Lam and Graham go head to head

Justin Collins

A year ago, Pat Lam and Wayne Graham were battling to keep their coaching jobs. Tomorrow they are charged with setting their Auckland and Otago sides for the NPC final.

That dramatic reversal says much about the fickle nature of their work and everything about the variable fortunes in the competition.

Both Auckland and Otago were able to soak up the absence of their All Blacks and push into the semifinals where they excelled against quiet opponents.

The inquests of last season where Auckland finished seventh and Otago eighth are long gone but they are well remembered.

Both sides have made minimal selection changes for the NPC decider but have made some serious shifts in attitude in their voyage to the NPC conclusion at Eden Park.

Auckland received a boost to their leadership when Justin Collins and Steve Devine were unavailable last season because of injury. The side was also helped with their pre-season trip to Australia.

Changes to their approach was a subject Lam touched on yesterday as he revealed All Black wing Joe Rokocoko was the only change to his starting XV, picked ahead of youngster Tony Koonwaiyou.

There was only one slight worry with Auckland captain Collins dealing with the flu and some slow-to-recover semifinal bumps.

Otago retained the same side for the fourth match in succession.

What had altered, Lam was asked, in the last 12 months so Auckland prospered?

"I believe a lot of it has been done off the field by both us and Otago," he said. "You can see they are a tight unit and I think, just like the Kiwis, the team can never rely on individuals.

"We have to rely on individuals putting their bit in for the team and that has been our focus."

Auckland had made a pact to maintain their standards and there had only been a couple of blips, against Taranaki and Canterbury.

It was not always in the plan but Rokocoko had earned his recall after his work from the bench in Auckland's 38-24 semifinal win against North Harbour.

"I felt that was his best performance in an Auckland jersey," Lam said.

Rokocoko was in the reserves after his hamstring strain but received his chance when Koonwaiyou suffered a facial injury and went to the bloodbin. Not long after his introduction, Rokocoko scored a very sharp try.

Auckland have picked eight reserves with Lam saying he will cull one of the backs tomorrow.

Isa Nacewa and Mils Muliaina have been retained in midfield with Muliaina playing his final game before his transfer to Waikato and the Chiefs next season.

It will also double as Auckland's first home final for six years and another chance for Otago to halt the growing 29-year hiatus since they last beat Auckland at Eden Park.

Lam said that had no bearing on the match, a point underlined by the fact that only Collins, reserve prop Nick White and visiting hooker Anton Oliver were born when Otago last won in 1976.

"They had no idea what it was," he said of the length of the Otago drought. "It has no relevance for us at all. It's a final. It's a one-off."

* Eden Park, 7.35pm tomorrow

Auckland

Brent Ward
Doug Howlett
Mils Muliaina
Isa Nacewa
Joe Rokocoko
Tasesa Lavea
Steve Devine
Jerome Kaino
Daniel Braid
Justin Collins (c)
Ali Williams
A. Macdonald
John Afoa
Keven Mealamu
S. Taumoepeau

Otago

Craig Clare
Glen Horton
Neil Brew
Seilala Mapusua
Matt Saunders
Nick Evans
Chris Smylie
Grant Webb
Josh Blackie
Craig Newby (c)
James Ryan
Tom Donnelly
Carl Hayman
Anton Oliver
Chris King

Auckland: (one to be omitted): John Fonokolafi, Nick White, Kurtis Haiu, Brad Mika, Taniela Moa, Sam Tuitupou, Ben Atiga, Tony Koonwaiyou.
Otago: Jason Macdonald, Grant Polson, Filipo Levi, Alando Soakai, Toby Morland, Ryan Bambry, Jason Shoemark.