorrow Mike Davis 15 James Wilson Fetu Vainikolo 14 Alesana Muliaina Josh Levi 13 Jason Kawau Dan Bowden 12 Lamoni Tongotongo Tony Kooinwaiyou 11 Pehi Te Whare David Holwell 10 Blair Stewart Corey Tamou 9 Jimmy Cowan Jake Paringatai 8 Iona Sipa Joel McKenty 7 Tim Boys Justin Collins (c) 6 Hoani Macdonald Brad Taylor 5 Daniel Ramsay Dan Goodwin 4 Josh Berkhuis Bronson Murray 3 Clarke Dermody Tim Dow 2 David Hall Tony Coughlan 1 Jamie Mackintosh
Reserves.- Northland: Justin Davies, Tevita Mailau, Steve Baker, John Cocker, Rhyan Caine, Leo Taliu, Glen Martin. Nth Harbour: Matt Holloway/Fai Mika, Fai Mika/Jayden Murch, Hua Tamariki, Dion Bates, Phil Dawson, Willie Rickards, Mark Wells.