Last club rugby final, U85kg matches, First XV semi-finals and week two of representative rugby tomorrow

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

Updates 2: The Wellington Lions beat Auckland 29-21 (halftime 19-7) in their opening round NPC fixture in Auckland on Friday night. More here: http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/national/games-results.php?competition=44&season=21&round=1

Updated: A buffet of rugby on tomorrow. A preview and some teamlists as received below.

Club

The Reserve Grade Division 2 Final for the Alan Seerup Cup is tomorrow at Evans Bay Park at 2.30pm, between the MSP Internationals and the Wests Roosters Mixed Veges. This will be one not to miss.

There are also some National U85kg Cup knockout matches in the lower North Island tomorrow, including Poneke v Coastal (Taranaki) at Kilbirnie Park at 12.00pm U85kg games are below:

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College

The college season is rapidly approaching its conclusion with some semi-finals and finals action tomorrow.

At the top end the Premiership is at the semi-finals stage ahead of next Sunday’s final at Porirua Park. As per the headline image to this story,Wellington College put their unbeaten campaign on the line when they take on Scots at home and looking to, at worse, replicate the 21-17 win from the early weeks of the season. The other semi-final is the all St Patricks-affair as Silverstream hosts Town, where the visitors will have to be a much-different side than the one that copped a record 5-50 defeat in the Traditional just a couple of weeks ago, albeit on the back of the sudden passing of their coach Willie Leota.

Silverstream and Wellington College will also host the two semi-finals in Premier 2. The Silverstream 2nds will host Porirua College at 12.15pm, with the College 2nds at home to face Hutt Valley High School at 1.00pm.

The Premier 3 semi-finals have the Silverstream 3rds taking on Mana and Onslow-Newlands face the St Bernard’s 2nds, and in the Premier 4 matches the Town Colts XV plays the Wellington College U16s XV and the HIBS 2nds take on the Town Seniors XV.

There are three finals being played tomorrow, all at Rongotai College and all in the lightweight grades. The host school takes on Hutt International in the U65kg Championship final for the Ina Hansen Cup, with Silverstream White and Wellington College Black meeting in the Division 2 decider. HIBS will also contest the final of the true lightweights, the U55kg decider for the David Scott Cup as they take on top-qualifiers Wellington College Gold.

Representative

The Lions start their campaign tonight with a blockbuster at Eden Park against Auckland, the latest instalment in one of New Zealand rugby’s oldest rivalries. We covered much of that history here yesterday, but after coughing up the Ranfurly Shield and then losing in the semi-finals – both to Hawkes Bay – bringing the title back to the capital is at the forefront of expectations.

The Pride start their Farah Palmer Cup Championship campaign tomorrow against Tasman just after noon at Porirua Park. After last year’s limp exit from the Premiership, winning the Championship and an immediate return to the top-flight should be the only goal for this term. Tasman have been steady performers on the competitions second-tier but haven’t threatened promotion themselves and last year’s return of two wins over Taranaki and North Harbour and a second win over Taranaki in the quarter-final (before being well beaten by Manawatu in the semi-finals) represented one of their better seasons. It’s hard to see them troubling the Pride too much and a comfortable five competition points should be the minimum return for the hosts.

The other represeantive sides in action see the Wellington Centurions away in Whanganui to provide the warm up for the locals Heartland Championship campaign, the Wellington Māori are in Palmerston North against theie Manawatu counterparts or the Miki Haddon Memorial Taonga, and the Wellington Samoans and Wellington Fijians meet at Ngati Toa Domain.

TEAMS (as received):

Wellington Samoans:

1. Werdna Maligi-Leota (Pare-Plim) Sala’ilua Vaiusu Mulifanua
2. TBC
3. Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe (Norths) Satalo Falealili
4. Ruperake Oloapu (Ories) Tufulele Safune
5. Siale Siale (Poneke) Leauva’a
6. David Taoipu (Poneke) Fasito’outa Fogapoa
7. Daniel ‘DJ’ Taoipu (Poneke) Fasito’outa Fogapoa [CC]
8. Pene To’o (Upper Hutt) Toamua Sa’anapu Fusi Safata
9. Devon Sopoaga (Poneke) Saleimoa Nofoali’i Ti’avea Aleipata
10. Solomona Uelese (Tawa) Solosolo Vaimoso
11. Iosefo Aukusitino (Marist St Pats) Matatufu Sapapali’I Falealupo Mauga o Vaea
12. Emmanuel Solomona (Upper Hutt) Sagone Vaivase Uta
13. Ben Tuiatua (Wellington) Matatufu Fasito’outa
14. Campbell Cowie (Wainuiomata) Vaivase Tai [CC]
15. Francis Mettrick (Marist St Pats) Faleula
16. Patrick Sitagata (Poneke)
17. Joseph Ulugia Ah Sini (Tawa) Vaiusu Safune
18. Seth Koneferenisi (Upper Hutt) Lotofaga Satapuala
19. Tana Maene-Lokeni (OBU) Levili Tutuila Aleipata Leulumoega
20. Ronaldo Seumanufagai (Ories) Tufulele Malie Palauli
21. Kalim Kelemete (Tawa) Nofoali’i
22. Fereti Soloa (HOBM) Moata’a Apia
23. Ethan Webster-Nonu (Pare-Plim) Iva Fasito’otai
24. Herman Seumanufagai (Ories) Tufulele Malie Palauli

Wellington Centurions:

Injured – Isaac Bracewell, Benjamin Tuiomanufili, Matolu Petaia, Boston Hunt, Keelan Whitman
Unavailable – Carlos Hihi, Daniel Tafili, George Risale

Wellington Pride:

1. Angelica Schwencke (Petone)
2. Valini Vaka (Poneke-OBU)
3. Lavinia Lea (Petone)
4. Jackie Patea-Fereti (Petone) (captain)
5. Sophie Irving (Poneke-OBU)
6. Fanua Rimoni (Wainuiomata)*
7. Sinead Ryder (Ories)
8. Nina Foaese (Norths)
9. Milly Mackey (Petone)
10. Keira Su’a-Smith (Petone)*
11. Harmony Kautai (Petone)
12. Fa’asua Makisi (Ories)
13. Shakira Baker (Pare-Plim)
14. Drenna Falaniko (Petone)
15. Billie Va’a (Wainuiomata)*
16. Paige Misky (Norths)
17. Tess Woldring (Petone)*
18. Roimata Parata (Pare-Plim)*
19. Anyis Drossaerts-Lake (Norths)*
20. Te Raukura Leafe (Petone)*
21. Litia Bulicakau (Petone)*
22. Rebekah Cordero-Tufuga (Pare-Plim)*
23. Arene Landon-Lane (Norths)

* debut

Te Upoko Wellington Maori:

1. Evan Bishop (Tawa)
2. Luke Flett (Petone)
3. Geordie Bean (OBU)
4. Klein Salmon (Norths)
5. Xavier Tavai (Norths)
6. Tane McMillan-Parata (Pare-Plim)
7. Dylan Selkirk (Johnsonville)
8. Blake Love (OBU)
9. Declan Hay (Ories)
10. Rory Woollett (Petone)
11. Rewiti Katene Leat (Tawa)
12. Jarrod Adams (Petone)
13. Jackson Wright (OBU)
14. Josh Morgan Ranui (OBU)
15. Randall Bishop (Tawa)

16. Damien Henare (HOBM)
17. Danny Herewini (Pare-Plim)
18. Matt Jacobs (Wainuiomata)
19. Hawaiki Eden
20. Hemi Fermanis (Tawa)
21. Jimmy-Lee Hongara (Poneke)
22. Te Manawa Staples-Rei (Pare-Plim)

Poneke U85kgs:

Coastal (starting XV):

1. Ollie Hall
2. Liam Kupe
3. Jordan Le Fleming
4. Ashton Dobson
5. Jacob Bamber
6.  Simon Julian
7. Finlay Binsbergen
8. Kadyn Luke
9: Kurt Hofmans
10: Peter Grayling
11: Thomas Fisher
12: Liam Mathew’s (Captain)
13: Brodie Calder
14: Milton Helms
15: Dane Hofmans (Vice-Captain)

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