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Just how much better are Waikato this year? We may be about to find out as Warren Gatland's side face off against Auckland at Eden Park on Saturday night in the battle between the Air New Zealand Cup's top qualifiers out of pool play.
The new "Top Six" phase of the national provincial competition kicks off with a mouth-watering Auckland matchup on Saturday night as the two pool winners square off in a clash that will give the winner the inside running for a home quarter-final.
And that is what it is all about for the big six now as they effectively manoeuvre for home advantage in the expanded finals format, with all guaranteed inclusion in the knockout stage.
The leading four finishers from the next three weeks (points are carried forward from pool play) will all get home quarter-finals, and from then on the highest qualifiers left will host the remaining matches in the sudden-death phase.
All of which means it gets serious from now on in, with all of these powerful unions well aware of the advantage playing matches at home brings with it.
Which is why Saturday evening (7.35pm kickoff) at Eden Park should be such a litmus test for these Mooloo men who were so disappointing last year in finishing seventh with a 4-5 record.
They came into this season with a fair old chip on their shoulder. They knew they were better than last year's finishing spot, and there was a grim determination to prove it. Nothing else but a place back among the contenders would suffice.
Which is precisely where they are now. Auckland are the defending champions, they're at home, they're well rested (having had the bye last weekend) and they have no major injury concerns. In fact, Pat Lam's biggest worry might revolve around which players to leave out of his deep and talented squad.
Waikato played well enough in seeing off the Northland challenge 42-21 in Hamilton on Saturday, especially considering they played almost the entire second spell with only 14 men.
But there's a grim realisation in cow country that the road gets a lot steeper now, and that the time has arrived to start lifting the standards somewhat. To that end Gatland will this week bring back recently re-signed Jono Gibbes into the second row and will consider the case of the in-form Liam Messam on the flank as he juggles a pool of four capable performers.
Gatland will also welcome back All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu in a timely early return to provincial action, the flyer granted an earlier green light than his national squadmates because of his comparative lack of match play this season. Gatland knows he'll need all the class he can get.
But he's not fazed by a visit to Eden Park either. Gatland had some notable success on the ground as a player with Waikato, and he's confident he's got the men to continue that tradition come this weekend.
"There's a number of players who have had success at Eden Park whether for the Chiefs or Waikato, and they enjoy going up there," the Waikato coach told the NZ Herald.
And experienced hooker Tom Willis also reckoned things were ticking along nicely enough. "We're winning without putting together a perfect performance," he told reporters after the Northland game. "That's not a bad thing, but ... we're going to have to sharpen up."
Want To Do Well
Willis reckoned there was a "healthy resolve" within the team to take a step up on last year's efforts. "A number of the guys were here and probably felt they underachieved," he told the Herald. "Combine that with some guys who've come back into the team who weren't there last year, and a healthy dose of enthusiastic and talented players coming through, and it makes for a team who want to do well."
Gatland will have some issues to confront this week. For starters madcap first five Stephen Donald has to front the judiciary on Wednesday over the red card he received for two careless high tackles, and if his acts are considered reckless enough to warrant suspension youngster William Ripia is likely to step in at first five. David Hill is best left alone to continue his standout form in the No 12 jersey where's he's combining well with midfield sensation Richard Kahui.
Halfback Brendon Leonard has a foot contusion out of the weekend's match and is considered "doubtful" for the Eden Park visit. His absence would be a blow given how well he's been playing.
There are other injuries to wing Roy Kinikinilau (groin) and prop Craig West (calf contusion), though both are considered good chances to play if required.
Auckland coach Lam will have to settle on what he sees as his strongest XV for this match, with some big calls to be made in the front and second rows, and in the five-eighths.
There will likely be a spring in the step at Auckland training this week. They've rather been going through the motions thus far. But they know when Waikato teams of any description come to Eden Park they're always in for a shakeup.
The other Top Six matchups shape as equally intriguing.
North Harbour host Otago in the early Sunday clash looking to shake off some inconsistent recent form. They have the backs to run the southern men ragged, but will first need to do the job up front. Coach Allan Pollock will have to decide if Jonah Lomu is worthy of another start - a doubtful prospect on the balance of things.
Otago had a week off to get over the disappointment of yet another Ranfurly Shield choke, and will have identified this game as one they will need to win to move up the rankings.
The other clash, in the capital on Sunday (4.35pm kickoff), should be a cracker, with Canterbury travelling to meet a Wellignton Lions side strangely out of sorts.
If John Plumtree's team plays anything like they have for most of this season they'll get thumped. But expect them to rise to the challenge against a Canterbury side that rested a handful of its frontliners last week. Form favours a red and black win, but with Tana Umaga back in the mix now, don't be surprised if the Lions choose this game to rediscover their pride.
It's all on amongst the bottom eight, too, in what is shaping as a couple of intriguing repechage pools. With all the new chums showing improvement, and no little ability, the haggle will be on to emerge as the seventh and eighth team to make up the quarter-finals.
AIR NEW ZEALAND CUP:
Top Six, draw for this weekend:
Saturday: Auckland v Waikato, Auckland, 7.35pm. Sunday: North Harbour v Otago, Albany, 2.35pm; Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington, 4.35pm.
Repechage A:
Friday: Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, Napier, 8.05pm. Saturday: Bay of Plenty v Counties-Manukau, Mt Maunganui, 5.30pm.
Repechage B:
Friday: Taranaki v Northland, New Plymouth, 6.05pm. Saturday: Southland v Tasman, Invercargill, 2.35pm.
The new "Top Six" phase of the national provincial competition kicks off with a mouth-watering Auckland matchup on Saturday night as the two pool winners square off in a clash that will give the winner the inside running for a home quarter-final.
And that is what it is all about for the big six now as they effectively manoeuvre for home advantage in the expanded finals format, with all guaranteed inclusion in the knockout stage.
The leading four finishers from the next three weeks (points are carried forward from pool play) will all get home quarter-finals, and from then on the highest qualifiers left will host the remaining matches in the sudden-death phase.
All of which means it gets serious from now on in, with all of these powerful unions well aware of the advantage playing matches at home brings with it.
Which is why Saturday evening (7.35pm kickoff) at Eden Park should be such a litmus test for these Mooloo men who were so disappointing last year in finishing seventh with a 4-5 record.
They came into this season with a fair old chip on their shoulder. They knew they were better than last year's finishing spot, and there was a grim determination to prove it. Nothing else but a place back among the contenders would suffice.
Which is precisely where they are now. Auckland are the defending champions, they're at home, they're well rested (having had the bye last weekend) and they have no major injury concerns. In fact, Pat Lam's biggest worry might revolve around which players to leave out of his deep and talented squad.
Waikato played well enough in seeing off the Northland challenge 42-21 in Hamilton on Saturday, especially considering they played almost the entire second spell with only 14 men.
But there's a grim realisation in cow country that the road gets a lot steeper now, and that the time has arrived to start lifting the standards somewhat. To that end Gatland will this week bring back recently re-signed Jono Gibbes into the second row and will consider the case of the in-form Liam Messam on the flank as he juggles a pool of four capable performers.
Gatland will also welcome back All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu in a timely early return to provincial action, the flyer granted an earlier green light than his national squadmates because of his comparative lack of match play this season. Gatland knows he'll need all the class he can get.
But he's not fazed by a visit to Eden Park either. Gatland had some notable success on the ground as a player with Waikato, and he's confident he's got the men to continue that tradition come this weekend.
"There's a number of players who have had success at Eden Park whether for the Chiefs or Waikato, and they enjoy going up there," the Waikato coach told the NZ Herald.
And experienced hooker Tom Willis also reckoned things were ticking along nicely enough. "We're winning without putting together a perfect performance," he told reporters after the Northland game. "That's not a bad thing, but ... we're going to have to sharpen up."
Want To Do Well
Willis reckoned there was a "healthy resolve" within the team to take a step up on last year's efforts. "A number of the guys were here and probably felt they underachieved," he told the Herald. "Combine that with some guys who've come back into the team who weren't there last year, and a healthy dose of enthusiastic and talented players coming through, and it makes for a team who want to do well."
Gatland will have some issues to confront this week. For starters madcap first five Stephen Donald has to front the judiciary on Wednesday over the red card he received for two careless high tackles, and if his acts are considered reckless enough to warrant suspension youngster William Ripia is likely to step in at first five. David Hill is best left alone to continue his standout form in the No 12 jersey where's he's combining well with midfield sensation Richard Kahui.
Halfback Brendon Leonard has a foot contusion out of the weekend's match and is considered "doubtful" for the Eden Park visit. His absence would be a blow given how well he's been playing.
There are other injuries to wing Roy Kinikinilau (groin) and prop Craig West (calf contusion), though both are considered good chances to play if required.
Auckland coach Lam will have to settle on what he sees as his strongest XV for this match, with some big calls to be made in the front and second rows, and in the five-eighths.
There will likely be a spring in the step at Auckland training this week. They've rather been going through the motions thus far. But they know when Waikato teams of any description come to Eden Park they're always in for a shakeup.
The other Top Six matchups shape as equally intriguing.
North Harbour host Otago in the early Sunday clash looking to shake off some inconsistent recent form. They have the backs to run the southern men ragged, but will first need to do the job up front. Coach Allan Pollock will have to decide if Jonah Lomu is worthy of another start - a doubtful prospect on the balance of things.
Otago had a week off to get over the disappointment of yet another Ranfurly Shield choke, and will have identified this game as one they will need to win to move up the rankings.
The other clash, in the capital on Sunday (4.35pm kickoff), should be a cracker, with Canterbury travelling to meet a Wellignton Lions side strangely out of sorts.
If John Plumtree's team plays anything like they have for most of this season they'll get thumped. But expect them to rise to the challenge against a Canterbury side that rested a handful of its frontliners last week. Form favours a red and black win, but with Tana Umaga back in the mix now, don't be surprised if the Lions choose this game to rediscover their pride.
It's all on amongst the bottom eight, too, in what is shaping as a couple of intriguing repechage pools. With all the new chums showing improvement, and no little ability, the haggle will be on to emerge as the seventh and eighth team to make up the quarter-finals.
AIR NEW ZEALAND CUP:
Top Six, draw for this weekend:
Saturday: Auckland v Waikato, Auckland, 7.35pm. Sunday: North Harbour v Otago, Albany, 2.35pm; Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington, 4.35pm.
Repechage A:
Friday: Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, Napier, 8.05pm. Saturday: Bay of Plenty v Counties-Manukau, Mt Maunganui, 5.30pm.
Repechage B:
Friday: Taranaki v Northland, New Plymouth, 6.05pm. Saturday: Southland v Tasman, Invercargill, 2.35pm.
