Team needs dose of urgency says Tubbs

The more things change, the more Allen Tubbs reckons they have stayed the same.
At least when it comes to devising ways to make sure the Northland rugby team ends their losing streak in the Air New Zealand NPC.
Tubbs is a new face in the team this season, but a familiar name to Northland rugby fans who can still remember the last time their team won a championship match.
Just in case you can't remember, it was in 2002, against Southland in Invercargill 27-20.
Tubbs was part of the squad that season, one of only five players in the current team who have actually experienced a victory in the NPC first division.
So when it comes to offering some answers to Northland's present plight, Tubbs is as qualified as any.
"A few of us old donkeys got together and had a bit of a yarn about it and we reckon it just comes down to urgency," Tubbs said.
"I mean, you can point out individual errors that you could pull out, but even then it comes down to the basics and in particular one basic: Urgency, mate. We've just got to get stuck in," he said.
Among many facets of their game exposed in the opening two rounds of this year's NPC, Northland's defensive abilities are probably the most worrying. Against Wellington there were holes appearing in midfield that you could drive a bus through, and Ma'a Nonu obliged by driving his big rig through for three tries.
Then Taranaki decided to attack Northland in the forwards, and produced two tries from driving mauls as a result.
So Northland training yesterday was not unexpectedly weighted towards defence, technique for lineout drives and organisation from rucks and mauls. It was all obviously designed to prepare for the game against Waikato in Whangarei this weekend, with a big opposing forward pack expected.
So Tubbs for one was keen his team mates made a positive start to the countdown yesterday.
It may have been a couple of years in the wilderness before he decided to play representative rugby again this year, but he reckons applying the basic principles might help halt Northland's losing streak.
"I think this team has got the goods to do the business. I really believe that. The only thing that has changed (at this level) in rugby since I have been away is the amount of training you do," he said.
"But you can do all the training you like...when it comes to the game, you just have to be keen to get stuck into it."
Training yesterday, for some a three hour-plus marathon effort, included an extensive lineout session and a full contact team run.
Jared Going ran at fullback, Daniel Bowden filled in at halfback, Isoa Neivua ran on one wing and Jake Paringatai spent most of the team session at No.8.
Northland coach Bruce Hodder is not expected to name his team to meet Waikato until tomorrow afternoon. The game is at the ITM Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday starting at 2.30pm.