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Two tries for Riley Higgins in his Wellington NPC debut. Who was the last player to bag a brace on debut for the Lions? Dane Coles versus Otago in 2007?
Update to the caption above. Peter Marriott has provided the following:
Dane Coles was not the last player to score two tries on debut for Wellington. He did in fact score a couple in the NPC match against Otago in 2007 but he had made his (try-less) debut in the match just prior to that one: against Auckland in a non-championship encounter. Two years later Jason Woodward scored two tries on his debut but it was also in a non-championship match: against Wairarapa-Bush when they challenged for the Ranfurly Shield in 2009.
Tajhon Mailata (ex-Bay of Plenty) was the last player to score two tries on his Wellington debut, in an NPC match. He did so against Manawatu at Palmerston North on 4 September 2010 playing at Centre. He was out of Marist St Pat’s and during the season he played a total of eight matches and scored five tries. That was his only season for Wellington.
We look forward to his Stat Attacks later this week!
Monday lunchtime edition: Rugby galore this coming Saturday:
- Wellington club rugby Premier 2 Division 1, Colts Division 1 and 2, U85kg Divisions 1-3 Finals Day, all at Fraser Park
- Wellington club rugby Reserve Grade Division 2 semi-finals. MSP Internationals (1) v Paremata-Plimmerton (4) and Upper Hutt Rams J8s (2) v Tawa (3), details TBC.
- Wellington Premiership First XV competitions semi-finals. St Pat’s Silverstream (1) v Rongotai College (4) and St Pat’s Town (2) v Wellington College (3)
- Wellington college competitions semi-finals, TBC.
- Wellington Centurions v Whanganui Heartland squad, Whanganui
- Wellington Samoans v Wairarapa Bush Heartland squad, Petone Rec, 1.00pm
- Wellington U19s v Tasman U20s, Lyndhurst Park, 12.00pm
- Wellington Māori v Horowhenua-Kapiti Heartland squad, Levin
- Farah Palmer Cup: Manawatu Women v Wellington Women, Arena Manawatu, 2.05pm
- National Provincial Championship: Canterbury v Wellington Lions, Christchurch, 7.05pm
Some clashes there, you can’t watch and follow it all but you can try!
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The six finals at Fraser Park are (fields and kick-off times TBC):
- Colts Division 1: Petone v Hutt Old Boys Marist
- Premier 2 Division 1: Tawa v Northern United
- U85kg Division 1: Johnsonville v Upper Hutt Rams
- Colts Division 2: Paremata-Plimmerton v Poneke
- U85kg Division 2: Stokes Valley v Eastbourne
- U85kg Division 3: HOBM v Marist St Pat’s
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No midweek school rugby in Wellington this week, but St Mary’s College are scheduled to visit Palmerston North on Wednesday to play Hastings Girls’ High School in round two of the four-match Hurricanes schoolgirls series.
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It’s 8 August today – Chunuk Bair Remembrance Day. Lest we forget.
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No. 8 Peter Lakai made 19 carries on his Wellington debut.
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The Bus, Julian Savea, scored the game’s first two tries on his 32nd birthday.
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Another homecoming of sorts for Bay of Plenty’s Naitoa Ah Kuoi, scoring a try as well. Usually a lock at this level, he was playing blindside flanker and opposed his former Wellington College teammate Taine Plumtree on the side of the scrum. Also Hurricanes lock Justin Sangster scored a try for the Steamers and former WRFU academy halfback Carlos Price came off the bench for the Steamers. He played a handful of matches for Wellington before appearing for Waikato last season and he is now back home in the BoP.
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Petone last won the Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Memorial Cup in 2017, Hutt Old Boys Marist in 2015.
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Scots College have missed the Premier I semi-finals for the first time since 2016.
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Whanganui RFU have won the Hurricanes Under 20 Cup for the eighth time since its inception in 2008, and for the first time since 2017. Read more here: http://hyrc.org.nz/news/whanganui-win-under-20-cup-for-eighth-time.html
The final Series points were: Whanganui RFU, 15 points; Horowhenua-Kapiti RFU, 10 points; Wairarapa Bush RFU, 6 points; Poverty Bay RFU, 1 point.
The 2022 Hurricanes Heartland Under 20 team was also announced by the selectors yesterday afternoon: http://hyrc.org.nz/news/26-players-named-in-heartland-under-20-training-squad.html
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Games next Saturday 20 August at Porirua Park:
- Wellington Pride v Bay of Plenty, 11.45am
- Wellington Lions v Northland, 2.05pm
- Wellington First XV Premiership Final, 4.15pm
One school of thought suggests that it is a shame that the First XV final is being played on Sunday at this time, as essentially a made for TV event, and the public and supporters would be better served if this was on a Sunday afternoon as a standalone game, as is the tradition of recent years?
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Jack Sargentina – the man in the middle in Blenheim yesterday for the Tasman v North Harbour Women’s NPC match.
A Blenheim homecoming for former WRRA referee Ben O’Keeffe in the Tasman – Southland NPC match that followed.
And for commentator Tony Johnson, who did a double header behind the microphone.
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As reported on Saturday evening, the Wellington Centurions opened their 2022 campaign with a 76-10 win over the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland squad.
To add to that, they scored 12 tries, with Isi Saumaki and Kyle Preston crossing for two tries each and Jordan Gillies, Pena Va’a, Josh Southall, Brandyn Laursen, Boston Hunt, Ethan Webster Nonu, Jimmy Hewitt and Lester Maulolo one each. Brandyn Laursen and Callum Harkin kicked four conversions each. Halftime 31-5.
The team heads up to Whanganui on Friday night ahead of their game against the Whanganui Heartland team on Saturday at Cooks Gardens.
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Solid defence – not once, but twice averting a try.
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The yellow seats army was out in full force at the Lions game on Sunday, and they appeared to have been boosted by a number of reinforcements. Why are few people going to these games in Wellington anymore? Are tickets overpriced, is that the reason?
Perhaps its because the non-social media generation and the ‘fair-weather’ follower doesn’t know they are playing anymore – a quick scan of the Dominion Post online this morning sees absolutely nothing about their game yesterday, so perhaps they have now fully abandoned local rugby in Wellington (the Hurricanes are not a local team).
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Manawatu were the weekend’s heaviest losers in round one of the NPC, going down 62-15 to Canterbury. Turning over most of their lineouts in the first half and conceding a couple of intercept tries didn’t help their cause. They back up to face Auckland this Wednesday in the first of the mid-week fixtures.
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The Wellington Lions are the next team to step up to Canterbury’s plate, the match for the Harry Saundercock Memorial Trophy in Christchurch this coming Saturday night.
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A roller-coaster final several minutes at New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park for both the Taranaki and Northland teams on Sunday. Trailing 11-6, Northland scored in the left hand corner to even scores up and nailed the 77th minute sideline conversion to put them ahead 13-11. In the last play of the game, Northland conceded a penalty but Taranaki flyhalf Jayson Potroz missed the straightforward kick and the Taniwha held on to win in a minor upset.
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Cory Jane sideline during last Wednesday’s First XV Wellington Co-Ed Cup final at Porirua Park offering running coaching tips to his nephew on the wing! Known as the ‘Heretaunga Hare’ in his day, Jane was imparting his knowledge during several breaks in play. The combined Upper Hutt/Heretaunga side beat Bishop Viard College 25-14.
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Some more milestones for the Upper Hutt Rams U85kg side – they beat Johnsonville 26-25 on Saturday in the Paul Potiki Shield, and do it all again this coming Saturday.
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Check out the new Rugby News – with a full NPC preview:
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Manukau Rovers won the 100th Gallaher Shield senior Auckland club rugby title with a 20-18 win over 35 time champions Ponsonby in the final. The final was decided by a last play penalty kick by Manukau who won the title for the first time since 1973 and for only the third time overall, 1968 was their other success. Ponsonby have been in 23 of 40 finals since 1982.
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Tasman Women celebrated a record 42-15 win over North Harbour in the Farah Palmer Cup. Excellent loose forward Sui Pauaraisa scored two tries. Tasman had lost a dozen games in a row coming into the season. They’ve won two of three in 2022, their best effort since 2019. The Mako joined the Farah Palmer Cup in 2017.
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The All Blacks are in a rut when compared to their glorious run from 2011 to 2016. When did it start? In 2017 the All Blacks were outscored in the last 20 minutes of all three tests against the British and Irish Lions. The series was shared 1-1.
The All Blacks only scored with three minutes left in their 10-26 loss to South Africa. Had they been held tryless it would have been the first time since 2001 against South Africa, Tony Brown kicked four penalties in a 12-3 win. The All Blacks were beaten 3-13 by the Springboks at Athletic Park, Wellington in 1998.
Does Sir Steve Hansen remind you of Sir Alex Ferguson when he left Manchester United? Surly and outspoken for little gain.
Handle Pollard brought up 100 points for the Springboks against the All Blacks. The record is 139 by Morne Steyn.
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Australia beat Argentina 41-26 in their Rugby Championship match this weekend.
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Defending champions Hamilton Boys’ High School remained unbeaten with a 26-21 win over Hastings Boys’ High School on Saturday. The Waikato rugby factory will host Rotorua Boys’ High School in this coming Saturday’s Super 8 final.
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Top qualifier St Thomas’ will host St Bede’s in one semi-final and second placed Nelson College will entertain third placed Christchurch Boys’ High School in this coming Saturday’s Crusaders First XV competition semi-finals.
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Why is the free kick not utilised more for penalties in rugby? Do we really need to lose a player for a deliberate knock down? Last Saturday in Wellington every pitch was a quagmire making it near impossible to retain your feet at the ruck. What happened? Most games turned into a penalty fest from the outset. It’s generally easy to tell the difference between a deliberate and cynical slowing down of the ball and one that’s accidental. Advantage is a law which is subjective, essentially ruled on instinct. Why aren’t breakdown penalties treated the same way? Tap penalties would be a way of increasing the speed of the game dramatically, scrums could only be taken in certain circumstances or be subject to a timer too.
More photo galleries added all the time at: https://clubrugby.smugmug.com/2022
