Spencer’s swansong as reserve for NZ Maori

CARLOS SPENCER will make his farewell appearance in New Zealand from the bench after being named in the New Zealand Maori reserves for their match against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

David Hill, who started in the Maori’s 29-27 win over Fiji in Suva, retains the number 10 jersey.

The Maori starting line-up - the strongest in recent years - contains five changes to the team that faced Fiji.

Crusaders quartet Leon MacDonald, Caleb Ralph, Rico Gear and Corey Flynn have been added, and lock Sean Hohneck is back after missing the previous game because of an infected elbow.

New Zealand Maori (v Lions): L. MacDonald; R. Gear, R. Tipoki, L. McAlister, C. Ralph; D. Hill, P. Weepu; D. Manu, C. Flynn, C. Hayman, R. Filipo, S. Hohneck, J. Gibbes, M. Holah, A. MacDonald.

Replacements: S. Linklater, G. Feek, D. Braid, W. Ormond, C. McGrath, C. Spencer, N. Brew.

LEADING New Zealand referee Paul Honiss has hit back at negative spin surrounding a meeting he had with a Lions official yesterday after their tour opener against Bay of Plenty.

Honiss said the debriefing with Ireland’s Dave McHugh, who is part of the Lions support staff, had been planned days before the tourists’ 34-20 win in Rotorua on Saturday. He bristled at the notion it was in reaction to Honiss’ interpretations during the game or concerns the Lions may have had.

“On Tuesday I met Clive Woodward and David McHugh in Auckland, we sat down for about half-an-hour and discussed the game, they asked questions of me in relation to the game, how was I going to referee this or that, what my interpretations would be. And we arranged for me to meet McHugh today to have a feeling for some of the penalties I gave and how they can avoid giving them away in future games.”

Honiss said he would be surprised if the Lions said they were unhappy with what they saw on Saturday night. The penalty count was 10-8 in favour of the Bay. If, after analysing the game, he felt he had got a decision wrong he would contact McHugh in New Plymouth in the next day or so.

“And I’ll say ‘I might have got that one wrong but I’m sticking to my guns on these ones. In essence you guys have to alter what you’re doing rather than me alter what I’m doing’,” Honiss said.

Honiss will also referee the Lions-Wellington match next Wednesday.

A LARGE statue of a crouching figure, part of a campaign to promote the All Blacks during the Lions tour, has been toppled on Watchman Island in the upper Auckland harbour by saboteurs who claimed the sculpture was culturally insensitive.

The 6m steel figure, which appears to be doing a haka, was erected by adidas as part of a “mysterious campaign” to support the All Blacks.

Adidas marketing manager Craig Waugh said the ‘icon’ was deliberately toppled on Monday night, about a fortnight after it was put up.

“It was pretty calm last night so it certainly hasn’t blown over or anything. It was tampered with ... people would’ve had to get a boat out there.”

An anonymous caller had told Television New Zealand that the figure had been tampered with because it was culturally insensitive, Mr Waugh said.

TEXT messages from cousin Joe Rokocoko have buoyed new wing Sitiveni Sivivatu for Friday’s test debut against his Fijian countrymen.

While Rokocoko was dispatched to sevens tournaments in Europe to search for the form which eluded him during the Super 12, he kept in touch with his older cousin’s chase for an All Black test jersey.

“He wished me good luck before the trial and then he texted me afterwards saying it was good I got in because I had been waiting for so long,” Sivivatu said yesterday.

Eleven months ago, Sivivatu was allowed to play test rugby for the Pacific Islanders against the All Blacks without affecting his wish to play for New Zealand.

Last year, the All Black selectors were forced to rethink their plans for Sivivatu when the IRB ruled the wing did not qualify for New Zealand until early December.

After Sivivatu turned down the chance to play for Fiji in the 2003 World Cup, the island nation complained it could not retain its players. That led to controversy about an IRB ruling that Sivivatu’s three years’ schooling at Wesley College did not count in his residency application.

Subsequently, it is understood the wing told Fiji that no matter what, he would not play for them before this year.

That threat became redundant this week when he was chosen for the All Blacks’ first test of the season as a prelude to the Lions series.

Rather than discuss his pride at being selected, Sivivatu said he appreciated how New Zealand rugby had helped him. His greatest pride will be having his mother in the crowd at North Harbour Stadium after she flies in from Fiji.