College, club finals and Wellington Māori-Samoan teams fixture highlight weekend’s community rugby

• By Scott MacLean and Steven White

Friday afternoon updates: Four-and-a-half months after the local season got underway with the opening days of the Premier Men’s and Women’s competitions, it comes to a close tomorrow with the College Finals and the last club decider of the season.

The feature of the day is the tripleheader at Porirua Park, where the Pride and Lions provide the curtain-raisers to the College Premiership decider but other school finals and the one remain club grade one are dotted around the region, while there are a couple of representative games to whet the whistle as well.

College

It’s to the final game of the day at Jerry Collins Stadium that we turn to first, as Silverstream meet their catholic cousins St Pat’s Town in the Premiership Final. Stream topped the standings and were then relatively untroubled in brushing aside Rongotai 55-0 last weekend but will be very mindful that the only match they lost during the competition so far was to Town just four weeks ago. That 19-13 win for the Kilbirnie school – along with Wellington College’s shock loss to HIBS – ultimately saw them finish second and host last week’s semi-final where they beat College.

What might be a factor is recent matches. Stream racked up a 69-0 win over bottom-side Mana in the last round ahead of the semi-finals, while Town faced HIBS before last-weeks cliffhanging 24-23 win.

Also at stake is progressing to the next level, with only the winner now moving on to the Hurricanes region matches and from there to the National Top Four in Palmerston North next month.

Silverstream go into this match with an eight win/one loss record from the round-robin and semi-finals combined, having scored 316 points and conceded just 80. Town, who lost to Wellington College and drew with Scots College during the season, have won seven, lost one and drawn one. They have scored 239 points and let in 141.

In the 2018 decider between these two schools, Silverstream won 29-22 after being 10-0 down early. St Pat’s Town last won this title in 2015, with a 19-8 win in the final over Scots at this same venue, and prior to that their last win was in 1995.

Silverstream have won 13 of their past 15 matches against Town in the Wellington First XV competition, going back to 2012. As well as last month, Town’s only other win over them in this period was a 23-20 win in the 2015 semi-final. In this period, Silverstream have scored 423 points and Town 203, with an average score of 27-14. Silverstream’s biggest win was 52-10 in their first clash of 2018.

Silverstream also feature in, and host, the two other major college finals of the day with both their 2nd XV and Under 15 A sides looking to complete unbeaten campaigns and both face the same opposition; Wellington College. The pair meet in the Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup final at 12pm after Stream beat Bishop Viard (48-5) for the second week in succession in last week’s semi-finals and the College 2nds upset Upper Hutt 28-5. The Under 15 Division 1 Fr Gus Hill Cup kicks off at 10.00am (in a late change the U15 final has been moved to Maidstone Park) after Stream beat Rongotai 24-7 and College were 25-5 winners over Town.

In the Premier 3 Paul Cameron Cup Wainuiomata, who beat Newlands in the sem-ifinals, will host the Rongotai 2nds after they tipped over top qualifiers the Wellington College 3rds, while in the Premier 4 Onslow Cup the College 4ths take on the Scots 2nds.

In the remaining age and weight grade deciders the Under 15 Division 2 final has Naenae hosting Rongotai B after both won away in their semi-finals, while in the Under 65kg Division 2 Scots hosts Aotea. The battle of the true lightweights – the Under 55kg David Scott Cup – sees St Pat’s Town take on holders Hutt Valley HS who are looking to emulate their Under 65s win last weekend.

Club

The last club final of the year will be played out at Evans Bay, where the Marist St Pats Internationals and the Upper Hutt Rams J8s meet in the Reserve Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup final. The Internationals are looking to finish their anniversary season in triumph, while the J8s – who probably clock up more km’s than any other team in the region – will be looking to reclaim a title they’ve held in the past.

Under 85kg

The only other remaining club sides in action are the Upper Hutt Rams and OBU Scallywags Under 85kg squads, who move back into National Club Cup mode. Both are on the road for the quarter-final stage, with the Rams needing to pick themselves up from last week’s Paul Potiki Shield final loss as they head north to take on Counties side Karaka who have accounted for Taranaki’s Tukapa and Rotorua composite side Kahukura in recent weeks. After missing the local final, the Scallywags set sail across the Strait once again, this time into the Deep South where they’ll meet the Southern Bush Pigs which is this year’s incarnation of last year’s competition winners.

Representative

With Sky Stadium unavailable this weekend owing to the Beervana Festival, both the Pride and Lions head up the highway to Porirua Park for their home games against Bay of Plenty and Northland respectively and both in search of much-needed wins.

The Pride find themselves in a precarious position, sitting bottom of the Farah Palmer Cup Premiership after last week’s capitulation to Manawatu and staring the spectre of relegation in the face once more, and a loss here would leave a lot to do against Auckland at Eden Park next Saturday to avoid the drop. A win however could see the Pride climb as high as fourth and that, along with a vastly improved performance, would be the minimum aim. Bay of Plenty currently occupy fourth with their two wins having come over Manawatu and Auckland.

Following up as the middle game of the triple-header will be the Lions who need to put last weekend’s misery in Christchurch, where they were simply ground out of the game by Canterbury, behind them as they take on a Northland side that look much-improved so far this season in the NPC. The Taniwha upset Taranaki in the opening round before a narrow loss to Waikato and will not be a pushover for the Lions who will be looking to click into gear before the season gets away from them.

Away from Jerry Collins is one of the highlight matches of the local representative calendar as Te Upoko Wellington Māori and the Wellington Samoans clash at the Hutt Rec, and its perhaps unfortunate that the clash of date and times is what it is. Always a torrid encounter, no quarter will be asked for nor given between these sides and clubmates in the opposition will certainly not be given an easy ride.

The only other local team at home are the Wellington Fijians, who complete their schedule when they face the Manawatu U19s at Fraser Park.

On the road this week are the Centurions who are in Napier for the first game of a home-and-away series with the Hawkes Bay equivalents the Saracens, while the Under 19s cross Cook Strait to play their Canterbury counterparts in Kaikoura ahead of their Central Region competition kicking off next weekend.

Teams (as received):

Wellington Centurions

1 Meinrad Fitisemanu (Marist St Pat’s)

2 Josh Southall (Petone)

3 Ha’amea Ahio (Johnsonville)

4 Akira Ieremia (C) (Tawa)

5 Ezekiel Fiso (Poneke)

6 Jordan Gillies (Hutt Old Boys Marist)

7 William Rua (Hutt Old Boys Marist)

8 Luca Rees (Norths)

9 Kyle Preston (Old Boys University)

10 Callum Harkin (Old Boys University)

11 Isi Saumaki (Tawa)

12 Brandyn Laursen (Hutt Old Boys Marist)

13 Lester Maulolo (Petone)

14 Losi Filipo (Norths)

15 Harrison Boyle

16 Brett Manaia (Hutt Old Boys Marist_

17 Noah Ironside (Norths)

18 Mika Alaifatu (Hutt Old Boys Marist)

19 Joyner Gaulofa (Tawa)

20 Jimmy Hewitt (Poneke)

21 Logan Love (Marist St Pat’s)

22 Pakai Turia (Poneke)

23 Ethan Webster-Nonu (Ories)

Injured / Unavailable: Joe Faleafaga, Nonu Tuia, Hugo Plummer, Cam Ferriera, Pena Va’a, , Lipa Saveatama, Penieli Poasa, Albert Polu, Vili Tauofaga

Head Coach: Kent Harris

Assistant Coaches: Ryan Piper & Grainger Heikell

Team Manager: Andrew Robinson

Trainer: Anton Jacques

Physio: Alec Cannons

Wellington Samoans

1. Laurence-Jarel Lim (OBU) Leauva’a, Vailoa Faleata
2. Siaosi Afele (Stokes Valley) Faleasi’u
3. Daley Ena (Avalon) Mutiatele Aleipata, Faleasi’u
4. Taisson Lealaisalanoa (Paremata-Plimmerton) Fasito’otai, Palauli
5. Waylon Baker (Norths) Faleapuna, Falefa
6. DJ Taoipu (Poneke) Fasito’outa, Fogapoa
7. Kitiona Leitufia (Wainui) Lauli’i, Sala’ilua Savai’i
8. Galu Taufale [c] (Poneke) Manono Uta, Falelatai
9. Jack Ena (Avalon) Mutiatele Aleipata, Faleasi’u
10. Ty Poe (OBU) Lufilufi, Lotopa
11. Niko Patelesio (Wainui) Lepea, Lotofaga
12. Steven Va’a (Ories) Salamumu, Asau
13. Ben Tuiatua (MSP) Fasito’outa
14. Fereti Soloa (HOBM) Moata’a, Apia
15. Campbell Cowie (Wainui) Vaivase Tai
16. Tai Bryce (HOBM) Vaivase Uta, Falelatai
17. Jordan Sului (Avalon) Falelatai
18. Teofilo Paulo (Avalon) Solosolo, Faleapuna, Sale’aumua, Matatufu
19. Malachi Ti’a (Ories) Falefa, Lefaga, Manono
20. Samson Alaimoana (Ories) Sala’ilua, Tafatafa, Malie
21. Mika Cooper-Finau (Tawa) Lefaga, Vailu’utai
22. Isaia Petelo (MSP) Solosolo, Aufaga
23. Mo’omo’o Falaniko (Avalon) Falealupo, Falelima

Te Upoko Wellington Māori

Wellington U19s

1 Bradley Crichton  (Norths)
2 Leon Tuiloma (Wellington)
3 Jonty Bird  (Oriental Rongotai)
4 Maea Tema-Schmidt (Poneke)
5 Connor Chatfield (Old Boys-University)
6 Dominic Ropeti  (Old Boys-University)
7 Toby Crosby  (Upper Hutt Rams)
8 Pene To’o  (Upper Hutt Rams)
9 Muri Stewart (Old Boys-University)
10 Chicago Doyle (Marist St Pats)
11 Garry Tuilekutu (Avalon)
12 Tofuka Paongo (Tawa)
13 Elijah Maene-Lokeni (Old Boys-University)
14 Tyrone Maraku (Upper Hutt Rams)
15 Noah Guise (Marist St Pats)
16 Sio Titie (Upper Hutt Rams)
17 Christian Semu  (Oriental Rongotai)
18 Moses Tuifao-Galuvao (Poneke)
19 Markus Stowers-McCarthy (Wainuiomata)
20 Kobe-Joe Vulu (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
21 Sam Howling (Poneke)
22 Neru Sheck (Tawa)
23 Keisar Vailalo (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
24 Junior Paulo (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
25 Keanu Kotuhi (Wainuiomata)
26 Rewiti Leat (Tawa)

Wellington Pride

Wellington Lions 

Wellington v Northland Did you Know?

• Northland was the first team that Wellington beat in NPC Rugby, winning 13-0 on 10 July 1976.
• Wellington’s record in all matches against Northland is played 35, won 29 (82.9%), lost six and drawn none.
• Wellington’s 29 wins against Northland equals their record number of victories against all other sides: they have also beaten Taranaki 29 times, from 34 games.
• Wellington’s 18 wins at home against Northland (from 20 matches) equals their record number of victories against all other sides at home: they have also beaten Canterbury 18 times, from 26 matches.
• Northland has not beaten Wellington in Wellington since 27 August 2000 when they won 30-24.
• Wellington has scored 99 tries in all of their home matches against Northland and 49 in all away matches against Northland.

From the Vault: 2004: Wellington 65 – Northland 12

By the time the two teams met at Wellington Stadium in 2004 the NPC the Lions were the hottest provincial ticket in the land.

Two weeks out from the semi-finals, the Rodney So’oialo led Lions cemented their position at the top of the table with this big win over Northland. They then went to Southland and won 30-0, thus qualifying first and securing a home semi-final.

First five-eighth Riki Flutey scored two of nine tries and was the Player of the Match, running hard and straight all afternoon and kicking well for position. Many of the tries scored were vintage. None more so than flanker Scott Waldrom’s seventh try. Waldrom was on hand to cap a sweeping length of the field movement from a defensive five-metre scrum. Then there was the hugely popular try scored by Ma’a Nonu, who, returning from a broken thumb, bursted through the defence to score only moments after he had been subbed on the field for Tana Umaga.

The Taniwha put up a brave fight, competing admirably in the middle stages, and they trailed only 23-12 with 25 minutes remaining. But the Lions roared in the second half, and they ran in a further six unanswered tries to rock the visitors. Taken with a 73-28 drubbing of Taranaki the week before, the Lions had now scored 19 tries and 138 points in their last two outings.

The winning margin of 53 points eclipsed the Lions’ previous best over Northland of 46, set in the 1984 match (won 58-12). After beating Southland the following week, the Lions beat Waikato 28-16 in their home semi-final, before missing out on what would have been a fifth title by losing to Canterbury 27-40 in the home final.