Tasman vs North Harbour
Blenheim, 4.35pm
The lowdown: Despite differences of opinion between the coaching duo of Alan Pollock and Mark Anscombe, Harbour still finished third in 2005.
However, marriage counselling didn't work, meaning Anscombe has taken over at Northland, while Pollock has remained at Albany and picked a new
No 2, Milan Yelavich.
Like a lot of Air NZ Cup coaches, Pollock won't see much of his All Blacks - Luke McAlister, Tony Woodcock and Greg Rawlinson - although Rawlinson is due to play today and might not make it to South Africa. The trio would add much-needed quality to a side with aspirations of at least matching last season's efforts.
While pre-season form doesn't mean much, being beaten by Counties Manukau and Otago wouldn't have gone down well in the pubs of Takapuna and Devonport.
The Makos are an interesting combination and can be expected to give a good account of themselves in the opener. They beat Canada A, Northland and Southland in pre-season but may struggle to make the quarter-finals from a tough pool.
Fans would do well to get to Lansdowne Park early, though, to see the Mako dancers and the Full Throttle Motorcycle Stunt Team. They're rightly making a big song and dance about it - no pun intended - because, as their website says, 'It's our team, it's our time.'
Look out for: Jonah Lomu as a water boy. The giant wing made a feature of running on with the water for Harbour last season.
Don't look out for: Chris Jack and Rico Gear in Mako colours - as rare as Graham Henry picking his A team for every game until the 2007 World Cup.
