Suburbs have shown consistent form in their quest to repeat their 2016 Gallaher Shield triumph.
Auckland premier club final: Suburbs v University
Gallaher Shield
Eden Park, Auckland, Saturday, 2.45pm
Tomorrow's Gallaher Shield final at Eden Park is almost too close to call.
The slight favourites will be defending champions Suburbs, who also hold the Waka Nathan Challenge Cup and the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield. They have engineered a 14-3 record in all games through the season and have at times been dominant in the way they have put sides away. They did lose twice to College Rifles, but turned the tables on them with a grinding 16-9 semifinal victory in the wet at Shadbolt Park last weekend.
The west Auckland club hopes to 'red out' much of the South Stand of Eden Park tomorrow with their band of supporters, all of whom are hoping for a fourth Auckland senior championship and to become the first club since Ponsonby won eight straight from 2004-11 to go back to back.
The slight underdogs will be 17-time Auckland champions and one of the great old clubs of the union, University. They contested three finals from 2013-15, winning in 2014, before falling on rocky times last season, where they placed 10th, missing the top eight for the first time in living memory. They like to be known as the Varsity Vipers and have sunk their fangs into several teams this season, perhaps most impressively in 50+ point hidings of Grammar TEC (x2) and Marist.
Both sides played Portola Trophy rugby 12 months before reaching the final, Suburbs in 2015 and University last year, proving there is a way back in a championship that is increasingly, and pleasingly, more competitive.
The foundation for Suburbs' game is their big pack, where locks Dean Williams and Trope Yandall can dominate, and hooker Leif Schwencke and flanker Jamason Fa'anana-Schultz bring toughness and physical edge, but new recruits such as Auckland prop Isi Tu'ungafasi are also important. Loosehead prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth is fresh off a New Zealand Under 20s campaign.
In the backline, captain Carl Perry marshals his troops and kicks the goals, while out wide there is abundant X-factor in Seb Visinia, Vara Duisokosoko and Jona Sawailau. Wing Caleb Clarke has made every post a winner in the last few weeks after his return from a sizzling world championship campaign with the New Zealand Under 20s. There is some grunt off the bench too, with former Canterbury wing Milford Keresoma a damaging runner in full flight.
Coach Charlie McAlister was pleased to have finally put out a full strength squad for the semifinal.
"It's a tough competition, so we've had to nurse players through in attritional positions," he says. He feels University deserves the favourites' tag due to their 129-year history and quality of players.
"If we look at Varsity's record and how many titles they have made and how many top four appearances they have made, and we have not won many... they will bring their A team and A game. We'll have to play above ourselves to be competitive," says the canny McAlister.
He feels the motivation, which was through the roof in last year's 12-9 win over Grammar TEC to break a 24-year drought, is again "very high" in a new group.
"Most of our backs are back, but most of our forwards are new to the group. We've got a lot of young boys involved too.
"We'll hunt for the victory, but if they beat us, then well done. That's not my plan, though!"
In the teams' only 2017 encounter, Suburbs defeated a slightly below-strength University 17-10 at Colin Maiden Park. Little can be read into that result on June 3. Varsity tighthead prop Marcel Renata, for example, was away with the New Zealand Barbarians on Lions duty.
"Suburbs are a very good football team from 1-22," says first year University head coach and former Scotland international Cameron Mather. "They beat us, although the score was close, quite convincingly at Colin Maiden Park. They are the defending champs and the Alan McEvoy holders, so we have no doubt of the scale of what we are up against."
University's pack possesses some in-form players such as lock Lyndon Dunshea and No 8 Uini Fetalaiga, along with Auckland reps in hooker Kurt Eklund and loose forward Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray. Steven Luatua, about to take up a contract with Bristol, is a non-starter, but did play two games last month.
The backs are run by the seasoned halves pairing of first five Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald and former Manu Samoa halfback Brenton Helleur. Elkington-MacDonald, who skippers the side, has racked up 138 points this season to lead all scorers, and landed five from six off the tee in last week's tight but merited 27-22 semifinal win over Ponsonby. Helleur left the field with a stinger but is good to go for tomorrow. He was at first five and kicking everything off the tee in the famous 2014 extra time final victory over Grammar TEC.
There are two John Drake Memorial scholarship winners off the University bench in front-rowers Awanui Morris and Antonio Ripata.
"Everyone's just excited about the opportunity. I guess when we set our stall at the start of the year, our goal was just to make the top eight and then it evolved and we've progressed. We probably didn't expect to be where we are," Mather says.
There have not been wholesale personnel changes from the 2016 group, but there has been a change in attitude, mindset and fitness.
"The players are taking a lot more ownership in what they are doing on the field. We empowered the leadership group and worked really hard on the fitness levels, because there's a certain type of game we are trying to play," he adds.
"We know Suburbs like to throw the ball about, but they also have a very strong forward pack. You've got the top referee in the province (Angus Mabey) and the best surface in the city. Now it's up to both teams to bring a good game."
This is the first Gallaher Shield decider between these two clubs in the four decades of finals.
Kickoff is at 2.45pm, preceded, at 12.30pm, by the Under 20 final for the ARU Challenge Cup between Papatoetoe and Marist. The Gallaher Shield final will be live streamed from 2.40pm at www.aucklandrugby.co.nz and via the union's Facebook page.
*Thames Valley's McClinchy Cup final features Waihi Athletic versus Hauraki North from 2pm tomorrow at Te Aroha's Boyd Park.
Suburbs: Jona Sawailau, Bruno Tuivai, Vara Duisokosoko, Sebastian Visinia, Caleb Clarke, Carl Perry (c), Rameka Paraki, Tino Mapapalangi, Beau Birtwistle, Jamason Fa'anana-Schultz, Dean Williams, Trope Yandall, Isi Tu'ungafasi, Leif Schwencke, Ezekiel Lindenmuth
Reserves: Telefoni Iakopo-afa, Michael Palmer, Jone Nairabokitonga, No 19 TBC, Sailosi Vatubua, Milford Keresoma
University: Sam Lawson, Luke Graham, Amos Pogia, Kava Fuavao, Lui Morel, Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (c), Brenton Helleur, Uini Fetalaiga, Richmond Tongatama, Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray, Lyndon Dunshea, Jonathan Neary, Marcel Renata, Kurt Eklund, Barnaby Abdale-Weir
Reserves: Awanui Morris, James Ferrier, Antonio Ripata, Nathan Harris, Matt Jones, Henry Saker, Mike King
Live coverage as the All Blacks' 35-man group to face France is named.