Country brings Siti to big smoke

Waikato welcome back All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu. Sandra Mu / Getty Images

Auckland coach Pat Lam will go from famine to feast over the next week.

He's scratching about for backs ahead of tomorrow night's Air New Zealand Cup match against Waikato at Eden Park.

Fully fit players are thin on the ground.

But next week, he'll have All Blacks Sam Tuitupou and Isaia Toeava back, and expects most of those carrying niggles to be ready to resume.

In the meantime, promising first five-eighth Lachie Munro gets a debut start and Lam has bracketed David Smith and Benson Stanley for the left wing, and Jamie Helleur and Roimata Hansell-Pune for second five-eighth. The first-named in each case is racing against time to be fit.

First choice pair Tasesa Lavea and Isa Nacewa are sidelined by calf and knee injuries respectively.

"We've got the opposite problem next week with the All Blacks coming back," Lam said.

"This will test our reserves.

"We have 19 and 20-year-old boys who will get an opportunity and that's the whole reason we have the academy, to prepare for situations like this."

Senior lock Brad Mika has been unwell this week and is bracketed with Joe Tekori.

Waikato welcome back All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, the first of the squad who went to Australia and South Africa for the final stage of the Tri-Nations to return to national championship duty.

"Siti gives us something special," Waikato coach Warren Gatland said.

"He gives us firepower and is a player who has the ability to create something out of nothing.

"He is certainly dangerous when he gets his hands on the ball."

With Sione Lauaki, Dwayne Sweeney and Loki Crichton on the bench, Gatland is not short of useful attacking options. Lauaki is certain to get a decent chunk of game time tomorrow night.

Waikato's only question mark is over impressive halfback Brendon Leonard, who must complete a fitness test tomorrow morning on a foot injury.

* Counties Manukau, fresh from their rousing if unsuccessful Ranfurly Shield effort against Canterbury, welcome Sekope Kepu back at loosehead prop for their trip to Bay of Plenty, with Simon Lemalu moving back to tighthead prop.

No 8 Waka Setitaia returns in place of Luke Mealamu, who has a shoulder injury.

Bay of Plenty are without senior lock Bernie Upton through injury, his spot going to Aaron Rameka.

* South Canterbury has had partial success in its appeal against a $25,000 fine for fielding an ineligible player in the Shield challenge on July 4.

A New Zealand Rugby Union appeal council yesterday announced the fine had been reduced to $15,000.

The appeal council said the NZRU board's sub-committee's original finding was justified but noted it had been presented with broader financial information than had been put before the sub-committee, which showed South Canterbury had a substantially reduced ability to pay the fine.

In addition, the council found the South Canterbury union was now very apologetic.

It said South Canterbury accepted it had made a very poor decision and it now understood the importance of compliance with the NZRU's eligibility rules.

- additional reporting: NZPA