{"id":23483,"date":"2024-09-26T14:43:24","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T02:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/?p=23483"},"modified":"2024-09-26T16:07:32","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T04:07:32","slug":"wellington-counties-manukau-and-jonah-lomu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/2024\/09\/26\/wellington-counties-manukau-and-jonah-lomu\/","title":{"rendered":"Wellington, Counties Manukau and Jonah Lomu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#wpls-logo-showcase-slider-1 .wpls-fix-box,\n\t\t\t#wpls-logo-showcase-slider-1 .wpls-fix-box img.wp-post-image{max-height:250px; }\n\t\t<\/style>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wpls-wrap wpls-logo-showcase-slider-wrp wpls-logo-clearfix wpls-design-1 \" data-conf=\"{&quot;slides_column&quot;:4,&quot;slides_scroll&quot;:1,&quot;dots&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;arrows&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;autoplay_interval&quot;:3000,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;rtl&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;speed&quot;:800,&quot;center_mode&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;lazyload&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpls-logo-showcase logo_showcase wpls-logo-slider  sliderimage_hide_border \" id=\"wpls-logo-showcase-slider-1\" >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.roblawmax.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/rmax24.jpg?fit=220%2C120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeksonwheels.co.nz\/locations\/wellington-computer-repair\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/images.jpg?fit=296%2C170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thecallcentre.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/TCC-Logo-400x260-1.jpg?fit=400%2C260&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.partnersfinance.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/part2.jpg?fit=300%2C195&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Wellington Lions and the Counties Manukau Steelers start round eight of the NPC competition with their match in Pukekohe on Friday night.<\/p>\n<p>In beating the BoP Steamers 30-25 with a bonus point this past Saturday, the Lions are the first team to have qualified for the upcoming NPC quarter-finals on the weekend of 11-13 October.<\/p>\n<p>With two matches to play and 10 points up for grabs, the equation for the Lions is simple \u2013 3 more points would secure a home quarter-final while 5 more points would guarantee a top two finish and a potential home semi-final.<\/p>\n<p>The Counties Manukau are in eighth and hoping to move up the standings, where they would perhaps book another date with the Lions should they make the quarter-finals in seventh or eighth spot.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19244\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19244\" style=\"width: 764px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-19244\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/wgtn-cm-2001.jpg?resize=640%2C395&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/wgtn-cm-2001.jpg?resize=300%2C185&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/wgtn-cm-2001.jpg?resize=768%2C473&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/wgtn-cm-2001.jpg?w=974&amp;ssl=1 974w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wellington v Counties Manukau 2001 lineups. Jonah Lomu scored two tries for Wellington that day in a surprise 47-0 win.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The NPC competition permutations aside, Friday\u2019s match takes on significance because the two sides play for the Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy.<\/p>\n<p>Legend Lomu tragically passed away in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>This will be the seventh match between the two unions honouring the life of Lomu, who was a proud Counties and Wellington player and a leading attacking weapon and crowd favourite for both provincial unions. He played 29 games for Counties Manukau between 1994-1999 and 21 games for Wellington between 2000-2003.<\/p>\n<p>Wellington has won all six Lomu Trophy matches thus far: 28-27 in 2016, 53-12 in 2018, 29-22 in 2019, 53-20 in 2020, 64-31 in 2022 and 56-25 in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The Lions have posted a half century of points against the Steelers in four of their last five encounters, but 2016\u2019s first clash for the Jonah Lomu Memorial Trophy in Pukekohe saw Jackson Garden-Bachop land a last-minute penalty for the one-point win.<\/p>\n<p>The win in 2022 was their highest total against any side since beating Otago 68-7 at Wellington in July 2007 (also Dane Coles\u2019 NPC debut).<\/p>\n<p>The Lions also posted 60 points against the Steelers in their 2009 fixture, winning 62-19 in Pukekohe. \u00a0That was the match that wing Hosea Gear scored four tries before 60 minutes were up and then got dragged, putting historians and statisticians in a flap as he was headed for a bigger, perhaps record-breaking try haul.<\/p>\n<p>Gear\u2019s four-try haul against the Steelers was equalled by current All\u00a0 Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua who scored four tries in the 64-31 win in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>The two provinces met for the first time in any representative match at Athletic Park in the inaugural National Provincial Championship competition in 1976. Wellington won 15-4 that day, but it was not a result that was going to be replicated too often over the next decade of matches between the two sides. In fact, Counties proved a nemesis for Wellington sides up until the mid-1980s, winning six and drawing one out of their next eight matches until Wellington broke the shackles and defeated them 43-19 in 1985.<\/p>\n<p>Wellington has generally had the better of clashes since \u2013 with the exception of the late 1990s when Lomu was part of a blockbusting Steelers side.<\/p>\n<p>The two sides have now met 37 times in National Provincial Matches (NPC). Wellington has won23 of those matches and Counties Manukau 12. There have been two draws.<\/p>\n<p>Wellington has scored 1,082 points against Counties Manukau.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t\t#wpls-logo-showcase-slider-2 .wpls-fix-box,\n\t\t\t#wpls-logo-showcase-slider-2 .wpls-fix-box img.wp-post-image{max-height:250px; }\n\t\t<\/style>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wpls-wrap wpls-logo-showcase-slider-wrp wpls-logo-clearfix wpls-design-1 \" data-conf=\"{&quot;slides_column&quot;:4,&quot;slides_scroll&quot;:1,&quot;dots&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;arrows&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;autoplay_interval&quot;:3000,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;true&quot;,&quot;rtl&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;speed&quot;:800,&quot;center_mode&quot;:&quot;false&quot;,&quot;lazyload&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpls-logo-showcase logo_showcase wpls-logo-slider  sliderimage_hide_border \" id=\"wpls-logo-showcase-slider-2\" >\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.roblawmax.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/rmax24.jpg?fit=220%2C120&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geeksonwheels.co.nz\/locations\/wellington-computer-repair\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/images.jpg?fit=296%2C170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thecallcentre.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/TCC-Logo-400x260-1.jpg?fit=400%2C260&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><div class=\"wpls-logo-cnt\">\n\t<div class=\"wpls-fix-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.partnersfinance.co.nz\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-post-image\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/part2.jpg?fit=300%2C195&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wellington Lions squad to take on Counties-Manukau:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Xavier Numia \u2013 Oriental-Rongotai<\/li>\n<li>Leni Apisai \u2013 Paremata-Plimmerton<\/li>\n<li>Siale Lauaki \u2013 Tawa<\/li>\n<li>Dominic Ropeti \u2013 Oriental-Rongotai<\/li>\n<li>Caleb Delany \u2013 Old Boys University<\/li>\n<li>Brad Shields \u2013 VC- Petone<\/li>\n<li>Peter Lakai &#8211; Petone<\/li>\n<li>Jeremiah Avei-Collins \u2013 Northern United<\/li>\n<li>Nui Muriwai &#8211; Waikato<\/li>\n<li>Jackson Garden-Bachop \u2013 Northern United<\/li>\n<li>Stanley Solomon &#8211; Petone<\/li>\n<li>Peter Umaga-Jensen \u2013 C &#8211; Wainuiomata<\/li>\n<li>Riley Higgins &#8211; Petone<\/li>\n<li>Julian Savea \u2013 Oriental-Rongotai<\/li>\n<li>Tjay Clarke &#8211; Petone<\/li>\n<li>Leon Tuiloma* &#8211; Upper Hutt Rams<\/li>\n<li>Yota Kamimori \u2013 Stokes Valley<\/li>\n<li>PJ Sheck &#8211; Tawa<\/li>\n<li>Filo Paulo \u2013 Hutt Old Boys Marist<\/li>\n<li>Matolu Petaia &#8211; Tawa<\/li>\n<li>Kyle Preston \u2013 Old Boys University<\/li>\n<li>Callum Harkin \u2013 Old Boys University<\/li>\n<li>Tom Maiava \u2013 Oriental-Rongotai<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>*Debut<\/p>\n<p>Players unavailable: Akira Ieremia, Harry Press, Hugo Plummer, Losi Filipo, Sione Halalilo, Kazuki Kato, Du\u2019Plessis Kirifi, Penieli Poasa<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Wellington Lions and the Counties Manukau Steelers start round eight of the NPC competition with their match in Pukekohe on Friday night. In beating the BoP Steamers 30-25 with a bonus point this past Saturday, the Lions are the first team to have qualified for the upcoming NPC quarter-finals on the weekend of 11-13&#8230;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,60,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-club-rugby","category-latest-club-rugby-news","category-representative-rugby"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Higgins-v-CM-2023.jpg?fit=930%2C573&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbDiON-66L","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23483"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23487,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23483\/revisions\/23487"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clubrugby.nz\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}