NPC Number Crunching: Wellington Lions v Waikato

Round 9 v Waikato: Lost 10-34

Another loss to the Wellington Lions made it nine defeats in their nine matches played.

They have equalled their record of successive losses in season with the nine they lost in 2014. However, in the final match of that year they prevailed over North Harbour to finish with a 58-34 win.

The Lions have unfortunately set a new record for most losses in succession. Having been beaten in their final two matches in 2025 they now have a sequence of 11 losses in a row which beats their previous record of 10 successive losses: the final match of 2013 and the first nine in 2014.

It must not be forgotten though the Lions are capable of long winning sequences. In 2022 and 2023 they actually went 19 straight matches without defeat.

The Lions have lost all five matches played at home this year which is another first. In previous years they had won at least one home match each year. They also lost their final home match last year to make it six in a row which is now also a new record for successive losses at home. This beats the five on the trot: the last match of 2013 and first four in 2014.

The Lions have played 270 home matches for 192 wins (71.1%), 74 losses and four draws.

The Lions and Waikato have now met 50 times in NPC matches. The Lions have won 29 matches and Waikato 21. Only Canterbury (58 matches) and Auckland (52) have played the Lions more often.

Their loss to Waikato brought an end to the Lions record sequence of five wins in a row against them stretching back to their 37-43 loss at Hamilton in 2021.

It was also the Lions first loss at home to Waikato (after four wins) since the visitors won 28-24 in 2016.

The Lions have hosted Waikato 22 times for 16 wins and six losses.

The Lions 10 points are the fewest they have scored against Waikato since losing 9-13 at Hamilton
in 1991.

The five tries conceded by the Lions against Waikato are the fewest they have conceded to any side this season.

However the Lions have now had 66 tries scored against them in 2026, well past their previous record of 49 tries: in 2014 and last year.

The Lions two tries against Waikato took their total in all matches against them to 175 which is a new record against all sides. It is one more than the 174 they have scored against Canterbury.

The two tries scored by the Lions are the fewest in a home match against Waikato since the two they scored at Athletic Park in 1996, some two days short of 30 years ago!

Waikato brought up 150 tries against the Lions. Their total now stands at 151.

The Lions made three changes to their starting XV from the one which started the previous match against Northland. There was one change in the backs and two in the forwards.

After nine rounds the Lions remain firmly at the bottom of the Standings.

The match was named “Dog Day” and I have it on good authority 15 dogs were present. However, I regret I am unable to supply their names.

Stanley Solomon scored the Lions first try with 1 minute 8 seconds on the clock. He had also scored the Lions last try in their previous match against Northland with the clock showing 78 minutes exactly. In running time, over two matches, it means young Stanley steamed his way to two tries in the space of 3 minutes and 8 seconds, give or take.

He has scored 11 tries in 21 matches. It was his first against Waikato.

Solomon started his first match in the #10 jersey. His previous 10 starts had been in #11 (once), #14 (five times) and #15 (four times).

In the 66th minute he kicked a 50/22 which directly led, via the resulting lineout, to a try. It was scored by Sekope Lopeti-Moli, his first, in just his second match for the Lions.

Callum Harkin was unsuccessful with his two conversion attempts. This meant the Lions did not register a conversion for the first time in their last 30 matches.

Logan Henry has started seven matches this year at Halfback and had four different players in the #10 jersey outside him. They are Callum Harkin (four times), Cameron Burgess (once), Piri Paraone (once) and in this match, Stanley Solomon.

Henry made his Lions debut in 2023 in the non-NPC Ranfurly Shield match against Horowhenua Kapiti at Levin. He started that match in tandem with Aidan Morgan.

Captain Du’Plessis Kirifi picked up the Lions fifth yellow card of the season, in the 31st minute.

For Waikato Jahrome Brown scored two tries with one each to Sean Ralph, Sefo Kautai and Daiki Nakajima. With the exception of Ralph, it was the first try scored by the other three against the Lions.

Ralph had scored in the 2023 Quarter-final match at Wellington.

Taha Kemara kicked six points to go with the four he scored in the 2023 Quarter-final match.

D’Angelo Leuila kicked a penalty, just the second by any side against the Lions this season.

The Australian referee Reuben Keane was in charge of the match. In 2020 and last year fellow Australian Angus Gardner had controlled a Lions match and before then Frank Murphy of Ireland(in 2019) and Shuhei Kubo of Japan (in 2017 and 2018) had “blown the whistle”. For the record the Lions won both matches with Kubo in charge, drew with Murphy but have lost all three with the Australians calling the shots.

The Wellington Lions have played 532 NPC matches for 330 wins (62.0%), 190 losses and 12 draws.

There is one round remaining in regular play and the Wellington Lions are set to meet Taranaki at Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth on Sunday afternoon.

The two sides have previously met on 38 occasions: Wellington has won 31 times to Taranaki’s seven.

Taranaki has hosted the last two matches, both of which they have won, including last year’s encounter in New Plymouth which was won 39-20. This was the match which actually started Wellington’s current horror run of losses.