Rugby aplenty for Wellington teams this weekend as Top 4 finalists found

• By Scott MacLean

UPDATED: This coming weekend’s rugby for Wellington supporters has a bit of everything. From college to club to age grade and senior representative rugby, there is much to look forward to. 

Day one of the National Top 4 tournament was in Palmerston North today, with St Pat’s Silverstream playing the late match against St Andrew’s College and missing out 17-24.

StAC led 14-12 at halftime with Silverstream right in the match and starting the second half brightly but unable to score after a concerted period of possession inside the 22. The South Islanders held on and preceeded to starve the Upper Hutt establishment of ball. Their big forwards went to work. StAC scored twice more to lead 24-12. Silverstream struck back with their third try but the clock was against them.

Silverstream will meet Westlake Boys’ High School in Sunday’s Top 4 3 v 4 playoff match, after Tauranga Boys’ College defeated Westlake 31-17 in the first semi-final.

The girls semi-finals saw Hamilton Girls’ High School beat Epsom Girls’ Grammar School 29-10 and hometown side Manukura hold off Christchurch Girls’ High School 19-14 in extremely windy conditions on the back field. 

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For more about what’s coming up this weekend see  below.

Teamlists – as supplied and seen follow at the bottom.

Representative

The representative season carries on this weekend. Local billing tomorrow is with the Wellington Pride who welcome Tasman to Rugby League Park in the Farah Palmer Cup Championship. With the Pride victorious over Otago last weekend and the Mako suffering a heavy defeat to Northland, this should be a slam-dunk for the home side, but stranger things have happened.

Also at home are the Under 20s, who finish the Central Region campaign against the Heartland U21 side at Evans Bay and only with an extreme outside chance of retaining the title, with Hawke’s Bay just needing a bonus point from their match against Manawatu to win the Hurricanes U20s title, while across the road on Kilbirnie Park the Centurions and Māori U16 sides clash followed by the two respective U18 teams in the opening round of that tournament. 

The Centurions are across the Strait to take on their Tasman counterparts in their final outing, before the Lions follow in the NPC against the Mako. Dead last and winless, the only thing left for the province’s top men’s side is to save face on what has been an appalling campaign so far.

The Wellington Fijian Flyers meet Horowhenua-Kapiti Maori at North Park, Petone, at 1.00pm, in their final match of the year.

Under 85kg National Club Cup

Eyes from this part of the country on Sunday afternoon will be trained online for coverage from North Harbour Stadium, where Poneke aim to go one better than last season and claim the National Club Cup. They will face a strong challenge though, with local side Silverdale, who hail from just south of Orewa, having eliminated defending champions Christchurch HSOB two weeks ago before shutting out Taranaki’s Tukapa a week ago.

College

Tomorrow also sees the conclusion of the Hurricanes Under 15 Tournament which has been headquartered at Silverstream but played across Upper Hutt. The Division 1 final will be contested between this year’s Auckland champions St Peters College, who defeated Canterbury’s St Thomas’ 25-10, and Dunedin’s John McGlashan College who upset Auckland heavyweights Kelston Boys 15-12. The Division 2 decider is between Manawatu’s Manukura – 22-15 winners over HIBS, and Taranaki’s Stratford High who defeated Aotea College 29-12.

The place playoff matches for Division 1 are Kelston vs St Thomas’ (3rd/4th), Feilding vs Scots (5th/6th), Silverstream vs Dilworth (7th/8th), St Bernard’s vs Gisborne (9th/10th), and Francis Douglas vs Hato Paora (11th/12th). IN Division 2 the minor matches are Aotea vs HIBS (3rd/4th), Nelson College vs Ngati Porou East Coast Schools (5th/6th), and HVHS vs Cullinane College (7th/8th).

The Division 1 final is at 10:45am on Silverstream #1.

The Top 4 continues and concludes on Sunday.

Heartland

Tough tasks for both Wairarapa-Bush and Horowhenua-Kapiti in tomorrow’s fourth round of matches in a pair of North Island derbies. H-K host unbeaten perennial contenders Whanganui at the Levin Domain, while Wai-Bush go north again, this time to face Thames Valley.

In the other matches leaders South Canterbury come north to take on King Country in Te Kuiti, as do North Otago to face Poverty Bay in Gisborne. Down south Mid-Canterbury welcome Buller to Ashburton, and it’s the Battle of the Coasts as West hosts East in Greymouth.

Teams as supplied:

Wellington Lions

1.Geordie Bean (OBU)
2. Penieli Poasa (Ories)
3. Alex Hewitt (Upper Hutt)
4. Caleb Delany © (OBU)
5. Hugo Plummer (Tawa)
6. Dominic Ropeti (Ories)
7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (Norths)
8. Rupeni Raviyawa (HOBM)
9. Riley Williams (Import)
10. Callum Harkin (OBU)
11. William Davis (Petone)
12. Losi Filipo (Petone)
13. Matt Proctor (Wellington)
14. Divad Palu (Import)
15. Cam Burgess (MSP)
16. Kaleb Saxon (Petone – debut)
17. Jake Turnbull (Import)
18. Bradley Crichton (Norths)
19. Murphy Taramai (Upper Hutt)
20. Matolu Petaia (Tawa)
21. Logan Henry (Petone)
22. Jackson Ropata (Import)
23. Reo Matsushita (Japan)

Wellington Pride

1.Keiana Roffey (Poneke)
2. Amaria Ranapia (Wainuiomata – debut)
3. Faythe Finau (Norths)
4. Jackie Patea-Fereti (Petone)
5. Eva Maora (Petone)
6. Lourdes Faifua (Petone)
7. Paige Lilo (Norths)
8. Evelyn Tea (Ories)
9. Milly Mackey (Petone)
10. Arene Landon-Lane (Norths)
11. Ana Kerr (Petone)
12. Nia Sutherland (Petone)
13. Merania Paraone (Ories)
14. Fia Laikong (OBU)
15. Keira Su’a-Smith © (Wainuiomata)
16. Charlynn Tuiatua (Wainuiomata – debut)
17. Giavanna Leo (Norths)
18. Paige Misky (Norths)
19. Trilaine Raika-Suitauloa (Petone)
20. Sinead Ryder (Ories)
21. Lynda Rabeni-Vautloka (Petone – debut)
22. Te Arani Te Puni (OBU)
23. Litia Builcakau (Petone)

Wellington Centurions

1.Senio Sanele (Upper Hutt)
2. Conley Alexander (Petone)
3. Harry Rankin (Petone)
4. Ben Tuiomanufili © (HOBM)
5. Jack Riley (OBU)
6. David Johnson (Ories)
7. Connor Tuifao (Petone)
8. Braydon Soi (Wainuiomata)
9. Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson (HOBM)
10. Jacob Waikari-Jones (Petone)
11. Luke Kapene (Wellington)
12. Emmanuel Solomona (Wainuiomata)
13. Caleb Robson (HOBM)
14. Tom Maiava (Ories)
15. Jordan Soli (Ories)

Reserves to come from: Latu Tupou (Upper Hutt), George Jacobs (HOBM), Jade Langi (Upper Hutt), Archie Treadwell (Wellington), Samuel Thomson (Petone), Viliame Rarasea (MSP) Luke Bidois (Tawa), Mitchell Shields (OBU), Esi Komaisavai (Pare-Plim), Dawson Smith (Upper Hutt), Ieti Campbell (Upper Hutt), Finlay Hagan (MSP), Fritz Rayasi (HOBM)

Wellington U20s

1.Heath Tuifao (Petone)
2. Cazna Sale (MSP)
3. Elijah Talalupe (Ories)
4. Lachie Earl (OBU)
5. Tane Landon-Lane (Norths)
6. Archie Schrader (Petone)
7. Elijah Solomona © (Wainuiomata)
8. Ele Lupo (Tawa)
9. Kian O’Connoll (HOBM)
10. Eden Govind (Tawa)
11. Fa’a Lokeni (Wellington)
12. Jeremiah Tuhenga-Vaitupu (Poneke)
13. Brodee Tetevano (HOBM)
14. Navrin Campbell (MSP)
15. Max Reynolds (MSP)
16. Riley Browne (HOBM)
17. Hamish Huggins (Poneke)
18. Tevita Bulai (Poneke)
19. Eddie Weatherstone (OBU)
20. Matthew Andrews (Avalon)
21. Axel Daken (Petone)
22. Advent Va’a (Ories)
23. Jeremiah Peleseuma (HOBM)

Wellington U18 Centurions

1.Julius Toimata (Well. College)
2. Herman Tuiatua (St Pats Town)
3. Donncha McNamara-Taele (St Pats Town)
4. Kitiona Teleapa (Petone)
5. Lachlan Wallace (St Bernards)
6. Laifone Kamoto (Well. College)
7. Ethan Lepou (Norths)
8. Z’Kdeus Schwalger (Well. College)
9. Blake Miscall (HOBM)
10. Decodah Silva (St Pats Town)
11. Teddy Cooling (Pare-Plim)
12. Benjamin Faitala (Well. College)
13. Liam Phelps (Well. College)
14. Lome Va’a (Rongotai)
15. Maka Vaihola (St Pats Town)
16. Noah Leavasa-Tavoi (St Pats Town)
17. Harry Baddington (Well. College)
18. Owen Cosgrove (Scots)
19. Ryder Sao (Tawa RFC)
20. Andreas Focas (Scots)
21. Perenise Patu (St Pats Town)
22. Ashton Hamer (St Pats Town)

Poneke Under 85s

1.Nathan Marsh ©
2. Oscar Wilson
3. Will “Bootstrap Bill” Tobin
4. Pasia Asiata
5. Jack Macgill
6. Matthias Lima
7. Remiel Diouf
8. Sam Gard’ner
9. Jimmy-Lee Hongara ©
10. Cameron Bond
11. Ethan Rangi
12. Alex Morrissey
13. Ben “Senior Citizen” Huntley
14. Dominic Ririnui-Sipa
15. Potene Rolls-Paewai
16. Jasper Spencer
17. Pa Taikato
18. Taine Regeling
19. Jason Love
20. Declan Hay
21. Max Rodgers
22. Maiterangi Arahanga

Silverdale Under 85s

1.Trent Stevenson
2. Logan Jones
3. Tempest Elisara
4. Zac Craig
5. Matthew Hughes
6. Jude Craig
7. Brad Martin ©
8. Luke Eyre
9. Jackson Ephramis
10. Revin Storey
11. Pieter Swarts
12. James Wright
13. Troy Hirst
14. Jaden Tomars-Over
15. Jed Bolland
16. Manase Feiloakitau
17. Toka Inamata
18. William Sheehan
19. Jared Leef
20. Matt Gemmell
21. Thomas Taula
22. Matt Renall

Silverstream 1st XV

1.Ryder Langi
2. Jahvaan Hunt
3. Vaitupu Vaitupu
4. Bronson Martin
5. Bezalel Fereti
6. Ryder Thompson ©
7. Issac Sanele
8. Val Tufui
9. Jakoby Marino
10. Fletcher Cooper ©
11. Troy Waldrom
12. Oakley Time
13. Shae Taitua
14. Salaki Keni
15. Jaxon Ropitini
16. Kristian Leaupepe-Sua
17. Mea’ole Ma’i
18. Zion Masua
19. Donald Mar
20. Nathan Sale
21. Joel Rostedt
22. Jesper Pedersen

Wairarapa Bush

1. Stan Wright, Jr (Marist)
2. Leon Tuiloma (Loan – Upper Hutt)
3. Lewis Bush (Greytown)
4. Malakai Biumaiwai (Greytown)
5. Matt Masoe (Marist)
6. Van Prenter (East Coast)
7. Inia Katia (Carterton)
8. Isireli Biumaiwai (Greytown)
9. Daryl Pickering © (Carterton)
10. Hoera Stephenson (Loan – Havelock North)
11. Soli Malatai (Greytown)
12. Fiula Tameilau (Carterton)
13. Levi Harmon (Loan – College Old Boys)
14. Hayden Cooper (Marist)
15. Gracyn Evans (Greytown)
16. George Parkes (East Coast)
17. Iherangi Namana (Marist)
18. Sam Siaosi (Marist)
19. Folau Finau-Vea (Loan – OBU)
20. James Goodger (Marist)
21. Thomas Williams (East Coast)
22. Joseph Tenaihi (Greytown)
23. Josh Pepperell (Marist)

Horowhenua-Kapiti

1. David McErlean (Foxton)
2. John MacNeilage (Paraparaumu)
3. Kafaonga Katoa (Loan – Petone)
4. Isaac Carter (Waikanae)
5. Massie Harvey (Foxton)
6. Genesis Mamea-Lemalu (Loan – Wainuiomata)
7. Lesen Huiarangi (Paraparaumu)
8. Mika Alaifatu (Loan – HOBM)
9. Kahn Fotuali’I © (Foxton)
10. Himiona Henare (Wanderers)
11. Darren Falaniko (Wanderers)
12. Connor Paki (Foxton)
13. Taine Hata (Waikanae)
14. Junior Sione (Wanderers)
15. Leighton Ralph (Ranui)
16. Mikaere Harvey (Foxton)
17. PJ Iakopo (College Old Boys)
18. Ted Northcott (Rahui)
19. Brad Reilly (Paraparaumu)
20. Aaron Lahmert (Waikanae)
21. TJ Barnsley (Paraparaumu)
22. Ethan Woodmass (Foxton)
23. Willie Paia’aua (College Old Boys)

Pōneke Wanderers preparing for National U85kg Final on Sunday