Second and concluding leg of Academy Series on Saturday

The second and concluding leg of the Hurricanes region Academy Series is at Massey University tomorrow, with the winner winning the third annual Sam Doyle Memorial Trophy.

The games tomorrow are scheduled as:

• 12.30pm, Game 1: Hawke’s Bay v Manawatu
• 1.15pm, Game 2: Manawatu v Wellington
• 2.00pm, Game 3: Hawke’s Bay v Wellington

Heading into tomorrow’s games, Hawke’s Bay are positioned best to win, but Manawatu can dig deep and take the spoils should they win both their games. With two losses last Saturday, last year’s winners Wellington will hope for two decisive bonus point victories and for Manawatu to shut out Hawke’s Bay.

Results last week were (note no 4-try bonus points achieved): Manawatu 12-10 over Wellington and Hawke’s Bay 17-7 over Wellington and 17-7 over Manawatu.

Sam Doyle was a foundation Hurricanes player and a Māori All Black and passed away after a battle with illness in 2022, aged 52.

Following this, leading eligible players can hope for higher age-grade honours. In a change of format, there is no Hurricanes U20s team being picked this year, replaced by a NZ U20 camp in Taupo between 14-21 March that is being run in a series between four squads – the NZ Barbarians, Saracens, Harlequins and Centurions.

The three teams for tomorrow are (all line-ups subject to change):

Wellington (listed by forwards/backs):

FORWARDS

Alex Hewitt
Ioane Augustino
Harry Rankin
Hamish Huggins
Mako Blackman
Corban King
Latu Tupou
Cazna Sale
Preston Moananu
Tane Landon-Lane
Archie Schrader
Mitchell Shields
Luke Bidois
Elijah Solomona
Rupeni Raviyawa
Ele Lupo
Brandon Lo
Tyler Craig

BACKS
Mike Brown
Kian O’Connell
Liam Slight
Eden Govind
Jayde Burns
Cliff Hunt
Brodee Tetevano
Jeremiah Peleseuma
William Davis-Lenz
Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu
Navrin Campbell
Labront Iosefa

Unavailable
Johnny Fallon
Sam Thomson
Riley Browne
Jake Lawson
Jayde Burns
Isaiah Barry
Angus Houghton
Max Reynolds
Wesley Faitele

Hawke’s Bay

1. Louie Uregei
2. Jericho Wharehinga
3. Nehemiah Lauvao
4. Lachlan Varcoe
5. Kane Ngawhare
6. Patrick Mauga
7. Drew Berg-McLean
8. Perez Malo
9. Le’Sharn Reiri-Paku
10. Luke Thomas
11. John Lameko
12. Malachi Osman
13. Triumph Voice
14. Konnor Vainu
15. Khan Pokere

16. Tyrone Mauheni
17. Rico Kara
18. Elijah Talalupe
19. Luka Kyle
20. Carlo Isaac
21. Marcus Leach
22. Joe Jury-Senitu
23. Kaea Luke
24. Isimeli Vono
25. Keitaro Shu
26. JJ Lilo-Iosefo

Manawatu:

1. TJ Wallace
2. Alani Fakava
3. Niko Metuariki
4. Zach Flier
5. Marika Delai
6. Villiami Rongokea-Tupou
7. Kobe Stranks-Rose
8. Alex Palazzo
9. Cooper Furnell
10. Tana Faumuina
11. Amini Seruwalu
12. Tevita Fakehau
13. Ben Fakava
14. James Tuituba
15. Hunter Kennedy

Substitutions:

Heni Oliveti
Joseph Nicola
Fotofili Aholoka
Kruz Ioane
Sione Katoa
Aston Scott
Tom Dyer
Kotahi Cribb
Zach Ratuki
Lazzoryss Tovo
Kailan Elmers
Nixon Foreman

+++++

Meanwhile, the Super Rugby Development Series continues tomorrow.

The Hurricanes Hunters are in Auckland playing the Blues.

Their team is:

1. Tony Tafa
2. Raymond Tuputupu
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Tom Allen
5. Johnny Falloon
6. Matolu Petaia
7. Cooper Flanders
8. Arese Poliko
9. Jordi Viljoen
10. Will Cole
11. Josh Gray
12. Losi Filipo
13. Kapu Broughton-Winterburn
14. Taniela Filimone
15. Drew Wild
16. Dylan Homan
17. Joseph Gavigan
18. Logan Wallace
19. Zach Taulapapa
20. Mosese Bason
21. Kade Manuel
22. Liam O’Connor
23. Andrew Tauatevalu

The schedule for this series is:

• Saturday 21 February: Crusaders v Hurricanes, Linwood RFC Christchurch, 12.30pm LOST 53-38.
• Saturday 28 February: Blues v Hurricanes, University Rugby Club, Auckland, 2:00pm
• Friday 6 March: Hurricanes v Chiefs, NZCIS, 11.30am
• Friday 20 March: Highlanders v Hurricanes, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, 4.30pm (curtain raiser for Highlanders v Hurricanes Super Rugby Pacific game at 7.05pm)
• Saturday 28 March: Hurricanes v Blues, Venue TBC, Wellington, 2:00pm

Aisle be Back: Hurricanes v Fijian Drua