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St Pat’s Silverstream players and supporters celebrate in the darkness and drizzle with a haka after their Premiership win on Saturday against St Pat’s Town. PHOTO: Andy McArthur.
Monday afternoon updates: As far as multiple rugby matches in the region go, a comparative break in the traffic this coming weekend (the first two weekends of September will be back bursting with rugby).
Just one feature representative match, the Wellington Centurions opening their home campaign against the visiting Taranaki Trojans at the Hutt Rec at 12.30pm.
There are two school semi-finals as well, with St Pat’s Silverstream hosting Feilding High School in their Hurricanes Top 4 semi-final (Hastings BHS v Napier BHS in the other) and Upper Hutt/Heretaunga Colleges playing Whanganui Collegiate in their Hurricanes Co-ed Cup semi-final at home. Kick-offs for both of these matches also TBC.
On Sunday, the Wellington Lions host Taranaki at 2.05pm at Wellington Stadium in their fourth round NPC and John F. Henning Trophy match.
In away games, it’s the opening weekend of the Central Region Shield Hurricanes U19 tournament. Wellington plays Hawke’s Bay in Napier and Manawatu and the Hurricanes Heartland U20s meet in Palmerston North.
The Wellington Samoans and Wellington Maori teams are both away to play Taranaki opposition.
The Wellington Pride play their final round-robin game and perhaps their last game of the season against Auckland at Eden Park on Saturday.
There are round two Heartland Championship matches in Levin and Whanganui this Saturday afternoon. Horowhenua-Kapiti host South Canterbury at Levin Domain and Whanganui and King Country meet at Cooks Gardens.
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St Mary’s College plays Manukura in Palmerston North on Wednesday in the Hurricanes Girls final for the Rex Kerr Cup.
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The Wellington Lions failed to score a try for the first time in 14 matches in the NPC, stunned by Northland 15-6 at Jerry Collins Stadium. Northland won in the capital for the first time since 2000 and held Wellington tryless for the first time since 1976. With four Maori All Blacks and two All Blacks in the backline, an ex Wallaby at tighthead, and 148 caps on the bench it’s a candidate for one of the worst performances in Lions history. The last time Wellington failed to score a try was in 2020 against Tasman. That match was played at Jerry Collins Stadium.
The Lions will go into Sunday’s match against Taranaki as the underdogs, with the amber and blacks recording a stunning turnaround from their listless two opening losses to beat competition favourites Canterbury 16-10 at home.
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St Patrick’s College Silverstream beat St Patrick’s College, Wellington 28-14 in the Premiership final at Jerry Collins Stadium. It was the most one-sided final since Wellington College beat Silverstream 45-9 at the same venue.
Silverstream halfback Ollie Cuff scored 13 points in the Premiership final. It’s the most points since Josh Robertson-Weepu kicked five penalties and a conversion against Wellington College in 2013. Josh played for North Otago last night in their 35-5 win against Wairarapa Bush in Palmerston North.
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The Wellington Pride have beaten Bay of Plenty seven times in a row
The Wellington Pride’s win plus Manawatu’s loss confirms Wellington’s survival in the FPC Premiership with the Cyclones destined to return to the Championship. The Pride travel to Eden Park this coming weekend with a playoff place at stake, and with Auckland having been thrashed 41-5 by defending champions Waikato.
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Stirring turnaround by Wellington Centurions
Wellington Centurions defeated Hawkes Bay Saracens 54-31 in Napier on Saturday.
A slow start saw Centurions concede three tries in the opening 25 minutes to be down 0-17 but managed to score two tries to be 14-17 at the half.
Centurions then scored another 6 tries to be up 54-17 before Hawkes Bay finished with two tries in the final five minutes.
Wellington Centurions 54 (Tries – Isi Saumaki 3, Losi Filipo 2, Callum Harkin, Brandyn Laursen, Mika Alaifatu. Conversions Callum Harkin 3, Brandyn Laursen 4). Hawkes Bay Saracens 31 (5 tries, 3 conversions).
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Strange that Wellington's worst 2 NPC performances in the last few years have been at Jerry Collins stadium.
— Sports Freak (@Sportsfreakconz) August 20, 2022
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Inconvenient coincidence, Beervana happened on the same weekend as two National U85kg contenders played quarter-finals. Upper Hutt and Old Boys University lost.
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Wellington Stadium has the yellow seats army, Porirua Stadium has the pink cones posse. Parking was always going to be tight around Porirua Park on Saturday But compounded by the Porirua City Council coning off hundreds of metres of carparking along Mungavin Avenue on Saturday, forcing some people to park up to several hundred metres away. Why PCC? Not everyone is young, fit and healthy and yet another reason for the general public not to attend rugby matches in the future.
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Just got into wellys…….still get them goosebumps driving past sky stadium 🏟 🌪🌪🌪🌪🌪🌪
— NGANI LAUMAPE (@NLaumape) August 18, 2022
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When two teams wear the same coloured uniforms. Casual observers amongst the 300-400 strong crowd at the Hutt Rec on Saturday wouldn’t have known which team was which, the Wellington Samoans and the Wellington Maori sides both wearing predominantly black uniforms. Plus the scoreboard and clock at the Hutt Rec wasn’t operating, so a bit of confusion afterwards as to the score and who won. Wellington Maori won 24-22.
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A Premiership team of the decade (2013-22)
1 Xavier Numia (St Pat’s Town/Wellington Lions), 2 Asafo Aumua (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington Lions, 3 Alex Fidow (Scots College/North Harbour), 4 James Blackwell (Wellington College/Wellington Lions), 5 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Wellington College/Melbourne Storm), 6 Iona Apineru (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington Lions), 7 Bruce Kauika-Petersen (Wairarapa College/Northland), 8 Toby Crosby (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington), 9 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Wellington College/Otago), 10 TJ Va’a (Scots College/Wellington), 11 Malo Tuitama (Scots College/Yamaha), 12 Thomas Umaga Jensen (Scots College/Otago), 13 Billy Proctor (St Pat’s Town/Wellington Lions), 14 Wes Goosen (Wellington College/Edinburgh), 15 Peter Umaga Jensen (Scots College/Wellington Lions) Impact: 16 James O’Reilly (HIBS/Wellington Lions), 17 Siale Lauaki (St Pat’s Town/Wellington), 18 Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington College/Bay of Plenty), 19 Peter Lakai (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington Lions), 20 Logan Henry (HIBS/Manawatu Turbos), 21 Riley Higgins (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington Lions), 22 Ropati So’oalo (Aotea College/Wellington), 23. Chase Tiatia (St Pat’s Silverstream/Hawke’s Bay Magpies) Wider Training Group members (five): Ben Power (HIBS/Wellington), Stanley Solomon (Wellington College/Wellington), Sitveni Paongo (Wellington College/Sydney), Josh Southall (St Pat’s Silverstream/Wellington), Eli Moata’a (Porirua College/Wellington)
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Just sit back & enjoy 🥰@skysportnz | #NZLvAUS | #OReillyCup pic.twitter.com/q9lZVKPE0J
— Black Ferns (@BlackFerns) August 20, 2022
Ayesha Leti-I’iga Rugby would go good on PlayStation.
The Black Ferns 52-5 win against Australia was their biggest since a 67-3 win in 2016.
The Black Ferns have won 90 of 106 tests.
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In school rugby, Napier Boys’ High School edged Palmerston North Boys’ High School 16-14 in their Hurricanes quarter-final knockout match. Napier to play Hastings Boys’ High School in their semi-final. St Pat’s Silverstream to meet Feilding High School in the other. The winner to play for the Hurricanes title and a place in the Top 4.
In the much-vaunted Auckland 1A competition, St Peter’s College will play Kelston Boys’ High School in this coming weekend’s final.
St Peter’s beat De La Salle College 21-16 in one semi-final on Saturday and Kelston defeated Sacred Heart College 20-16 in the other.
It is probable that the winner will represent the Blues region in the Top 4 competition in Palmerston North next month.
An upset in the Chiefs region Top 4 qualifying series, with Tauranga Boys’ College beating last week’s Super 8 final winners Rotorua Boys’ High School 22-11 on Saturday, to also win the Moascar Cup for the first time since 1995.
This coming weekend’s Chiefs semi-finals see Tauranga play beaten Super 8 finalists Hamilton Boys’ High School, while New Plymouth Boys’ High School plays Pukekohe High School in the other.
The Crusaders First XV final between Nelson College and St Bede’s College has been postponed, presumably to this coming weekend.
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North Otago took all of one minute to open their Heartland Championship campaign last night against Wairarapa-Bush at neutral Palmerston North, going on to win 35-5.
In other Heartland Championship matches involving Hurricanes region unions, Horowhenua-Kapiti opened their account with a 32-14 win over East Coast, Poverty Bay missed out to King Country 30-22 and the Whanganui Butcher Boys beat West Coast 43-19.
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Two early tries to Manawatu hooker Siua Maile including a Dane Coles-esque intercept in their Kel Tremain Trophy fixture on Sunday. Manawatu leapt to a 14-0 lead, but Hawke’s Bay came back to win 43-17.
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Kurt Baker will play his 50th tournament for the All Black Sevens in Los Angeles. Tim Miklelson has the record for most tournaments with 99. DJ Forbes played 94 tournaments, Eric Rush played 62.
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Sid Going turned 79 last week. Did you know in addition to playing for over a decade for the All Blacks he coached North Auckland (now Northland) to 45 wins in 69 matches?
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On this day (22 August) in 1891. The Wellington representative team lost their match to Canterbury 16-1. An interesting score. Wellington’s sole try was scored by H. Speed. It is unsure if he showed pace to the line.
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In Salesi Rayasi watch, he casually strolled in to score his 32nd try in his 38th match for Auckland on Sunday. Auckland lost 21-17 to Bay of Plenty, after leading 10-0 after as many minutes.
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North Harbour a dark horse for this year’s NPC?
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Featuring former Poneke utility back Charles Ngatai, OBU outside back Wes Goosen and MSP prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen:
