Sideline Conversions 7 September (some rugby news and information to start the week)

Monday afternoon edition: Another whirlwind weekend of rugby has concluded, and there is more to come over the next several weeks.

Representative matches are scattered far and wide this coming weekend. The second round of the Hurricanes Youth Council’s U18 tournament sees the two Wellington teams playing in Palmerston North and Napier. The Centurions U18s are meeting Manawatu in U18s in Palmerston North and the Māori  U18s are playing Hawke’s Bay.

Two representative matches in Christchurch, with the Wellington U20s playing the Canterbury U20s and the Wellington Lions playing Canterbury for the Harry Saundercock Trophy on Saturday at their new stadium.

In two representative girls matches that are being played at Rugby League Park, the Wellington U16s girls play the Whanganui U16 girls and the Wellington and Centurions U18s girls teams meet.

On Sunday, the Wellington Pride play the Hawke’s Bay Tui is the third round of the Farah Palmer Cup competition.

One last college First XV match coming up this Saturday, with Upper Hutt and Heretaunga College’s playing in their annual traditional match.

As always, look out for our preview at the end of this week covering these matches and any others we have missed above.

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The Pōneke Wanderers finished runner-up in the National U85kg Knockout Cup competition for the second consecutive year. They lost to the Silverdale Truffle Pigs 26-17 in the final at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday. The home team led 16-5 at halftime, then extended this to 23-5 and then had an intercept that led to a try disallowed. Pōneke hit back and scored the next two tries of the match through second five Alex Morrissey and then left wing Ethan Rangi with a spectacular dive in the corner after latching on to the final pass by centre Ben Huntley. At this point there was still 20 minute to play and it was all at 23-17 but Silverdale responded with a penalty and stiff defence to the end.

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St Pat’s Silverstream missed out to Westlake Boys’ High School 52-42 in the playoff for third and fourth at the Top 4 tournament. Westlake led 33-14 at halftime as Silverstream turned to play with the wind, which was moderate but not the gale of Friday. Silverstream came back with about 10 minutes to play to score two forwards tries and it was all on but Westlake broke out and scored the winner and then added another. Westlake had a swift set of backs and one player to watch in the future is centre Matt Fleming who reminds us of Riley Higgins and is big and fast and backs himself on the outside break. First XV followers now await the naming of the representative sides. For the record, the Top 4 results and scorers are at the bottom of this article.

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The Wellington Lions were improved against Tasman on Saturday, but still lost their sixth straight NPC match of this season and eighth overall going back to last year.

Their worst-ever run of losses was in 2013-14 when they failed to win 10 matches on the trot: the final match in 2013 and the first nine in 2014. They also lost six in succession spread over the 1991/92 seasons.

The Lions have also lost their last seven away games in a row: the three which they have played this year and the final four they played last year. They had previously lost six in a row in 2013/14 but the record is seven in succession: the last four matches in 1991 and the first three in 1992.

In terms of players, a positive that the Lions could be promoting is the several young players gaining experience at this level. Players such as Alex Hewitt, William Davis and Johnny Falloon are going to come out the other side of this better for it. Adversity and failure and all that is the making of future success!

Also good to see Petone hooker Kaleb Saxon make his debut for the Lions. former Hamilton Boys’ High School hooker Saxon and Conley Alexander were alternating starting hooker’s roles throughout the club season, but Saxon started the Jubilee Cup final and then played a couple of strong games for the Centurions. His combined with Petone teammate Logan Henry for a try against the Mako.

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An Avalon-Ories special for one of the tries of the week, with hooker Asafo Aumua delivering the transfer for Ardie Savea to score in the first half against South Africa. Savea then scored a second try before going off with a nasty shoulder injury.

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Northern United prop Siale Lauaki is one of six players returning home from South Africa this week, so he might (should) be available for the Lions for at least two-three games coming up at the end of their campaign. All other Wellington players are heading on to the USA for the exibition Test, except for the injured Savea.

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Down 17-5, the timeless Jackie Patea-Fereti revived the Wellington Pride with a break and a deft kick inside the North Harbour 22 that led to a fumble. Eventually, Nia Sutherland scored. Sutherland played four games for Northland in 2024. The Pride went on to win 34-24.

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A successful weekend for Manawatu’s teams, with the Turbos earning a 29-12 away win over Bay of Plenty in the men’s NPC on Saturday – their first ‘away’ win since 2021 – and the Cyclones beating the Counties-Manukau Heat 52-43 in a high action Women’s Farah Palmer Cup fixture on Sunday.

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Ngati Porou East Coast scored 66 points in their Heartland Championship win over West Coast in Greymouth on Saturday, which led to a dive into the archives to see if that was an all-time record for the small union in a match. It wasn’t, but comes in third, topped only by a 74-8 win over Buller in 1999 and a 72-3 win also over West Coast in 1992.

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A shout out to Hawke’s Bay No. 8 Tiaki Fabish – the former Old Boys University loose forward played 35 Premier games for OBU between 2020-22 and was blindside flanker when OBU beat Norths 22-14 to win the 2020 Jubilee Cup.

Last year’s Marist St Pat’s captain and wider Wellington Lions squad member Jake Wetere made his Tasman Mako debut on Saturday against the Lions.

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The Hurricanes tournament wasn’t the only U15 action last week with Wellington College and St Pat’s Town taking their regular places at the “National Invitational” tournament in Rotorua. Both finished in the bottom half of the 16-teams with Wellington College 10th and Town 15th with the latter’s only win being their last-day encounter against Wesley College.

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A few non-Wellington players to catch the eye during the Hurricanes U15 Tournament.

• St Peter’s trio first-five Andre Lister, hardrunning midfielder Makai Smith, and bruising blindside Leka Naufahu.
• John McGlashan hooker/prop Tom Taylor, tireless openside Max Paterson, and prodigious kicking first-five Mackley Adams
• Kelston hooker/openside Jonovasio Fukafuka and fullback Troy Fa’a’aliga
• St Thomas’ first-five William Saukuru
• Dilworth’s diminutive halfback Joel Tapui and prop Blessing Herbert
• Gisborne hooker Parkah Tuamata
• Stratford lock/loosie Kylen Booker, and
• Ngati Porou East Coast’s Thorn Manuel

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Sloppy error, but at least they acknowledged it with sincerity. Would other unions do the same?

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In the Heartland Championship King Country beat South Canterbury for the first time since 2009 and by a record score of 55-22.

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South Africa have won 14 of their last 16 home Tests. Coach Rassie Erasmus holds the record for most wins as head coach of South Africa against New Zealand with six. He was part of four victories as an assistant with Jacques Nienaber and had three wins from five as a player against the All Blacks. South Africa have won 10 of 18 matches against the All Blacks since 2018.

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Auckland upset two-time defending champions Waikato in the FPC Premiership 37-36, as they also did last year. A 76th-minute try by Manu Sina international Glory Aiono, who played 26 games for Counties until last year, sealed victory for Auckland. Waikato hooker Grace Houpapa-Barrett scored twice, extending her streak to four consecutive matches. The former Black Fern has scored at least one try in 15 of her last 16 games, including 12 in a row from a 42-26 win against Bay of Plenty on August 6, 2024, to an 88-5 win against the same opponent on September 6, 2025. The streak ended in a 15-10 win against Manawatu a week later but resumed in a 36-29 win against Auckland on September 27.

Former Exeter Chiefs vice-captain and winner of all five Tests, she played for England in 2023, Maisy Allen scored four tries in Canterbury’s 67-7 win over Bay of Plenty. She joined former Black Ferns Kendra Cocksedge (three times), Stephanie Mortimer, and Maratha Lolohea as the only Canterbury players to score four tries in an FPC game.

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Two huge linebreaks and a yellow card for Ayesha Leti-i’iga helped the Black Ferns to a 52-20 win against South Africa. Young openside Elinor-Plum King looks at home at Test level with two tries, nine tackles, and a turnover. However, the Black Ferns were smashed in the scrums and lineout drives, conceding four yellow cards and a 16-7 penalty count. A similar outcome against England will result in a hiding.

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National Top Four 2026

• St Andrew’s College: 13-5-1 (678-452)
• 2. Tauranga Boys College: 13-7 (646-483)
• 3. Westlake Boys’ High School: 20-5-1 (1246-513)
• 4. St Patrick’s College, Silverstream: 13-7 (940-471)

Final: St Andrew’s College: 34 (Tom McIntosh, Lachie Mitchell, Ollie Jackways, Caleb Collins-Polata, Lennox Kopelani, Ollie Kirk tries; Jett Timbrell 2 cons) Tauranga Boys’ College: 24 (Khan Charlton, Matt Bell 2, Zac Simeon tries; Finn Curtis 2 cons) HT: 10-19.

3 v 4: Westlake Boys’ High School: 52 (Levi Leith, Shea Watene, Harper Wilson 2, Jaxx Latoa-Levi, Matt Fleming, Yisrael Tukania, Flynn Holdbrook tries; Luke Waller 4, Leith 2 cons) St Patrick’s College, Silverstream: 42 (Fletcher Cooper, Troy Waldrom, Mea’ole Ma’i 2, Val Tufui, Shae Taitua tries; Cooper 6 cons) HT: 33-14

Semi: Tauranga Boys’ College: 31 (Matt Bell, Seremaia Salikikoro, Cohen Satiu, Zac Simeon, Jacob Bidois) Westlake Boys’ High School: 17 (Flynn Holbrook, Matt Fleming, Demetrius Sanft tries; Luke Waller con) HT: 19-17

Semi: St Andrew’s College: 24 (Ollie Jackways, Moleli Lagokamu, Jack Sidey, Jairo Senio tries; Jett Timbrell 2 cons) St Patrick’s College, Silverstream: 17 (Shae Taitua, Fletcher Cooper tries; Cooper con) HT: 14-12

Girls

Final: Manukura: 48 (Kotuku Hennessy, Keighley-Rein Araia 2, Ngakahu Mathieson-Julian 2, Tiana Walsh-Addenbrooke, Pewhairangi Ashby, Taylah Seng tries; Gabby Wright 2, Kaylani Anaha 2 cons) Hamilton Girls’ High School: 38 (Ariana Katipa, Talei Tuwere, Cahleisha Pakau, Preya Richardson, Ashlee Marra, Jessica Hayward tries; Libby Kearins -Te Whare 4 cons) HT: 22-5

3 v 4: Epsom Girls Grammar School: 36 (Melenaite Opeti-Fianu 2, Emacyn Ieremia, Tabitha Schaumkell, Dellis Tuitupou, Mikaya Tonga tries; Ieremia 3 cons) Christchurch Girls’ High School: 31 (Emma Edwards, Ati Liley, Tiara Lambert, Alice Geary, Maddy Judd tries; Sienna Soper 3 cons) HT: 17-12

Semi: Hamilton High Girls High School: 29 (Savannah Anderson, Ariana Katipa, Cahleisha Pakau, Ariana Katipa Te Atawhai Katipa tries; Libby Kearins Te Whare 2 cons) Epsom Girls Grammar School: 10 (Melenaite Opeti-Fianu 2 tries) HT: 19-5

Semi: Manukura: 19 (Payten Peka, Asha-Rose Waerea, Ngakahu Mathieson-Julian tries; Gabby Wright 2 cons) Christchurch Girls’ High School: 14  (Tiara Lambert, Eseta Qalivutu tries; Sienna Soper 2 cons) HT: 12-0

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Most International Tries By a Forward: 35 – Ardie Savea – NZ 33 – Diego Ormaechea – Uruguay 32 – Takashi Kikutani – Jap 28 – Malcolm Marx – RSA 27 – Richie McCaw – NZ 26 – Kieran Read – NZ

Most combined Tries in Test rugby by siblings: 81 – Julian & Ardie Savea * 78 – Beauden, Scott & Jordie Barrett 63 – Rory & Tony Underwood 46 – Freddie, Alesana, Henry, Anitelea & Manu Tuilagi + 40 – Rieko & Akira Ioane

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