Representative season underway this weekend, last round of college rugby

Matt Proctor made his first appearance in Wellington colours since 2018 today at NZCIS. He joined his brother Billy (in the background) on the field in the second half. Wellington won 5 tries to 4

• By Steven White & Scott MacLean

Monday afternoon edition. It’s the first of two transition weekends coming up, with the bulk of the club rugby season over and ushering in the start of the more than tw0-month representative season in Wellington and the lower North Island. 

The Wellington Lions and Manawatu Turbos squads met at a wet and slippery NZCIS ground earlier on Friday in their final hit-outs before the start of the 2024 NPC season next weekend.

Wellington won 5 tries to 4 (31-24 TBC fulltime score) in a match that couldn’t be read too much into, particularly as both teams used multiple subs in the second half. Both teams scored three tries in the first half – two of Wellington’s tries coming from cross-kicks out to right wing Riley Higgins and starting fullback Stanley Solomon, who interestingly moved to halfback late in the game.  The other was to left wing Pepesana Patafilo. Manawatu’s first two tries came by way of lineout drives in the far left corner and the third a powerful run off the back of a scrum by captain and best player, No. 8 Brayden Iose.

A feature of the second half was the introduction of the Proctor brothers, returning All Black Billy to the midfield and older brother and returning Lion Matt to the right wing.

Wellington scored the first try of the second half through starting openside flanker Peter Lakai, converted out wide by another returning player, Jackson Garden-Bachop. The Turbos struck back with a penalty try after a player was ruled to have been tackled early near the line, while Wellington’s fifth try and match-winner was another cross-kick. Billy Proctor kicked across for second half fullback Chicago Doyle to regather and pass back inside to replacement hooker Leon Tuiloma for the try.

Club 

Moving on to Saturday, and there is still some club rugby in Wellington.

It is the semi-finals of the Reserve Grade Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup, with both knockout matches in town. Unbeaten Marist St Pat’s Internationals host the Upper Hutt Thirsty Rams on Kilbirnie Park 2 at 1.00pm and the OBU Righteous Pink Ginners and the Wests Roosters Mixed Veges meet on Prince of Wales 2 at 2.45pm.

It’s also Wellington club rugby President’s Day, hosted by Marist St Pat’s at Evans Bay and Kilbirnie Parks tomorrow, with all games there and then an after-match at the Marist St Pat’s clubrooms above Hataitai Park.

College

The round-robin of both the Premiership and Premier 2 concludes tomorrow, and even though the four semi-finalists have been found there is still seeding to be determined in both.

Unbeaten Wellington College (38) will look to hold onto the Premiership lead when they host Tawa (7) on the slopes of Mt Victoria while Silverstream (35) will be hoping for an upset to nab top spot when they welcome Paraparaumu (10) to Upper Hutt. Town (30) will aim to hold onto third when they take on bottom-side Hutt International (6) at Evans Bay with Scots (27) looking to move up one as they face St Bernard’s (11) at home. All four of these matches are at 2.30pm, with the fifth seeing Rongotai (20) make the trip to Masterton to face Wairarapa College (19) at 1.00pm.

In Premier 2 the interest is who will be top qualifier with both the Silverstream and Wellington College 2^nd XV locked on 31 points each. Having played a 12-all draw in their round-robin, meaning seeding could fall to points-difference where Silverstream has a +32 edge. Stream are away at Bishop Viard (16) for an 11:30am start, with College hosting the Rongotai 2nds (5) at 1.00pm. Hutt Valley HS (30) are assured of third and will wait to see whether they head north or south next weekend as they have the bye, while Porirua (21) are certain to finish fourth and could know where they’ll be headed next weekend by the time they kick-off at Aotea (15) at 2.30pm. The fourth game of the day is also at 2.30pm with Taita (6) hosting the Town 2nds (7).

Representative

Representative games on Saturday see the Wellington Māori team play the Horowhenua-Kapiti Heartland squad at Porirua Park at 2.00pm.

The Wellington U19s have their first hit-out of their 2024 campaign when they meet the Waikatao U19s in their annual pre-season match at Memorial Park, Taihape.

The Wellington Pride and Pride Development teams meet at Rugby League Park in an intra-squad pre-season match. The Pride host Tasman at Porirua Park next Saturday afternoon in their WNPC opener.

There is also rounds two and three of the Hurricanes Heartland U20 competition in Bulls on Saturday and Sunday, from which the team will be selected to play against the Wellington, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay U19 teams in the upcoming Central Region Shield.

Teams (as received or seen by mid-morning Friday)

Wellington Lions: 

1. Kazuki Kato – Western Suburbs
2. Penieli Poasa – Ories
3. Siale Lauaki – Tawa
4. Hugo Plummer – Tawa
5. Akira Ieremia – Tawa
6. Dominic Ropeti – Ories
7. Peter Lakai – Petone
8. Benjamin Tuiomanufili – HOBM
9. Kyle Preston – OBU
10. Jackson Garden-Bachop – Norths
11. Pepesana Patafilo – Tawa
12. Julian Savea – Ories
13. Peter Umaga-Jenson – Wainui
14. Riley Higgins – Petone
15. Stanley Solomon – Petone
16. Leon Tuiloma – UH Rams
17. Yota Kamimori – Stokes Valley
18. Ruben Ape – Norths
19. Teofilo Paulo – HOBM
20. Conner Tuifao – Petone
21. Isaac Bracewell – Ories
22. Callum Harkin – OBU
23. Matt Proctor – Ories
24. Billy Proctor – Marist St Pats
25. Tjay Clarke – Petone
26. Chicago Doyle – Ories

Wellington U19s: 

1. Alex Hewitt – Upper Hutt Rams
2. To’e Lokeni – Wellington
3. Faenza Snowdon – Petone
4. Blaine Knapman – Upper Hutt Rams
5. Lennox Easthope – Petone
6. Harry Irving (C) – Old Boys University
7. Braith Ingram – Petone
8. Finn O’Sullivan – Old Boys University
9. Jayde Burns – Northern United
10. Emery McGill – Petone
11. Jacob Kennedy (VC) – Johnsonville
12. Ietitaia Campbell – Upper Hutt Rams
13. Josh Semu – Oriental Rongotai
14. Jacob Denyer – Tawa
15. Josh Leafa-Paki – Wainuiomata
16. Semurana Fepulea’i – Oriental Rongotai
17. Israel Time – Hutt Old Boys Marist
18. Marley Fretton – Paremata-Plimmerton
19. Marcus Alexopoulos – Petone
20. Levi Morgan – Hutt Old Boys Marist
21. Thoma Takeuchi – Old Boys University
22. Brodee Tetevano – Hutt Old Boys Marist
23. JT Taula – Paremata-Plimmerton
24. Siaosi Siupolu – Paremata-Plimmerton

Injured/Unavailable:

• Solomona Vaka – Old Boys University
• Jackson Mendoza – Upper Hutt Rams
• Braydon Soi – Wainuiomata
• Taufa Kaufonogo – Marist St Pats
• Elysium Tolova’a-Stanley – Marist St Pats
• Stanley Solomon – Petone

Manawatu Turbos: