Otago put Eden Park jinx behind them

Otago coach Wayne Graham (left) with captain Craig Newby at Carisbrook. File picture / Mark Mitchell

As far as rival coaches Wayne Graham and Pat Lam are concerned, Otago's 29-year winless run at Eden Park is all hoodoo schmoodoo.

The last time Otago travelled north and beat Auckland was September 4, 1976. It was the first year of the NPC and Otago won 26-16, with Graham at No 8 that day for the visitors.

How Otago can have gone so long without another victory is one of those historical quirks of the NPC, but totally irrelevant to Saturday night's final at Eden Park.

Many players in both teams weren't even born in 1976, therefore have no interest in that sort of statistical trivia.

"We've gone past that now," Graham said yesterday.

"The balance of this team comes out of the Super 12. They are players who've played and won round the world.

"We go to Wellington and win regularly, we go to Jade Stadium and win. These things aren't an issue any more."

Graham quipped that in his day going to Auckland "was like an overseas trip. The boys are global beasts now".

Auckland coach Lam said he had no idea how long Otago's losing streak in Auckland had been until he saw it in the paper.

"This is a totally different generation. They can't remember things that far back," he joked.

"Players are playing all over the place, the Highlanders have beaten the Blues, a lot of their guys have won at Eden Park for the All Blacks or Highlanders.

"It's just a number," he added, pointing as an example to the Kiwis ending 46 years of defeats in Sydney in spectacular fashion on Saturday.

Lam is certain, especially after their stunning semifinal win over defending champions Canterbury last week, that Otago "will come up believing they can win, and good on them".

Otago would have ended the streak at Eden Park last year, but for Joe Rokocoko's sensational try in the final movement of the game got Auckland home 35-33, after they'd trailed 25-33 with two minutes left.

The teams have met twice before in NPC finals.

Auckland won on both occasions at Eden Park, 27-18 in 1993 and 23-18 two years later, a match which still raises Otago hackles courtesy of referee Colin Hawke's late penalty try decision handing the title to Auckland.

Former All Black flanker Graham reckons the most important aspect of the game for his players is to enjoy themselves.

"It's a big challenge for us. Auckland are a good side, but I don't think we'll change too much.

"This is a team who know if they do what they set out to they're going to be hard to stop. It's really just a matter of performing."

He said Auckland deserved their place in the final and will be tough to topple.

"If you've got Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina and the rest, you're going to score tries, and if you're getting seven-pointers every now and then the opposition's got to be doing the same to beat them," Graham said.

Otago had their first training run since beating Canterbury yesterday.

As for Auckland, the usual bumps and bruises aside, Lam hopes to have a fully fit squad to choose from as they chase their eighth title in their eighth final since the playoff system was introduced in 1992.

Both teams are due to be named tomorrow.