Kemp to lead Manawatu against Lions

Manawatu coach Charlie McAlister has named just one player with Super 12 experience in his starting line-up to face the British and Irish Lions tomorrow.

Hooker Nathan Kemp, a former Blues player, will captain the second division side that consists mostly of Manawatu club players.

Kemp played eight times for the Blues but headed to Manawatu after failing to displace Keven Mealamu and Derren Witcombe, who are now in the All Blacks squad.

"His (Kemp's) experience will be invaluable. It would be nice to have four or five like him out there but it's not to be obviously because we're in the second division," McAlister said.

The squad have been building towards this match since January and that build-up has included a four-match tour of Australia, their first victory over a Wellington XV since 1989 and a 26-18 loss to first division Northland's NPC squad.

"We've had the squad together a little while and we had a few games. But we needed that level of football to bring us up to the sort of intensity and level of football that is coming.

"These boys won't have been anywhere near the sort of intensity they are going to face on Tuesday night."

Lions coach Clive Woodward has selected a big pack with the likes of Andy Sheridan, Simon Shaw and Martin Corry packing down in the scrum.

McAlister admitted it would be a challenge but one his team are looking forward to.

"They've just got to show courage and get stuck into them. Guys those size, we don't come across those sorts of athletes in club rugby at Manawatu," he added.

"But we're a pretty tough bunch of young men and we're looking forward to the experience."

McAlister is hoping to use the match against the Lions as the springboard to this year's NPC campaign and their introduction to the new top-tier provincial rugby competition that will begin in 2006.

From next year 14 teams, including Manawatu, will play in the professional premier division with the remaining provinces in a second-tier amateur league.

"I've never been involved in a Lions tour before. It's all new for our management and players so it's a huge learning curve heading into the premier division next year," admitted McAlister.

"This is a great start for us to help us learn our systems. We're really looking forward to it."