Lions to host Hawke’s Bay and Heartland teams vying for semi-finals

• By Scott MacLean & Steven White

The sole fixture in Wellington tomorrow is the ninth and final NPC round-robin match at Wellington Stadium between the Wellington Lions and Hawke’s Bay, while Wellington’s immediate neighbours, Horowhenua-Kapiti and Wairarapa-Bush are vying for Lochore Cup semi-finals spots next week.

The Lions could wind up anywhere from first to fifth after the weekend, but before getting into those there’s the demons of last Friday’s horror show in Pukekohe to exorcise. The side gets a boost with Billy Proctor returning from the All Blacks and he’ll partner Riley Higgins in midfield, so Peter Umaga-Jensen drops to the bench which presumably means Julian Savea will start as the skipper. Losi Filipo makes his first appearance on the year in place of Stanley Solomon on the left wing, and Kyle Preston swaps in for Nui Muriwai at halfback. Up front Hugo Plummer, Akira Ieremia, and Sione Halalilo all return with Peter Lakai returning to No. 8.

A win would see the Lions have hosting rights next and for a semi-final, and could finish top of Taranaki beat Tasman and take the Ranfurly Shield back to New Plymouth. A loss however could see them slide as low as fifth behind their opponents Hawke’s Bay, as well as Taranaki and Bay of Plenty (who face Auckland) should they both win.

The Magpies are safely in the quarter-finals, but a win over Wellington will give them a home quarter-final at their Latham St headquarters in Napier next week. Since losing the Ranfurly Shield to Tasman, their form has been erratic, but they beat Auckland by a point last week. Devan Flanders is back in the loose forwards from injury.

A number of familiar players to both sides in the line-ups, but a feature is the Higgins versus Higgins clash at . Riley (Wellington) goes up against his older brother Kienan (Hawke’s Bay).

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Huddy Sports spoke to Wellington Lions head coach Alando Soakai this week – watch the conversation at 6.00pm tonight at this link here:

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The Lions and the Magpies have a rich history – which we have covered several times on this website over the past few years so we are not going to regurgitate here. To see injured Lions players dancing half naked visit the Lions’ Instagram channel. To absorb a few fast facts related to tomorrow’s match see below:

• Hawke’s Bay have won their last three matches in the head-to-head series – 20-18 (Ranfurly Shield) and 25-24 (semi-final) last year and 28-21 in the 2021 (quarter-final).
• Wellington and Hawke’s Bay have now played 31 matches at NPC level. Wellington has won 18 of them to Hawke’s Bay’s 11. There have been two drawn matches.
• The first match between Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, played on 29 August 1885 at Newtown Park in Wellington, this was Hawke’s Bay’s first inter-union match and Wellington won 4-0 (two tries to nil) at Wellington
• Wellington’s biggest score against Hawke’s Bay is 67 (67-36) in 1995 in a non-NPC match at Napier and their widest margin of victory is 53 points (49-5) in 1914, their 10 tries in that game also a record. Hawke’s Bay’s biggest win and widest margin of victory against Wellington is 58-8 in 1926 in a famous Ranfurly Shield defence at Napier.

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The scramble is on for Meads and Lochore Cup places in the Heartland Championship, and both Horowhenua-Kapiti and Wairarapa-Bush are in the back end of that mix.

Horowhenua-Kapiti sit in 7th place, and owing to the draw are probably certain to be playing in the Lochore Cup next week. Whether that’s at home or away will come down to what they can get out of tomorrow and a difficult trip to Whitianga to take on Thames Valley who themselves have hopes of pipping Whanganui for hosting rights to a Meads Cup semifinal next weekend. Esi Komaisavai, Brandyn Laursen, Mika Alaifatu, and William Rua all start.

For Wairarapa-Bush it’s a simple equation, beat East Coast in Ruatoria tomorrow – preferably with a bonus point – and they’re in while a loss ends their campaign. Wainuiomata’s Jordan Sului starts, as do recent Upper Hutt Rams Tafa Tafa and Soli Malatai and former Orie Ambrose Curtis.

In the other matches leaders South Canterbury are across the Alps in Greymouth to face West Coast and Whanganui host King Country at Cooks Gardens in two matches that will help set the top-six picture. Fourth-place Mid Canterbury host bottom-side Poverty Bay in Ashburton, and further down SH1 North Otago welcomes Buller to Oamaru to finish off their respective campaigns