Lions and Auckland looking for change in fortunes in Fred Lucas Cup game

Both the Wellington Lions and Auckland will be seeking an uptick in fortunes when they meet on Sunday at Porirua Park in round five of the NPC and in their annual Fred Lucas Memorial Cup game.

Both sides have misfired early in their campaigns, especially Auckland who have yet to register a win, making this game a compelling proposition for followers of lower table stoushes.

Both have been given a boost with the kind reintroduction by those higher up of All Blacks players. Caleb Clarke will be on the wing for Auckland, while Wellington gets three players back that were in Argentina.

All three should solidify the Lions, with Peter Lakai, Kyle Preston and Ruben Love all set to play on Sunday. Lakai lines up at openside flanker, Preston at halfback and Love at fullback.

These players are part of a host of changes to both sides from those which took the field last weekend. Auckland, who lost to Northland 24-43 after trailing 0-26 at one point, make six changes, while the Lions, who went down to Manawatu 26-28, make seven.

In other team news from Wellington’s perspective, PJ Sheck comes into the front row for Siale Lauaki in the only change to their tight five, with Sheck part of the Blues squad earlier this year and playing in Auckland club rugby for Grammar Tec.

Lakai joins Caleb Delany and Dominic Ropeti at No. 8. Ropeti replaces veteran workhorse Brad Shields at No. 8.

A spotlight on Wellington’s backs this week, looking for a sprightlier performance, with evergreen Jackson Garden-Bachop, Julian Savea and Matt Proctor filling the backline with TJ Clarke swapping to the left wing for Tom Maiava, Love to fullback and Stanley Solomon to the reserves.

The Wellington Lions team to play Auckland is:

1. Xavier Numia (Ories)
2. Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
3. PJ Sheck (Tawa)
4. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
5. Akira Ieremia (Tawa)
6. Caleb Delany (OBU)
7. Peter Lakai (Petone)
8. Dominic Ropeti (Ories)
9. Kyle Preston (OBU)
10. Jackson Garden-Bachop (Norths)
11. TJ Clarke (Petone)
12. Julian Savea (Ories)
13. Matt Proctor (Ories)
14. Losi Filipo (Petone)
15. Ruben Love (Wainuiomata)
16. Penieli Poasa (Ories)
17. Yamamoto (Japan)
18. Siale Lauaki (Norths)
19. Matolu Petaia (Tawa)
20. Sione Halalilo (Ories)
21. Esi Komaisavai (Paremata-Plimmerton)
22. Callum Harkin (OBU)
23. Stanley Solomon (Petone)

As far as the points table goes, both sides are in danger of dropping out of the race for this year’s NPC title if they lose this one.

Auckland would be 0/5 and possibly looking at commencing amalgamation talks with North Harbour, while the Lions would be 1/5 and their trophy cabinet would be getting bare.

Having already lost precious silverware to other unions, most recently the Coronation Cup to Manawatu this past Sunday, Wellington will treasure the retention of the Fred Lucas Cup.

The Lions and Auckland will also be opening the season contesting one of several coveted inter-provincial trophies they play for most years, playing for the Fred Lucas Memorial Cup.

Lucas was a 1920s Auckland All Black and captained Auckland to victory over the British and Irish Lions in 1930 and was a post-war All Black selector.

The Lions are holders of the Fred Lucas Cup, having won 29-21 last year in their opening round match at Eden Park.

Last year was their fourth straight win over Auckland, so will be going for a five-peat of victories over them on Sunday.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Wellington and Auckland will be meeting for the 51st time in the National Provincial Championship on Sunday.

Wellington and Auckland’s overall head-to-head record in 141 years of inter-provincial rivalry and in 182 encounters stands at 82 wins to Wellington, 97 to Auckland and three draws.

In 50 competition matches played between the sides in the modern NPC era (since 1976), Wellington has won 19 and Auckland 31.

Wellington has scored 1,084 points against Auckland in all NPC matches, including 127 tries, while Auckland has scored 1,226 points against Wellington, including 147 tries.

WELLINGTON V AUCKLAND HISTORY

Previously published on this website in August 2024 and updated:

• Fred Lucas played 41 matches including seven Tests for the All Blacks between 1923-1930, was a North Island selector from 1939-46, All Black selector in 1945-46 and was a foundation member of the New Zealand Barbarians club. Wellington and Auckland were the first pair of North Island unions to meet in a first-class match, on 8 September 1883.
• During their match at Potter’s Paddock in Epsom in 1894, hail storms were so severe that the players left the field to shelter in the grandstand. When conditions improved play was resumed and Wellington went on to win 13-0.When Auckland beat Wellington in 1897 it was Wellington’s first defeat at home by another New Zealand provincial team in 33 games since the WRFU’s formation in 1880.
• In 1926 Kenneth Svenson scored a hat-trick of tries and kicked a penalty for all Wellington’s points in a 12-16 loss.
• In 1933’s 27-9-win, Wellington scored eight tries with four players scoring twice each. B.A. Killeen, J.L Griffiths, H.T. Lilburne and J.G Dellabarca each scored braces in this game.
• In Wellington’s 23-6 Ranfurly Shield defence against Auckland in 1953, left wing Ron Jarden scored a try and kicked four conversions for 14 points (today worth 16 points).
• In 1955 Jarden enjoyed even richer pickings against Auckland: In the first match between the sides at Athletic Park on 17 September he scored two tries and kicked nine points for 15 points (today worth 19 points) in a 24-19 win. scored four tries and kicked 13 points for 25 points (today worth 33 points). Thus in two games in a week against Auckland, Jarden scored six tries and scored 40 points, which with today’s five-point try values (then three) he would have scored 52 points.
• On 29 September 1956, Wellington defended the Ranfurly Shield against Auckland, winning 9-6.For the final time in his glittering career, Ron Jarden walked off Athletic Park as the star player, having scored a stunning 60-yard try in support of his friend and openside flanker Bill Clark. Jarden’s try (worth three points) and an earlier penalty by him were the match winning points in Wellington’s tense and tight win. Prior to Jarden’s heroics, little separated the two teams with Wellington ahead 6-3 at halftime and the game on a knife-edge.
• In 1963 Wellington famously won the RS off Auckland (8-3) only to lose it seven days later to Taranaki – the shortest ever tenure. This was also the 100th game between the two unions. Then in 1974 Auckland beat Wellington in their second defence 18 days after Wellington had won it off South Canterbury.
• Graham Williams scored two tries in consecutive games against Auckland in 1969 and 1970, and Graham Wallis also bagged two braces in a row in the following two years, 1971 and 1972.
• There have been just three instances of players scoring three or more tries in a match for Wellington against Auckland. These were: Svenson (1926) and M.J Hourigan (1952) with hat tricks and Jarden’s four tries in 1955.
• The 54 points scored by Wellington in 2022 (won 54-19)  is their highest score against Auckland in all NPC matches. Their previous highest score was the 48-23 victory at Auckland in the Semi-final of 2000.
• The eight tries scored by Wellington in 2022 was a new record for them against Auckland. Their previous record was six, on three occasions: at Auckland in 1997, at Auckland in 2003 and Auckland in 2020, the last time the two sides played each other.
• Wellington has won each of their past four matches against Auckland. On Sunday they will be gunning for their fifth straight win over them. This five-match winning streak has been achieved twice before, between 1918-20 (five in a row) and 1964-67 (eight in a row).

WELLINGTON V AUCKLAND THE FIRST MATCH

A Wellington team played one match against an ‘Auckland Clubs’ team in 1880, winning 4-0.

But their first official first-class match was contested on 8 September 1883 at Newtown Park and was a controversial first meeting.

Wellington scored and was awarded the winning try midway through the second half, but two of the match officials disagreed on whether it was actually scored. The referee, Mr G. Wright, had the veto say and awarded the try.

Led by their captain, Thomas Henderson, Auckland protested the try and threatened to take his side off the field. The subsequent conversion was not taken.

Earlier there was much interest in the match, with 4,000 spectators present at Newtown Park to watch what was billed as the match between the two best provinces in the country

After kicking off at 3.10pm, play ebbed and flowed throughout the first half until Auckland opened the scoring with a dropped goal from 20 metres out to Joe Warbrick.

Auckland had other chances in the first spell but couldn’t break through, so they went into halftime leading 3-0.

The second spell commenced just after 4.00pm and Wellington’s forwards immediately climbed into their Auckland opposites.

Andrew Thomson went close to scoring but the try was saved by Auckland fullback John Webster, before Peter Webb scored a t try for Wellington.

The Evening post report (10/9/1883) reported that “The Aucklanders objected to the try on the grounds that the rules had been infringed. The umpires [touch judges] disagreeing, the referee was appealed to and gave his decision in favour of Wellington.”

“The visiting team refused to resume play if the try was taken [converted], and [Wellington captain] Campbell graciously conceded the point, much against the wish of his team. The stand taken by the Aucklanders was very unpopular, and a good deal of hooting was indulged by the crowd.”

With tries worth one point at the time, and no conversion taken, Auckland held a 3-1 lead.

Wellington had the momentum, and they rushed back down field, leading to Thomson kicking a dropped goal (worth three points) and Wellington led 4-3.

Auckland burst forth and stretched Wellington close but the home team held on to the end to win 4-3.

Both teams later dined together at the Post Office Hotel with dignitaries.

A footnote is that Auckland captain Henderson retired from playing and became a referee, refereeing the Auckland v NSW match in 1887 among others, and went on to become AURFU Chairman in 1893 and was a NZ selector in 1893-94 and NZRU President in 1895.

Similarly, Wellington’s hero Thomson, who was 19 at the time of this match, later became a referee and refereed 16 first-class matches between 1891-1900. He was a magistrate and courthouse clerk in Palmerston North and served as Whanganui’s President 1897-1900 and Manawatu’s in 1904.