Rugby: Northland coach picking locals first

Taniwha head coach Richie Harris. Photo / John Stone

Northland's new ITM Cup coach is favouring a locals first policy, but knows he will likely have to delve into more plentiful Auckland stocks in certain positions.

Richie Harris starts fulltime in his new, wide-ranging role as director of rugby for the Northland union this week, but one of his main objectives is to build on the solid work done by departed coaches Derren Witcombe and George Konia, both of whom have taken up coaching positions at Japanese club Mitsubishi.

Harris is well-known in Auckland rugby circles, having coached extensively at schoolboy level and in the last few years at Grammar-Carlton, taking them to the 2012 Gallaher Shield and finishing as assistant of Grammar TEC last season. He has just finished up his deputy principal duties at Tamaki College.

Harris has a good base to work off, with 23 contracted to the union.

"There's a couple of holes we're trying to fill in the immediate term and a few to come in from the Bs and club," he said. There will be a potentially useful 9-10 combination of Dan Bowden and 2014 NZ Schools halfback Sam Nock, who has headed back to his roots.

Northland has favoured selecting locals first in recent seasons, though several with Auckland backgrounds have travelled up to play club rugby in Northland. The Pryor brothers - Kara and Dan - have turned out for Grammar-Carlton over the years, but are now ensconced in the Northland club scene. In 2014, Witcombe, who himself played for Grammar-Carlton, used 10 players with Auckland connections, though none were loan players as such. Adriaan Ferris, who coached Northland in 2012, used only Jack Whetton as a loan player.

"Our priority is to locals. That's where we start. If there's nothing that can match the quality that we can want, then we go looking for it,' said Harris. "One of the important things is to get players in to the club season before the ITM Cup."

There are exceptions, such as contracted lock Tom Robinson, whose father Alastair made the 1983 All Blacks out of North Auckland. He will play his club rugby for Auckland University for most of the season, at least, and then head north for the ITM Cup.

"It's finding the best fit for what we need," said Harris. "Certainly the connection is there in Auckland with players and people."

That connection with the Grammar TEC club cannot be understated. Even NRU chief executive Jeremy Parkinson was formerly a manager of the premier side.

"I wouldn't say there's a railway track running there, but there is a bit of a line. We have a good relationship built around Grammar TEC's philosophy of helping move players to the next level," Harris said.

If loan players are needed, Harris is happy to embark on that process.

"The key to successful loan players is good communication between coach and coach, but also CEO to CEO. It's about open lines to get a win-win situation for the player."

The system generally works well, though Auckland will be hoping when their Blues cousins come to Eden Park on October 3, there is not a repeat of the James Arlidge (2001) or Ash Moeke (2008) sagas, when their loan players helped kick the Taniwha to victory.

Northland has an enticing opener, a Ranfurly Shield challenge against Hawke's Bay on August 16. The union has not seen the famous Log of Wood since 1979.