The clash between experience and youth will add extra spice to tomorrow's club rugby clash between Mid Northern and Mid Western at Hukerenui.
Northland rugby fans will be eager to see the match-up between long-serving Taniwha and Mid Northern pivot David Howell and his provincial heir apparent Lachie Munro.
Mid Northern coach
Darrel Pita hopes the match will meet expectations.
"These are the games that everyone looks forward to ... it's going to be a hard game and we'll have to be at the top of our game to get a good result," he said.
He confirmed that Howell will start this weekend after being rested last weekend against the Western Sharks.
"He'll definitely be playing this Saturday and hopefully that will help us to get our set-pieces right - and that's something we've been struggling with over the past few weeks," Pita said. They are expecting Mid Western to play a territorial game on the back of Munro's kicking.
"But we won't be concentrating too much on what they'll be doing, we need to get ourselves right - get the right attitude to the game and make sure of our set-pieces and have the forwards lay a good platform for our backs - that's the key."
Mid Western will be without fullback Luke Muggeridge and lock Chris Newson, possibly for the season, after injuries sustained in last weekend's match against Hora Hora.
"It's tough for us to lose two players that are cornerstones of our team at this stage of the season, but we're confident we've got players to step up for this weekend's game," Mid Western captain Adam Clark said.
In other premier grade clashes, Hora Hora host Whangarei Old Boys while Kamo try and arrest their slide down the table with a better performance against an in-form Hikurangi.
Marist will be hopeful of points when they take on the Western Sharks at Kensington Park, while the two southernmost teams, Wellsford and Waipu, brawl at Wellsford's Centennial Park.
