Wellington Lions v Counties Manukau Stat Attack

The Wellington Lions have now played Counties Manukau 38 times in NPC rugby. The Lions have won 23 times to Counties Manukau’s 13. There have been two drawn matches.

After having won the previous six encounters on the trot, Wellington’s loss to Counties Manukau was their first since being beaten 55-7 at Pukekohe in 2014, 10 years ago to the day.

This was the first time the Lions conceded 50 or more points in any match since losing 28-53 against Waikato at Hamilton in 2020.

The Lions have now had 50 or more points scored against them on 11 occasions: Canterbury has done so three times, Auckland and Counties Manukau (twice), and once each by Manawatu, Otago, Taranaki and Waikato.

The Lions have now had 51 points scored twice against them and for the record every other possible  score up to and including 55 points. Therefore, the lowest score yet to be registered in a NPC match against Wellington is 56 points.

This was the first time the Lions remained scoreless in the first half (0-24) since being 0-11 at the break against Tasman at Porirua in 2020. Tasman eventually won that match 19-3.

It was also Wellington’s worst halftime score against any side since trailing Otago 0-28 at Dunedin in 2016. Otago went on to win that match 44-21.

Counties Manukau started the match with 98 tries against the Lions. The second of the six they scored brought up 100 and the first had brought up their 50th in home matches.

Wellington made four changes to their starting XV against Counties Manukau from the one which played the previous match against Bay of Plenty. There was one change in the backs and three changes in the forwards.

Dominic Ropeti started a match in the No 4 jersey for the first time. His previous four starts had all been at No 6.

Stanley Solomon also started in an unfamiliar position for the first time. He was in jersey No 11: his previous two starts had been at No 14 and No 15 respectively.

Leon Tuiloma made his debut for the Lions when he went on as a replacement for Leni Apisai in the 54th minute. He is the first Lions player to make his debut against Counties Manukau since Sam Smith, also at Pukekohe, in October 2020.

Tuiloma brought the number of players to have made an appearance for the Lions in 2024 to 38: that total includes 13 debutants.

In his fourth match (and second start), Jeremiah Avei-Collins scored his first try for the Lions. For Peter Umaga-Jensen it was his 20th try in 65 matches for Wellington.

Jackson Garden-Bachop, who started, did not have the opportunity to add to his total of 68 points against Counties Manukau. He was replaced after 54 minutes and it was not until the 75th minute his replacement, Callum Harkin, made the Lions’ first attempt to kick a goal.

AJ Alatimu scored 26 points (one try, six conversions and three penalties) to establish a new point- scoring record for a Counties Manukau player in a match against Wellington. The previous record had been 20 points scored on two occasions: by Stu Hollier at Wellington in 1989, and Blair Feeney at Pukekohe in 1996.

Alatimu brought up 50 points for the season and now has a total of 65 to his name.

Of the other five Counties Manukau try scorers, only one had previously scored against the Lions. Kauvaka Kaivelata also dotted down at Pukekohe in 2022.

Wellington lost the Jonah Tali Lomu Memorial Trophy which is contested between them and Counties Manukau. The late Jonah Lomu played 28 matches for Counties Manukau from 1994 to 1999 scoring 19 tries including two against Wellington. Between 2000 and 2003 he played 21 matches for Wellington and scored 13 tries, three of which were against Counties Manukau.

Referee Michael Winter was in charge of his third match involving the Lions. His first time with the whistle was in 2017 and the second was not until the opening match of this season. The Lions won those first two matches.

Wellington’s overall record in the NPC is: played 509 matches, won 323 (63.5%), lost 174 and  drawn 12.