"We said 'Can you come along at 5.30pm? We might need you.' Not bad for a run-on debut, getting called up when you are working, scoring the crucial try and putting some heat on their ruck," said Auckland coach Paul Feeney.
Fox-Matamua thrived in combination with Blake Gibson and Steven Luatua in the loose, especially up against a quality Taniwha trio of the Pryor brothers and Jack Ram.
Feeney found it amusing that, when scrums went to Golden Oldies late against Northland, Auckland were fielding four locks and three props.
That is unlikely to happen against a Taranaki who are proving muscular with the ball and accurate in the set-piece, scrum coach and union centurion Tony Penn proving his worth.
Former Auckland prop Angus Ta'avao will be keen to get one up over his old teammates.
Auckland wing George Moala, who was also carted off against Counties Manukau, is now right and will slot in for Charlie Piutau, now in Brisbane with the All Blacks.
Taranaki beat Auckland 35-22 with a late surge last month, part of their seven-game winning streak which was arrested by Canterbury on Sunday, but they still, thanks to Tasman stumbling, finished top.
"We think we've got unfinished business with both Taranaki and Tasman," declared Feeney.
Though he won't have Luatua, Feeney is confident Auckland will have enough loose forward cover, after he named two locks on the bench last Saturday. Jack Whetton can apparently cover No6.
Taranaki are gunning for their first provincial top division final, let alone title, while Auckland cracked the final in 2012 but have not won since 2007.
At the very least, they will not want the last games for first-five Gareth Anscombe and hooker Tom McCartney to be until finals weekend.
