QBE Insurance North Harbour team to play Northland
Whangarei, Sunday, 4.35pm.
North Harbour head coach Craig Dowd welcomes back All Black Anthony
Boric and the highly-rated James King as his starting locks to take on
Northland on Sunday. Blues lock Filo Paulo is also on the mend after a
pre-season injury and will take his place on the bench.
“We are very pleased to have Anthony Boric back from All Black duties
for the game against Northland,” Dowd says. “The experience and steel
he brings to our forward pack is a massive boost.
“AB will be joined in the second row by the returning James King, who has been out of rugby most of the year after a shoulder operation. James played two club games and is ready to make his comeback for Harbour. It is amazing that this time last week we were very thin in the locking department against Auckland and now we have an All Black and two Super 14 locks, with the addition of Filo Paulo to the bench.”
NZ Maori halfback Chris Smylie will start at halfback, after injury
kept him out against Auckland, but tighthead prop Bean Afeaki will miss
Sunday’s game with a rib injury and has been replaced by Taione Vea.
Jack Tarrant, who played seven tests for Japan last year, will start on
the right wing ahead of the injured Ken Pisi.
North Harbour team vs. Northland:
1 Michael Reid (capt)
2 James Parsons
3 Taione Vea
4 James King
5 Anthony Boric
6 Matt Luamanu
7 Tom Chamberlain
8 Richard Mayhew
9 Chris Smylie
10 Michael Harris
11 Alipate Fatafehi
12 Luke McAlister
13 Brendon Watt
14 Jack Tarrant
15 Jack McPhee
Reserves:
16 Mike Mayhew
17 James Afoa
18 Filo Paulo
19 Malakai Ravulo
20 Grayson Hart
21 Ben Botica
22 Josh York