Plenty of college and representative rugby this weekend

The Centurions carry on from their win last weekend against their Taranaki counterparts to play the Manawatu Evergreens in Palmerston North on Saturday.

1.oopm updates: There are several representative matches and more college rugby that headlines the weekend’s community rugby around the Wellington region and in the Manawatu this weekend.

The rugby starts this afternoon with the Hurricanes Boys First XV final between St Pat’s Silverstream and Napier Boys’ High School. This kicks off at neutral Arena Manawatu at 4.35pm, with the match live on Sky TV and with coverage here on Club Rugby.

The winner gets to compete at the National Top 4 tournament next Friday and Sunday just down the road at the Sport & Rugby Institute at Massey University. The Hurricanes winner will play the Blues region decider on day one, likely Kelston Boys’ High School.

Silverstream and Napier get to compete in this final following hard-fought semi-final wins, both reeling in deficits to win. Silverstream came back to beat Feilding High School 16-12 and Napier fought back from 3-17 down to beat defending national champions (from 2019) Hastings Boys’ High School 20-17.

Moving on to Saturday, there is one remaining college final as well as finals day in the Hurricanes region invitational U15 tournament. There are several matches kicking off at 10.00am at undisclosed venues ahead of the final at St Pat’s Silverstream #1 at 1.00pm. Finalists to be confirmed.

The last College Sport Wellington final of the year is the Premier 4 decider at Wellington College at 1.00pm between the Wellington College Fourth XV and the Scots College Second XV.

Moving into the representative rugby sphere, and there are two games in the Wellington region tomorrow.

Starting at Lyndhurst Park in Tawa at 1.00pm, the Wellington U19s and the Hurricanes Heartland U20s meet in round two of the Central Region Shield competition.

The Wellington U19s are coming off an opening round win in Napier against the Hawke’s Bay U19s and the Heartland provinces selection lost to Manawatu last weekend.

The second match of this series tomorrow is at Arena Manawatu at 1.00pm, between the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay sides.

In one Men’s match at home for Wellington teams, Wellington Samoa play the Wellington Fijians at the Petone Recreation Ground, kick-off 1.00pm. Note that in a late change, the Fijians have replaced Whanganui B as oppo

Over the hill, William Jones Park in Wainuiomata was slated to host the contest between the Wellington Māori U18 Girls and the Wellington Centurions U18s Girls but in a Friday afternoon update this game has been CANCELLED. The other match in this U18 Girls series is at Paraparaumu Domain at 12.30pm between the Horowhenua Kapiti U18s and Wellington Samoa U18s sides.

Over the big hill, there are three games in Masterton.

The Hurricanes Youth Council’s U18s Boys competition kicks off at 12.00pm with the Centurions U18s and the Wairarapa-Bush U18s meeting at the noon hour at Memorial Park.

The Men’s Wellington Māori team plays the Wairarapa-Bush Bs at Masterton’s Memorial Park, ahead of the third round Heartland Championship fixture between Wairarapa-Bush and Horowhenua-Kapiti at 2.30pm as part of the union’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

The third Men’s representative match tomorrow is being played at Arena Manawatu inside the main Stadium, between the Manawatu Evergreens and the Wellington Centurions. Kick-off is at 12.00pm (brought forward from the previously advertised time of 1.00pm).

There are three more HYRC U18 fixures, two at Levin and one at Gisborne. At Playford Park, Levin, the Wellington Maori U18s meet the Whanganui U18s at 12.30pm, followed by the Wellington Samoans U18s and Horowhenua-Kapiti U18s at 2.00pm. Up the line, Poverty Bay host the Hawke’s Bay Saracens U18s.

There are two NPC and one FPC match involving Wellington and Manawatu teams this weekend.

The Manawatu Turbos will be hoping to get their show on the road at Arena Manawatu this evening against the Tasman Mako. Kick-off follows the school final at 7.05pm.

On Saturday, the Wellington Lions travel to Invercargill to meet the Southland Stags, kick-off 4.35pm.

On Sunday, the Wellington Pride meet the Canterbury Women in their FPC semi-final in Christchurch, kick-off 11.35am.

Teamlists below (as received):

 Wellington Centurions U18s:

 Wellington Samoa Men’s:

 Wellington Centurions Men’s:

Injured / Unavailable: Albert Polu, Brett Manaia, Cam Ferriera, Hugo Plummer, Isi Saumaki, Lipa Saveatama, Meinrad Fitisemanu, Mika Alaifatu, Vili Tauofaga, Zane Ainslie

Head Coach: Kent Harris. Assistant Coaches: Ryan Piper & Grainger Heikell. Team Manager: Andrew Robinson. Trainer: Anton Jacques. Physio: Alec Cannons. Analyst: Mike Uriaro. Assistant Manager: Rory McNicholas.

Manawatu Evergreens:

1. Darius Mafileo
2. Bryn Gordon (c)
3. Feleti Ta’afou
4. Jay Rolleston
5. Josh Tuala
6. Julian Goerke
7. Declan McCormack
8. Jekope Ketu
9. Bryn Wilson
10. Isiah Armstrong-Ravula
11. Eseroma Nabuka
12. Kyle Brown
13. Waqa Nalaga
14. Tavita Henare-Schuster
15. Stew Cruden
16. Chris Cairns
17. Ropate Rinakama
18. Malakai Ngatai
19. Matt Masoe
20. Michael Halatuitua
21. Te Anini Pardoe
22. Logan Henry
23. Chance Malu

Te Upoko Wellington Māori

1. Joe Reid
2. Eli Hunt
3. Danny Herewini
4. Dylan Williamson
5. Mason Davis
6. Tane McMillan-Parata
7. Api McMillan-Parata
8. Luke Omeri
9. Rory Woollett
10. Justin Wilson
11. Jason Love
12. Hokianga Morunga
13. Rikeli Grey
14. Renata Kotuhi
15. Khya Wilson
16. Francisco Wilson
17. Taine Tata
18. Matty Jacobs
19. Tayne Laird-Mahu
20. Declan Hay
21. Andy Ellis
22. Luke Kapene

Wellington U19s:

1. Jonty Bird / Bradley Crichton
2. Moses Tuifao-Galuvao
3. Christian Semu
4. Markus McCarthy-Stowers
5. Maea Tema-Schmidt
6. Dom Ropeti (C)
7. Neru Sheck
8. Toby Crosby
9. Sam Howling
10. Chicago Doyle
11. Garry Tuilekutu
12. Junior Paulo
13. Tofuka Paongo
14. Keisar Vailalo
15. Noah Guise
16. Leon Tuiloma
17. Sio Titie
18. Valentine Parker
19. Connor Chatfield
20. Pene To’o
21. Keanu Kotuhi
22. Elijah Maene-Lokeni
23. Rewiti Leat

Wellington Lions:

1. Xavier Numia (Oriental Rongotai)
2. Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
3. Pekahou Cowan (Petone)
4. Dominic Bird (Upper Hutt Rams)
5. Josh To’omaga (Marist St Pats)
6. Caleb Delany (Old Boys University)
7. Sione Halalilo (Oriental Rongotai)
8. Peter Lakai (Petone)
9. TJ Perenara (Norths) ©
10. Aidan Morgan (Marist St Pats)
11. Nehe Milner-Skudder (“Eastbourne”)
12. Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata)
13. Billy Proctor (Marist St Pats)
14. Julian Savea (Oriental Rongotai)
15. Connor Garden-Bachop (Norths)
16. James O’Reilly (Hutt OB Marist)
17. Solomona Sakalia (Norths)
18. Siale Lauaki (Tawa)
19. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
20. Keelan Whitman (Marist St Pats)
21. Richard Judd (Paremata-Plimmerton)
22. Jackson Garden-Bachop (Norths)
23. Ruben Love (Wainuiomata)

Wellington v Southland: fast facts

Since the start of the NPC 1976 the two sides have met 32 times with Wellington winning 26, Southland 5, and a solitary draw. Overall the ledger stands at 69 wins for Wellington,23 for Southland, and 7 draws in their 99 clashes.

This is their first meeting in the NPC since 2018, not playing each other in 2019 and 2020 and playing in a friendly last year, which Wellington won 24-22.

The Lions put over 60 points on Southland in each of their 2016 and 2017 clashes, and won 52-7 in 2018, making the combined scored in their last three NPC encounters 173-34 to Wellington.

The last time Wellington lost to Southland was on 24 August 2002. Southland prevailed 22-20 that day in Invercargill. Interestingly, Southland had also beaten Wellington 25-15 when they met at the end of July in pre-season at Petone.

The two unions first met in Wellington on 29 July 1896, with Wellington winning 11-0 that day.

Between 1896-1975 they clashed 66 times, the Lions winning 42, Southland 18 and there were six draws.