Wellington Lions v Counties Manukau Quarter-final stat attack

Wellington and Counties Manukau have now met on 39 occasions in the NPC. Wellington has won 24 of those matches, Counties Manukau has won 13. There have been two draws.

Wellington has won their last four matches at home against Counties Manukau. The visitors last win (31-25) was at Wellington in 2010.

The Wellington Lions have won 11 of their 18 home matches against Counties Manukau.

The Lions win reverses their loss (12-51) against Counties Manukau at Pukekohe in Round 8.

Wellington has won all six of their home matches played this season. This is one short of them equalling their record of winning the first seven of the eight they played in 2008 and all seven played in 2017.

The Lions have now played in six Quarter-final matches and won them all. The previous five were against Canterbury in 2006 (Won 36-23), Southland in 2007 (Won 45-3), Taranaki in 2008 (Won 50-30), Hawke’s Bay in 2022 (Won 28-21) and Waikato in 2023 (Won 32-28). All six matches were played in Wellington.

The win against Counties Manukau was the Lions 100th victory in all NPC matches (138) they have played at Westpac/Sky Stadium. For the record, the number of wins recorded against the different unions and the matches played are: Auckland (five wins from 11 matches), Bay of Plenty (10 from 12), Canterbury (11 from 15), Counties Manukau (six from seven), Hawke’s Bay (six from 10), Manawatu (four from seven), North Harbour (nine from 12), Northland (nine from 10), Otago (seven from 12), Southland (10 from 11), Taranaki (nine from 11), Tasman (five from eight) and Waikato (nine from 12).

Matches between Wellington and Counties Manukau have in recent years been high-scoring affairs. However, the aggregate of 43 in this match is the lowest since the combined total was 41 at Athletic Park in 1995 when the hosts lost 8-33.

The Lions scored five tries against Counties Manukau to take their total in all NPC home matches to exactly 1000.

Wellington’s first-ever NPC home match was against North Auckland at the old Athletic Park on 10 July 1976. The home side won 13-0. Two tries were scored, by Stu Wilson and Kevin Phelan. Who got the first one though?

For the fourth time in 11 matches played this season, Wellington was not headed at any stage during 80 minutes of play.

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

Riley Higgins scored his 14th try in his 29th match for the Lions. It was his second try against Counties Manukau: also in 2022.

Du’Plessis Kirifi returned to the side having missed the previous seven matches due to injury. This was his 50th match in charge since taking over the reins in 2019 from the then departed but now returned Matt Proctor. Kirifi has missed several matches since then and there have been five different players who have led Wellington in his absence. James Blackwell did so six times, TJ Perenara twice, James O’Reilly once, Peter Umaga-Jensen eight times and Peter Lakai once.

Du’Plessis Kirifi scored a try on his return. It was his 16th in 67 matches for the Lions and fourth against Counties Manukau: also in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Billy Proctor touched down for his 13th try in his 63rd match. It was his fifth try against Counties Manukau: also in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Billy has now scored one more try than his brother Matt whose 12 tries were scored in 55 appearances.

TJ Perenara made his first appearance of the season having not played for Wellington since the NPC Final against Canterbury at Christchurch in 2022. He scored his seventh try in his 33rd match since making his debut against Southland at Invercargill way back in 2010.

Some would say he was gifted his try by Asafo Aumua (also playing his first match of 2024) who passed the ball to Perenara when he could have scored himself. However, Aumua has had his fair share of tries against Counties Manukau having scored once during the match played in 2018 and four times in the match played in 2022.

Perenara and Aumua took the number of players who have made at least one appearance for the Lions this season to 41.

Kyle Preston scored his eighth try (second against Counties Manukau: also 2023) in his 22nd appearance for the Lions. He had the honour of scoring Wellington’s 1000th try in all home matches.

Jackson Garden-Bachop made his 99th appearance for Wellington in this match. He kicked just four points but his overall total in all matches is 778 including 72 in eight outings against Counties Manukau. It was his 50th match at a home venue.

Ruben Love had one (unsuccessful) attempt at kicking a conversion.

Adam Brash scored the first of Counties Manukau’s two tries. He had also scored during the match played in Round 8.

Cameron Roigard scored his first try against Wellington. They were not his first points though as he had converted team-mate Ioane Moananu’s try against the Lions at Pukekohe in 2022.

AJ Alatimu had just one kick at goal (a conversion) but he was successful and maintained his 100% record against Wellington in 2024. He had scored 26 points in the Round 8 match which included a try and all nine from his nine attempts at goal kicking: six conversions and three penalties.

Zuriel Togiatama was awarded a yellow card in the 21st minute. Perhaps surprisingly he is the first opposition player to receive one against Wellington this season.

Dr Ben O’Keeffe was in charge of his fifth NPC match (since 2018) which involved Wellington. He also refereed their Quarterfinal match against Hawke’s Bay in 2022. So far Wellington has won all five matches on his watch.

Nick Hogan and Jack Sargentina were the Assistant Referees and Jared Clarke was the TMO.

Wellington has progressed to the Semifinals and will meet Waikato at Wellington on Saturday 19th.

Wellington’s overall record in the NPC is: played 511 matches, won 325 (63.6%), lost 174 and drawn 12.