Bro town muscles up from the back row

Sione Lauaki is one-third of a Polynesian loose forward trio. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The Lions will cop a full blast of Polynesian power off the back of the scrum in tomorrow night's third test.

Richie McCaw's hamstring injury has opened the way for Sione Lauaki to come off the bench and join Samoan-born pair Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo in a loose forward combination for whom finesse is a word without meaning.

Watch for crunching tackles, ground-eating runs and an allround muscular presence from the trio, who will be linking for the first time.

Lauaki, the 24-year-old Tongan-born bull who made his debut against Fiji at Albany last month and came off the bench in the first two tests, has a wrecking-ball quality, as Herald columnist and former All Black prop John Drake points out today.

At 1.87m and 120kg, Lauaki has an electrifying quality, yet he is a player who needs to be confident and have the right buttons pushed.

After a sizzling Super 12 for the Chiefs last year, he was ordinary for Auckland in the NPC.

Back in Hamilton this year, he was a damaging operator for the Chiefs, but was guilty of perhaps the worst bungle of the season, failing to pass to unmarked outsiders against the Reds, taking the tackle and losing the ball.

The Chiefs lost and although Lauaki's blue was far from the sole reason for the defeat, that game came back to haunt them in the run-in to the playoffs, when they were a win shy of being in business.

But he showed for the Pacific Islands team last year that he's not out of place in the top flight and one powerful burst against the Lions in Wellington last weekend, when he shrugged off tackles, stated his right to be in this company.

Lauaki is happy at either No 6 or No 8, where he will start tomorrow night, but expect him to interchange with Collins at some point.

"I'm pretty excited. This is my home town, but I'm nervous at the same time," he said. "I just have to put that behind me and focus on the game."

He was originally on the bench yesterday when the team was named but got an extra spring in his step when McCaw was ruled out.

"It's one thing getting an opportunity. Taking it is another and I'll do my best not to let the selectors down," he said.

The trio have spent time together planning what they have to do, making sure they have their roles clearly defined.

Lauaki believes any fears that there won't be much pace off the back of the lineout will be allayed by the versatile So'oialo. A glance at the steely-eyed Collins yesterday was enough to show he's ready for a rugged night out tomorrow.

Collins will be playing his 24th test and So'oialo his 13th.

It will be a good test of So'oialo's allround talents up against the quickest Lions forward, Lewis Moody, who had a good test in Wellington.

Just as it will be a good examination of Lauaki's talents as a viable long-term No 8 option for the All Black selectors.

Lions v NZ at Eden Park 

1. Third test July 25, 1908
New Zealand 29 Anglo-Welsh 0

2. Third test July 26, 1930
New Zealand 15 Lions 10

3. Fourth test July 29, 1950
New Zealand 11 Lions 8

4. Fourth test September 19, 1959
Lions 9 New Zealand 6

5. Fourth test September 10, 1966
New Zealand 24 Lions 11

6. Fourth test August 14, 1971
New Zealand 14 Lions 14

7. Fourth test August 13, 1977
New Zealand 10 Lions 9

8. Fourth test July 16, 1983
New Zealand 38 Lions 6

9. Third test July 3, 1993
New Zealand 30 Lions 13

* The Lions name was first used when a British team went to South Africa in 1924 but was not widely used in New Zealand until 1950.