After its best display of the season, there is just one, injury-enforced change, to the Auckland team for Sunday afternoon’s vital Premiership clash with the Tasman Makos in Nelson.

There is still some hope that Auckland could qualify for the semifinals, so a bonus point victory on Sunday is a must for the team. Equally, other results this week have meant they will also be looking to stave off the relegation threat with a win.

Auckland defeated Bay of Plenty 38-19 last weekend, a result which gave some breathing space.

The only change to the starting XV sees Samuel Slade return after several weeks to replace Jamie Lane, who exhibited concussion symptoms, in the second-row. Slade played half a game for the Auckland Colts last weekend, which has proven his fitness. Prop Isi Tu’ungafasi comes onto the bench in place of Emersen Tamura-Paki, who has university commitments. Midfielder George Moala has recovered from a bout of gout and will add punch off the pine. Lock Ben Nee-Nee reaches a well-deserved blazer (14) game milestone.

Head coach Nick White has been impressed with the work at training this week.

“They are buoyant, but they are aware they need to back it up. They are pretty focused,” says White.

Auckland has won five of the nine games between the unions since the Makos’ birth in 2006.

Last year the Makos, partially thanks to 26 points from Marty Banks, lowered Auckland 49-31 on Eden Park.

The Makos, on the cusp of Premiership semifinals qualification, are at the tail-end of their ‘storm week’, and are coming off a 21-14 win over North Harbour on Wednesday night.

“They’ve been a fairly strong side for the last few years now. They have a lot of guys who have played a lot of Super Rugby. But the important thing for us is to focus on what we have done, concentrating on our set-piece and building on last week. Our defence needs to be sound or they have the ability to cut loose,” White adds.

This weekend, the Mitre 10 Cup and Auckland Rugby are supporting Mental Health Awareness Week. One in five New Zealanders suffer from some kind of mental illness every year and the rugby community is no different. New Zealand Rugby has released a website called Headfirst and videos to support our mental health and wellbeing. Auckland’s Keven Mealamu is among those to get behind the initiative. – Campbell Burnes

Auckland match-day 23 for Tasman

Sunday October 8, 2.35pm, Trafalgar Park, Nelson:

15 Melani Nanai (Manukau, 22)          

14 Tumua Manu (College Rifles, 3)

13 Vince Aso (Ponsonby, 36)

12 TJ Faiane (Pakuranga, 15, c)                                  

11 Joe Ravouvou (College Rifles, 6)

10 Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (University, 8)

9 Jono Hickey (Grammar TEC, 30)                             

8 Akira Ioane (Ponsonby, 25)

7 Blake Gibson (Ponsonby, 19)

6 Taleni Seu (Grammar TEC, 19)

5 Ben Nee-Nee (Pakuranga, 13)

4 Samuel Slade (Ponsonby, 4)             

3 Marcel Renata (University, 19)                                 

2 Kurt Eklund (University, 30)

1 Sam Prattley (Pakuranga, 41)

Reserves:

16 Greg Pleasants-Tate (Ponsonby, 23)

17 Isi Tu’ungafasi (Suburbs, 18)

18 Dexter Fa’amoana (College Rifles, 3)

19 Sinclair Dominikovich-Murray (University, 6)          

20 Dalton Papali’i (Pakuranga, 2)                    

21 Nico Costa (Eden, 1)         

22 Harry Plummer (Grammar TEC, 1)

23 George Moala (Grammar TEC, 51)

Injured/unavailable: Tom McHugh (season), Jamason Fa’anana-Shultz (season), Scott Scrafton (season), Leon Fukofuka (season), Michael Fatialofa (season), Daniel Bowden, Malakai Fekitoa, Jamie Lane, Caleb Clarke

All Blacks: Rieko Ioane, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Jerome Kaino, Patrick Tuipulotu