Wellington Lions v Hawke’s Bay Stat Attack

Above: Akira Ieremia makes a break, chased by Hawke’s Bay front rowers Tyrone Thompson and Joel Hintz. Ieremia started for the Lions at blindside flanker for the first time. 

The Wellington Lions defeated Hawke’s Bay 46-28 in the last round of the 2024 NPC on Saturday. The win and other results saw the Lions qualify top for this coming weekend’s quarter-finals. Some facts and figures by Peter Marriott below:

Round 9 v Hawke’s Bay: Won 46-28

Wellington has now played Hawke’s Bay 32 times in NPC rugby. Wellington has won 19 times to Hawke’s Bay’s 11 times. There have been two drawn matches.

The Lions 46 points is their highest-ever score in a NPC match against Hawke’s Bay. Their previous best was 40 points achieved on two separate occasions: 40-15 at Wellington in 1984 and 40-27 at Wellington in 2017.

During the match Wellington brought up 100 tries against Hawke’s Bay. Their second (scored by Kyle Preston) was the 100th: they now sit on a total of 105 tries.

The Lions seven tries equals their record for most tries scored in a match against Hawke’s Bay. They also scored seven at Napier in 1983 and Wellington in 1984: in consecutive matches.

The win against Hawke’s Bay was Wellington’s 99th victory in all NPC matches played at Westpac/Sky Stadium and by coincidence, they have beaten Hawke’s Bay more often there (10 times) than any other union. Canterbury and North Harbour have both lost nine times, Bay of Plenty, Otago, Southland, Taranaki an Waikato (all eight times), Northland and Tasman (seven times), Auckland and Manawatu
(six times) and Counties Manukau five times.

The Lions have won all five of their home games played so far this season.

Wellington made six changes to their starting XV against Hawke’s Bay from the one which played the previous match against Counties Manukau. There were three changes in the backs and three in the forwards.

The Lions have conceded 28 points in three of their last five matches.

After the final match of the regular season Wellington returned to the top of the table equal in points (40) with Taranaki but ahead on points differential. Wellington will play eighth-placed Counties Manukau in their quarter-final. Counties Manukau was one of two sides to beat Wellington this season: 51-12 in Round 8 at Whangarei. Wellington will be the host this time.

Peter Lakai captained the Lions for the first time. He is the third different player to do so this season.

Du’Plessis Kirifi was in charge of the first three before he was injured with Peter Umaga-Jensen leading the following six matches.

Leadership came quickly for Kirifi. His first match in charge was his 16th for the Lions, Umaga-Jensen’s first time as captain was in his 44th match (against Horowhenua-Kapiti in the Ranfurly Shield Challenge match last year). This was Lakai’s 31st match.

Peter Lakai is the first player wearing the No. 8 jersey to captain Wellington since Thomas Waldrom led the side against Otago at Wellington in 2018.

In 2017 Wellington had four different captains: Brad Shields, James Blackwell, Julian Savea and Galu Taufale.

Tjay Clarke scored his ninth try for the Lions in his 16th match.

Kyle Preston’s try was his seventh in 21 matches.

Preston was awarded a yellow card in the seventh minute. It was just the second given out to a Wellington player this season.

Billy Proctor scored his 12th try in 62 matches. It was his second against Hawke’s Bay.

Riley Higgins picked up his 13th try in his 28th appearance for Wellington. Like Proctor, it was his second against Hawke’s Bay. Both of them scored in last year’s Semifinal in Wellington.

For the record, this year Clarke and Higgins have both scored a try in the same match on four occasions. Clarke and Preston have also scored a try together in four matches. The combination of Clarke, Higgins and Preston have all scored a try in the same match twice.

Losi Filipo appeared in his first match of the season. His try was his 11th try in 23 matches since his debut in 2017.

Filipo took the number of players who have made an appearance for Wellington in 2024 to 39. There were 47 players last year but nine of them (including Asafo Aumua) only played in the first two outings which were both pre-season Ranfurly Shield Challenge matches.

Losi Filipo wore the No 11 jersey for the first time since the match against Waikato at Hamilton in 2018.

Julian Savea’s try was his 27th in his 71st match for Wellington. He also scored a try against Hawke’s Bay during the match at Wellington in 2017.

Siale Lauaki scored his second try in 23 matches.

Jackson Garden-Bachop kicked 11 points in the match to take his total in 2024 to 68 and in all matches to 774, including 69 against Hawke’s Bay. He is now within 23 points of equalling John Gallagher who lies in second place on the all-time Wellington point scoring table with 797 points. With three possible matches remaining Garden-Bachop could well bring up those points this season.

Akira Ieremia played on the side of the scrum in the No 6 jersey for the first time after his previous four starts had either been at No 4 or No 5.

For Hawke’s Bay, Harry Godfrey and Tyrone Thompson scored two tries each. Godfrey also kicked eight points for a match total of 18. These are the most points scored by a Hawke’s Bay player against Wellington in a match since Ihaia West scored 20 at Wellington in 2013.

Both Godfrey and Thompson scored their first tries against Wellington but in 2021 when he was playing for the Lions, Thompson scored twice against Hawke’s Bay in Wellington.

Kienan Higgins played at No 12 for Hawke’s Bay. His brother, Riley Higgins, also played in the Number 12 jersey for Wellington.
Referee Todd Petrie was in charge of his first match involving the Lions.

The Wellington players wore black arm-bands in memory of former Wellington players Stephen Hinds (59 matches between 1978 and 1985) and Gerald Kember (43 matches between 1965 and 1970) who both passed away during the previous two weeks.

Wellington’s overall record in the NPC is: played 510 matches, won 324 (63.5%), lost 174 and drawn 12.