Auckland v North Harbour
Eden Park, 2.35pm today
Benson Stanley won't be alone in his sharpest early memory of an Auckland-North Harbour clash.
The Auckland skipper recalled the infamous 1994 national final at Onewa Domain as the match which first sparked his interest in the cross-town rivalry. Auckland won a spiteful game 22-16 with All Blacks, Eric Rush and Robin Brooke sent off and several others sent to the judiciary.
"That was the one I really took note of," Stanley said of the first division final, staged when he was 10. "I didn't have much interest in rugby back then, but when I saw people getting sent off and a bit of argy bargy, I started watching the game."
Times have changed. The old enmity which existed through the early years of the breakaway by North Harbour has waned. But some of the spirit of those days remains, albeit in a different way.
"I just think it's changed a little bit. It doesn't have that same feel, because you can imagine what it might have felt like when that happened," Stanley said. "You heard about the big brother-little brother and the breakaway, but that was before our time. And it's changed in terms of the Blues brothers."
Those were pre-Super rugby days, and that is what will invest today's Air New Zealand Cup match at Eden Park with an extra edge.
Players will be striving to impress against players with whom they will be vying for a Super 14 contract for next year - that plus the inevitable desire to succeed when you're playing, in many cases, against your mates.
North Harbour coach Craig Dowd, who propped the Auckland scrum many times against Harbour, but not that day at Onewa Domain, emphasised why it still remains an important fixture for both teams.
"It's always something special and these days probably has more to do with the Blues," he said.
"It is an unofficial trial, and an opportunity where the Blues coaches see matchups in key positions and can assess them.
"It's also probably the only real local derby New Zealand has got. We all live in the same city, some of these guys have played together through age group and schoolboys and you always play a lot harder when you're playing your mates."
On paper, Auckland should win comfortably. They are on a three-game winning roll, albeit without having been thoroughly convincing over 80 minutes; North Harbour are bottom, after six straight defeats.
But Stanley was at pains to point out that paper means nothing.
Harbour's cause has not been helped by the late withdrawal of captain and key back, Anthony Tuitavake, with a recurrence of a pelvic injury which has hindered his season.
That removes Harbour's sharpest attacking point, but they have combative forwards, a good lineout and Mike Harris is back at No 10, which should ensure a solid kicking game.
Auckland have gone for lineout height, shuffling Kurtis Haiu to blindside flanker to back up locks Andrew van der Heijden and Jay Williams.
An Auckland win - which would be their 24th in 29 games between the unions - will move them into the top four for the first time; a Harbour victory will lift them off the bottom of the table. Different perspectives, but in their own ways decent motivation.
Hawkes Bay host Otago in today's other match in Napier, while Manawatu, 30 seconds away from toppling Auckland for the first time in 28 years last Sunday, should have an edge over hot-and-cold Northland in Palmerston North tomorrow.
AUCKLAND v NORTH HARBOUR
Auckland
Paul Williams
Atelia Pakalani
Jamie Helleur
Benson Stanley (c)
Teddy Stanaway
Daniel Bowden
Taniela Moa
Peter Saili
Hamish Paterson
Kurtis Haiu
Jay Williams
A van der Heijden
Tevita Mailau
Tom McCartney
Pauliasi Manu
Reserves: P Leafa, P Fa'anunu, C Lowrey, O Auva'a, A Faleali'i, A Moeke, W Stanley.
North Harbour
Rudi Wulf
Josh York
George Pisi
Andrew Mailei
Ken Pisi
Mike Harris
Chris Smylie
Vili Ma'afu
Tom Chamberlain
Anthony Boric (c)
Filo Paulo
James King
Ben Afeaki
James Parsons
Michael Reid
Reserves: M Mayhew, J Afoa, C Smith, S Uren, N Tuigamala, B Botica, J McPhee
