Hurricanes Schools 7s tournaments this weekend

The boys and girls Hurricanes Youth Council 7s tournaments are being played at Feilding High School on Saturday and Sunday.

The boys tournament is on Saturday and the girls is on Sunday.

There are five schools lining up on Saturday and another three on Sunday – a far cry from a decade ago when three times that many schools would be entering at its former home of Masterton.

Despite the low-side numbers, the action promises to be off the charts, with the five boys schools taking part on Saturday being: Feilding High School, Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Whanganui Collegiate, Lindisfarne College and St Pat’s Silverstream.

In a change this year, the qualifying for the National Condor 7s that are being held at Mt Maunganui early next month has been tightened up, with one extra qualifying position up for grabs from this tournament.

The boys schools that have already qualified include Wellington winners St Pat’s Silverstream, host school Feilding High School and Palmerston North Boys’ High School, while both Whanganui Collegiate and Lindisfarne will be chasing one spot for Condors Nationals and these latter two schools are scheduled to clash at 11.40am in a possible defining match of the day.

Details of the girls tournament on Sunday has yet to be received, but earlier this week there were three teams entered.

The boys tournament draw on Saturday is below:

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In other news, the All Blacks play Wales at 3.10am NZT on Sunday.

All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets):

1.  George Bower (32)
2.  Asafo Aumua (28)
3.  Fletcher Newell (44)
4.  Scott Barrett (92)
5.  Josh Lord (18)
6.  Anton Segner (4)
7.  Peter Lakai (17)
8.  Wallace Sititi (26)
9.  Cortez Ratima (26)
10. Richie Mo’unga (57)
11. Josh Moorby (8)
12. Anton Lienert-Brown (94)
13. Quinn Tupaea (32)
14. Fehi Fineanganofo (1)
15. Beauden Barrett (148) – Captain

16. George Bell (4)
17. Xavier Numia (6)
18. Pasilio Tosi (20)
19. Jamie Hannah (1)
20. Ethan Blackadder (15)
21. Leicester Fainga’anuku (12)
22. Kyle Preston (6)
23. Rieko Ioane (92)

Unavailable due to injury: Will Jordan (hamstring)

The team includes 10 changes to the match-day 23 that played Scotland last weekend, eight of them in the starting side. Prop George Bower, hooker Asafo Aumua, Segner and halfback Cortez Ratima move from the reserves into the starting side, while lock Josh Lord, first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and Fineanganofo come into the team. Hooker George Bell, prop Xavier Numia, lock Jamie Hannah, loose forwards Ethan Blackadder and Leicester Fainga’anuku, and halfback Kyle Preston join prop Pasilio Tosi and outside back Rieko Ioane in the reserves.

For Wales, former Old Boys University and Wellington player Taine Plumtree has been named on their bench. Plumtree has been coming back from off-season surgery.

MATCH FACTS

• This will be the 39^th Test between the All Blacks and Wales, who first met in 1905.
• Wales have not beaten New Zealand since 1953 with the All Blacks winning the past 34 matches and scoring more than 50 points on their three previous trips to Cardiff.
• Asafo Aumua and Quinn Tupaea will face Wales for the first time in their All Blacks careers.
• Beauden Barrett will play his 149^th Test, to pass Richie McCaw in the all-time records and be second only to Sam Whitelock on 153 Tests.
• Beauden Barrett now has 50 All Blacks Test tries, one ahead of Doug Howlett, and closing in on Will Jordan’s record of 56.
• Anton Lienert-Brown will play his 99^th match for the All Blacks.