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Wellington Lions left wing Pepesana Patafilo looks for support on his inside in Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield match against Southland at the Hutt Rec. The Lions won 39-17.
Afternoon edition: Rugby this week comes early, with the Wellington Lions hosting the Tasman Mako in their fourth round NPC match and Ranfurly Shield defence. Kick-off at Wellington Stadium is 7.05pm.
Most represeantive rugby this coming weekend for Wellington teams is away.
The Hurricanes U19s Central Region Shield is being played over the next three weekends. First round fixtures this coming Saturday see the Wellington U19s play the Hurricanes Heartland U20s and the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay U19s meet each other. The Wellington U19s – HHU20s game is at NZCIS at 1.30pm.
The Wellington Māori are playing their Hawke’s Bay counterparts in Dannevirke and the Wellington Centurions are meeting Taranaki Development in New Plymouth.
The Lions round out their “Storm Week” by playing Canterbury for the Harry Saundercock Memorial Trophy in Christchurch on Sunday.
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Scots College are scheduled to meet Palmerston North Boys’ High School in the Hurricanes Boys school final this coming Saturday (scheduled to be played in Palmerston North).
But we understand the result of Scots College’s 42-35 win over Feilding High School on Saturday hasn’t been confirmed yet owing to early injuries to Scots College’s props and possible substitution irregularities. We weren’t there and have sought clarification on this, so it is hoped that when this is made we will be alerted. Update: Still no work on this as of late Monday afternoon.
Feilding posted the below to their social media after the game.
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Hopefully Wednesday’s challengers Tasman haven’t lured the Lions into a false sense of shield security with their loss at Whangarei on Saturday night to Northland. The Taniwha beat them 32-15, after leading 15-5 at halftime which deserved to be more after a lovely sweeping long-range break up to the corner flag that that was kept out on the stroke of halftime.
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A Wellington Lions debut for lock Teofilo Paulo on Saturday at his current club rugby home ground the Hutt Rec.
Paulo has vast experience elsewhere. The former St Pat’s Silverstream player has previously played NPC rugby for both North Harbour and Manawatu, has played for the Blues and played 37 tests for Samoan from 2012-19. Returning to Wellington, he played for Avalon in 2021 and 2022 and for the HOBM Eagles this year. We did a story with him last year which can be read here https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2022/04/27/teofilo-paulo-bringing-wisdom-to-avalon/
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A “new” Ranfurly Shield made its debut on Saturday as the old one (since 1904) was in a state of deterioration. We might be bringing more about this in the next couple of days so watch this space.
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The OBU Scallywags play Auckland champions Pakuranga in the next round of the National U85kg Knockout Cup. Details of this game to be confirmed. Update: It is understood that this going to be played at Wellington – venue and time TBC.
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Congratulations to Manukura for winning the Hurricanes schoolgirls final last Wednesday over St Mary’s College Manukura won 30-19, after clinging to a 25-19 lead before a lineout turnover and match-sealing try on fulltime propelled them into the Top 4 Final. Manukura will play the South Island champion on day one, likely to be Christchurch Girls’ High School whom they shared the title with last year with a drawn final. Manukura plays the South Island winner on day at the Top 4.
Just on that final last Wednesday for the Rex Kerr Cup. Why was it in Palmerston North (again)? Home ground advantage tends to play out in this particular match. So perhaps next year it could be somewhere neutral in the middle such as Waikanae or Otaki? Same goes this weekend for Palmerston North BHS v Scots (if it is Scots, see above), this could be played somewhere in the middle?
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Alex Fidow for openside flanker? He has played in each of his last two games for the Wellington Samoans and was directly involved in two of their best tries on Saturday against the Wellington Maori side. One involved a chip ahead and regather and offload to the try scorer in support. Many will know the former Hurricanes tighthead prop spent some time in Brisbane earlier this year playing club rugby league. He returned a couple of months ago having shedded plenty of weight and reappeared for some games for the Ories Premier 2 team in the backs.
We missed getting footage of the two tries he was involved in because we were taking photos at the time, but a couple more of Fidow’s highlights above.
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An entertaining match at William Jones Park for the hearty 200 or so strong crowd plus those involved in the match. The Samoans won 46-8, mostly on the back of a strong scrum and lineout and also because they had Wellington Lions squad members Ethan Webster-Nonu and Joe Faleafaga (three tries) out wide. But the Maori had plenty of chances and the run of play was often closer than the final scoreline showed.
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Congratulations to Selica Winiata for playing her 100th match for Manawatu on Saturday. “That’s our tewhatewha which is a long-handled Māori club weapon shaped like an axe,” she explained. “It was made by a master carver with a good understanding of who we are and want to be as people. It signifies our unity and willingness to battle. It’s our mauri. We all touch it before kick-off,”
“It hasn’t always been easy to get it through customs. There are kārearea * feathers on top of it donated by Doc. It goes everywhere with us and will be coming to Dunedin on Saturday.”
*In Māori legend It was believed that the bird would fly to the missing wife or husband and land on their head. Unable to resist the spell, they would return home. The kārearea (falcon) was also used to bring back a straying partner by dropping a feather on their head.
Century of Appearances for Manawatū
Garry Knight, 145*
Ken Granger, 128*
Geoff Old, 117*
Murray Rosenbrook, 111
Mark Donaldson, 110*
Bruce Hemara, 108*
Perry Harris, 108*
Kevin Eveleigh, 107*
Nick Crosswell, 104
Don McCaskie, 101
Selica Winiata, 100
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When provinces go into battle with themselves for crowds at their own matches.
An absolute shocker in the scheduling department in the North Harbour – Auckland NPC and ‘Battle of the Bridge’ fixture on Saturday afternoon. The match was set up as a direct clash, with both province’s school First XV finals on at the same time. The Auckland “1A” final is a big deal up there and reportedly duly got a 5,000-strong crowd. The NPC game was a North Harbour home match, but they too had their First XV final on at the same time. So perhaps North Harbour scheduled their NPC home game against Auckland deliberately because of this, whilst using their own school final as collateral damage. That’s a crazy statement for us to make! But why else would they do this? Is it just incompetence?
Other unions aren’t immune to scheduling games so as to minimise crowds and fragment their own support base. In Wellington on Saturday there were several matches on all basically at the same time and scattered to the wind. Whilst the Lions were playing Southland at the Hutt Rec, the Wellington Centurions (B team), Samoans, Maori, Fijians and U19 teams were all playing elsewhere, plus some school finals and matches.
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Sacred Heart College won their first 1A Auckland title in 58 years when they defeated unbeaten St Kentigern College 39-29 in the final in Waitematā on Saturday. Rico Simpson scored 19 points for the victors and looks a good bet for New Zealand Schools’ first-five.
Westlake Boys’ High School won the North Harbour 1A final by 42-8 over Rosmini College. Westlake won all 13 round robin games and had a point difference of +722.
Southland Boys’ High School will represent the South Island in the Top 4 tournament in a fortnight. Southland BHS beat Christchurch BHS 29-28 on Saturday in Invercargill (see fulltime below).
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Good to see the return to playing of Callum Harkin. The influential OBU first five cruelly broke his hand several weeks ago playing for OBU against the Upper Hutt Rams, but was back on the teamsheet for the Wellington Centurions on Saturday.
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No water at the Te Whaea ground, because they stole the copper pipes in the bathrooms!
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Week two of the Heartland Championship and another high scoring round of matches.
Horowhenua-Kapiti lost 28-48 to West Coast in their first home match of the season at Levin – their second straight big loss to start the season.
Wairarapa-Bush were smoked 50-3 by North Otago in Oamaru, while Whanganui edged Buller 13-5 in Westport. Ngāti Porou East Coast beat Mid Canterbury 19-8 at home in Ruatoria.
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Auckland issued a statement in the Farah Palmer Cup with a convincing second half in ending Waikato’s unbeaten run. Canterbury come to town next weekend in what’s shaping up as a preview of the final. Meanwhile Hawke’s Bay have gone from Championships winners to Premiership semi-finals in the space of one season.
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Thoughts were with Te Upoko oTe Ika radio commentator Lee Campbell, who was due to join Gordon Noble-Campbell on the commentary on Saturday at William Jones Park, but called Gordon as he was setting up at William Jones Park to say he wouldn’t be making it because he was involved in a car crash on the way to the ground.
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Former Wellington College and Marist St Pat’s prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen has signed with the Queensland Reds for next season, along with former Bluesman Alex Hodgman.
This was announced last week at https://reds.rugby/news/queensland-reds-sign-all-blacks-alex-hodgman-and-jeffery-toomagaallen-2023814
Great for them, but if Australian Super Rugby teams have to prop up both sides of their scrum with New Zealanders then what does that say about their depth?
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Last week the NZRU announced some women’s internationals in October. These are great, but also mean a clash with the NPC final on the weekend of 20th October? Ironic too that this announcement was on the same day an article came out about the NZR boss saying that the NPC was not fit for purpose.
NZR obviously don’t rate the Lions’ chances with the women’s matches in Wellington on the Friday night and Saturday afternoon and evening. If Wellington do host the final is it going to have to be shunted to Sunday afternoon? Or played at the Hutt Rec/Porirua Park?
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The 2024 Super Rugby draw was announced with much fanfare last Tuesday, across the various Super Rugby franchises.
The Hurricanes play all but one of their home matches at night or on Sunday. Their last match on 1 June is scheduled for 4.35pm, so no direct clash with club rugby but that afternoon slot is still cutting it fine and still asking Wellington clubs to forgo bar takings and club evenings so everyone can get to the Hurricanes match.
Hurricanes schedule 2024:
- Round1: Friday 23 February vs Western Force 12:00am (A)
- Round2: Sunday 3 March vs Reds 4:00pm – SUPER ROUND (H) – Super Round
- Round3: Saturday 9 March vs Blues 7:05pm (H) – Kids Round
- Round4: Friday 15 March vs Crusaders 7:05pm (A)
- Round5: Friday 22 March vs Rebels 7:05pm (H)
- Round 6: Saturday 30 March vs Highlanders 7:05pm (A)
- Round7: BYE ROUND
- Round8: Saturday 13 April vs Chiefs 7:05pm (H)
- Round9: Friday 19 April vs Fiji Drua 7:05pm (A)
- Round10: Saturday 27 April vs Brumbies 4:35pm (A) – ANZAC Round
- Round11: Friday 3 May vs Waratahs 7:05pm (H)
- Round12: Saturday 11 May vs Blues 7:05pm (A)
- Round13: Friday 17 May vs Moana Pasifika 7:05pm (H) – Culture Round
- Round14: Friday 24 May vs Chiefs 7:05pm (A)
- Round15: Saturday 1 June vs Highlanders 4:35pm (H)
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Owen Farrell’s overturned red card is a real issue, for this reason alone:
The risk of brain injuries in rugby is now – rightly – being taken far more seriously than it was. So could someone please explain how Owen Farrell’s red card has been downgraded to a yellow? Utterly baffling. pic.twitter.com/kDJy5iAKme
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) August 15, 2023
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Interesting use of the advantage law during the last play of the game in yesterday’s NPC thriller between Hawke’s Bay and Otago. Hawke’s Bay were leading 33-27 and won a turnover centre field with fulltime fast approaching. The referee then put his arm out for a penalty advantage for Hawke’s Bay so Caleb Makene had a crack with a chip and chase over the defensive line. Otago reined in the kick and instead of the penalty being duly blown for the Magpies to close out the game the referee ruled advantage over and Otago proceeded to score a kick and chase try in the far corner to close the gap to 33-32. Replacement Finn Hurley missed the sideline conversion, but if he had got it then the Magpies might have been questioning the advantage law as it was applied.
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When the All Blacks play South Africa at Twickenham this weekend it will be their 50th Test match at a neutral venue. Of the 50 Tests the All Blacks have played on neutral soil, 38 have been at the Rugby World Cup. The first ‘neutral’ test was the 1987 World Cup semi-final against Wales in Ballymore, Brisbane. The All Blacks won 49-6 with Welsh lock Huw Richards receiving the first red card in World Cup history. The All Blacks First Test on neutral soil that wasn’t a World Cup fixture was a Bledisloe Cup Test in Honk Kong in 2008. The All Blacks beat the Wallabies 19-14 after being down five at halftime. Isaia Toeava was awarded the player of the day. Dainiel Carter kicked three penalties and Richie McCaw and Sitiveni Sivivatu scored tries. They have 40 wins in 49 Tests.
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Ireland have won their last dozen Tests. They had another win against England 29-10 this weekend. Keith Earls scored a try in his 100th Test.
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The Manawatu Standard is one publication that still covers rugby (even TV3 appears to have rejected local rugby coverage, in fact their entire sports news on Saturday night was Australian sports news not NZ news, but this is another topic).
Long-time sports reporter Peter Lampp has good insight in his column here on Friday:
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