Rugby: Auckland missing four top players

Joe Rokocoko. Photo / Getty Images

Auckland have taken a major selection hit, losing four All Blacks for their trip south and Sunday's duel with Otago.

Outside backs Joe Rokocoko and Isaia Toeava will miss the national championship match and so will forwards Jerome Kaino and John Afoa, with the quartet required to assemble on Sunday with the All Blacks in Hamilton.

However, Otago may get national squad forwards Adam Thomson and Tom Donnelly back for the sixth round clash at Carisbrook.

All six players were at yesterday's All Black training camp in Christchurch, preparing for next week's Tri-Nations test in Hamilton against the Springboks.

However, the Otago duo, who were there as cover for injured players, may be released for Sunday's provincial clash.

Thomson is there because of an injury to No 8 Kieran Read while Donnolly has been summonsed because of a few niggles with the locks.

"We have lost all our guys though because we have a six day turnaround between games," Auckland coach Mark Anscombe explained. "All our guys are out of bounds.

"That means the rest have to step up and we have spoken to them about that. We have had a couple of good performances but we have to show we can do it again without our top players."

Losing Rokocoko and Toeava will test Auckland's resources as they try to juggle the return of players like Jamie Helleur, Winston Stanley and Atelia Pakalini.

"I thought our pack went well last week and while John [Afoa] was there all game we had Jerome for less than half the match," Anscombe said. "Then in the backs Benson [Stanley] and Paul [Williams] showed out so we are hopefully coming to our game."

The coach said young loose forwards Daniel Faleafa and Hamish Paterson both made a strong start to their provincial careers against Bay of Plenty last week and would be better for that experience. They had been helped by the wet conditions but Faleafa had made 16 tackles in about 50 minutes while Paterson had acquitted himself strongly.

If Thomson returned to play for Otago with Steven Setephano and Alando Soakai, they would present a huge loose forward challenge for his young Auckland trio.

"They also have a very good set piece at scrum and lineout so we will have our hands full dealing with that."

Sides were looking to maintain momentum and several wins in the next few weeks would be invaluable.