Sivivatu to test Auckland defence

Waikato have been bolstered by the inclusion of explosive All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu in the starting line-up for their NPC semifinal against Auckland on Saturday.

The home team, Auckland, boasts the best defensive record in the competition and Sivivatu's attacking prowess will be a huge asset.

Waikato are still missing All Blacks scrumhalf Brendon Leonard, giving Tawera Kerr-Barlow a chance to start in the No.9 jersey, with Malcolm Barnes dropping to the bench.

The only other change that coach Chris Gibbes has made is to replace Henry Speight with Sivivatu on the wing in what will be the All Black flyers first start since coming back from shoulder surgery.

Gibbes was able to name an unchanged forward pack for the vital clash which he and his charges are looking forward to.

He explained: "There is a lot of confidence and excitement within the team as this is one of the biggest games you can play so we are preparing well and looking forward to the trip up the road tomorrow."

Waikato understands that it will take a big performance to break through their opponent's formidable defensive structure.

"We are taking on a team this weekend who haven't conceded a lot of tries this season so we need to continue building on our attack. Defensively they are a team that can hold onto the ball for long periods of time so we need to ensure we make every tackle and slow down their possession," said Gibbes.

The last time the two teams squared off, in Round Two of the competition back in August it was a nailbiter which was eventually decided in the 82nd minute - as a last-gasp try by Dwayne Sweeney snatched a 21-18 victory for the Mooloos.

Auckland head coach Mark Anscombe is expecting a similarly attritional battle at Eden Park on Saturday.

"I'm sure just like the last game, Saturday's game will go right down to the wire and that's what semifinal rugby should be.

"We've got to make sure that we're still in the game in those later minutes and pushing on to win the game," said the Auckland mentor.

Both teams have hit good form at the business end of the season, with Auckland having strung together three consecutive victories to close out the round robin in second place and secure their first semifinal appearance since 2007.

However, Anscombe's charges will not be underestimating their opponents.

"They've won five in a row and they also have a good track record away from home," he explained.

Anscombe has made a few changes to the starting line-up for the semifinal.

Liaki Moli comes into the team in place of Andrew Van der Heijden who broke his arm in last week's 49-10 victory over Tasman, while flanker Onosa'i Auva'a replaces Chris Lowrey.

With Auckland and Waikato featuring arguably the two best forward packs in the competition, Anscombe knows the difference between the two sides will be decided at the breakdown.

He added: "We've got to meet them up front.

"They've got a very good pack and strong set piece. We back ourselves there so we've got to meet them head on in that area. We need to create good quality ball, beat them in the collision area at the breakdown and look after possession, and if we do that we're confident we can win," he said.

The teams:

Auckland: 15 Brent Ward, 14 Chay Raui/Dave Thomas, 13 Ben Atiga, 12 Benson Stanley (captain), 11 Atieli Pakalani, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Toby Morland, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Sean Polwart, 6 Onosa'i Auva'a, 5 Liaki Moli, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tevita Mailau.
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Angus Ta'avao, 18 Steven Luatua, 19 Chris Lowrey, 20 Auvasa Faleali'i, 21 Matt Berquist, 22 Winston Stanley.

Waikato: 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu/Henry Speight, 13 Save Tokula, 12 Jackson Willison, 11 Dwayne Sweeney, 10 Trent Renata, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Alex Bradley, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Nathan White (captain), 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Toby Smith.
Replacements: 16 Hikairo Forbes, 17 Ben May, 18 Kent Fife, 19 Zak Hohneck, 20 Malcolm Barnes, 21 Christian Lealiifano, 22 Speight/Tim Mikkelson.

Date: Saturday, October 30
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19.05 (06.05 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock
Assistant referees: Kane McBride, Richard Kelly
TMO: Glenn Newman