North Harbour will be desperate to ensure they do not have their usual sluggish start when the Mitre 10 Cup season swings into gear tomorrow night in Albany.
Harbour have been slow out of the blocks in the last two season and it has partially cost them Championship semifinal berths. But now they must replicate last season's corresponding fixture on this ground, where they toppled Premiership side Counties Manukau 28-20.
Coach Steve Jackson has named four debutants in the starting XV plus four more on the bench, while evergreen halfback Chris Smylie will make his 50th appearance for the union should he enter the fray.
North Harbour will look to their Super Rugby players to lead the way, and hooker/captain James Parsons, well rested after a heavy workload with the Blues, halfback Bryn Hall and wing Tevita Li will need to be influential.
"There is no question we have a big task ahead of ourselves. Counties are a big, physical side who will look to dominate the contact area. We need to execute our game plan and then have trust in the structures that we have put in place. Sticking to our processes, and what we know works for this group, is critical to our success," says Jackson, mindful that a 3-0 pre-season record, including victory over Auckland, counts for little, but is perhaps an indication that North Harbour's implementation of the new breakdown trial laws in their club rugby gave them an advantage.
