Wellington v Waikato (RS)
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I'll add the teams when available here. But there was some discussion on the Ranfurly Shield thread about this match so best to have a thread for it
Kick off Saturday 4.35 at the Cake Tin
The Wellington starting side. Higgins comes in for the injured PUJ.
1 Xavier Numia, Oriental Rongotai
2 Asafo Aumua, Avalon
3 Pekahou Cowan, Petone
4 James Blackwell, Petone
5 Dominic Bird, Upper Hutt Rams
6 Caleb Delaney, Old Boys University
7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, Northern United ©
8 Peter Lakai, Petone
9 TJ Perenara, Northern United
10 Aidan Morgan, Marist St Pats
11 Pepesana Patafilo, Tawa
12 Riley Higgins, Petone
13 Billy Proctor, Marist St Pats
14 Julian Savea, Oriental-Rongotai
15 Ruben Love, Wainuiomata16 James O’Reilly, Hutt Old Boys Marist
17 Solomona Sakalia, Northern United
18 PJ Sheck, Tawa
19 Taine Plumtree, Old Boys University
20 Keelan Whitman, Marist St Pats
21 Richard Judd, Paremata-Plimmerton
22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, Northern United
23 Connor Garden-Bachop, Northern UnitedThe Waikato side vs Otago. Id like to see McKenzie back at 1st
Edit Waikato side linked to this one. Completely different side to the Otago game
Ollie Norris (Hautapu)
Rhys Marshall
George Dyer (Fraser Tech)
James Tucker (Hamilton Marist)
Hamilton Burr (Hautapu) – co-captain
Samipeni Finau (Hamilton Old Boys)
Patrick McCurran (Fraser Tech)
Jack Lam (Hamilton Marist)
Xavier Roe (Hamilton Old Boys)
Taha Kemara (Te Awamutu Sports)
Daniel Sinkinson (Melville)
D’Angelo Leuila (Fraser Tech)
Bailyn Sullivan (Hamilton Marist)
Tana Tuhakaraina (United Matamata Sports)
Damian McKenzie (University) – co-captai -
Hopefully it ends up being a dry track as both of these teams have been exciting to watch in recent weeks. Picking Welly to win by a small margin.
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@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Hopefully it ends up being a dry track as both of these teams have been exciting to watch in recent weeks. Picking Welly to win by a small margin.
Hope so. agree about the weather. Cake Tin needs a roof but will likely never get one.
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Gonna be tough for the Lions. We barely used our bench so hopefully they aren't too gassed early this week.
I'd keep mostly the same 15 but would like CGB to start at 11. Higgins on the bench too for JGB.
I thought Bird was a bit shit too TBH around the field, but if he's looking after the line out and our scrum is working well then I can live with that.
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I haven't kept up with injuries etc but is this a possible for Waikato?
Norris
Marshall
Kautai
Tucker
McWhannell
Finau
Jacobsen
Messam
Roe
DMac
Sinkinson
Leiua
Sullivan
Coombes-Fabling
Cook-Savage -
@Crucial The team that played Auckland would be the closest to Waikato's best XV (mostly the team you have listed). Johnstone would start at LH and Leuila at 2nd 5.
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@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Gonna be tough for the Lions. We barely used our bench so hopefully they aren't too gassed early this week.
I'd keep mostly the same 15 but would like CGB to start at 11. Higgins on the bench too for JGB.
I thought Bird was a bit shit too TBH around the field, but if he's looking after the line out and our scrum is working well then I can live with that.
I thought Bird looked OK. Surprised as I thought he was a joke addition at first
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@Winger said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Gonna be tough for the Lions. We barely used our bench so hopefully they aren't too gassed early this week.
I'd keep mostly the same 15 but would like CGB to start at 11. Higgins on the bench too for JGB.
I thought Bird was a bit shit too TBH around the field, but if he's looking after the line out and our scrum is working well then I can live with that.
I thought Bird looked OK. Surprised as I thought he was a joke addition at first
I agree, he probably had his best game against Hawkes Bay last week since he came to Wellington. He was instrumental in stopping their lineout drives.
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@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
I'd keep mostly the same 15 but would like CGB to start at 11. Higgins on the bench too for JGB.
I would keep the team as it is. Pepesana Patafilo has been playing well. Doesn't do anything super outstanding but is a safe option Although CGB is another good option I have been a bit disappointed with him. I expected more after his super rugby form
Maybe Love is a better 1st 5 replacement option. But moving him from FB to 1st say with 10 minutes left. And who would goal kick as Love is poor
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@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@Winger said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Gonna be tough for the Lions. We barely used our bench so hopefully they aren't too gassed early this week.
I'd keep mostly the same 15 but would like CGB to start at 11. Higgins on the bench too for JGB.
I thought Bird was a bit shit too TBH around the field, but if he's looking after the line out and our scrum is working well then I can live with that.
I thought Bird looked OK. Surprised as I thought he was a joke addition at first
I agree, he probably had his best game against Hawkes Bay last week since he came to Wellington. He was instrumental in stopping their lineout drives.
Could say that he’s flying high.
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@Crucial
Could we see him back in black if he can improve his fitness ?
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@cgrant said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@Crucial
Could we see him back in black if he can improve his fitness ?No
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@Winger I'd literally have any one but JGB at 10 to be honest.
Last year against Tasman, chip kick inside our 22 when we need to score.
This year against BOP - we're ahead and just need to phase and kick it out. Tries a dropkick.
Doesn't have the head for it unfortunately.
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Wellington named, same 15 as last week except Higgins for PUJ.
Anyone know the status of PUJ injury?
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@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Wellington named, same 15 as last week except Higgins for PUJ.
Anyone know the status of PUJ injury?
@Higgins is getting a bit old to turn out isn’t he?
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Great opportunity for Riley Higgins.
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And there are people out there doubting Blackwells height as a lock, he’s almost a head taller than Bird!
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@Crucial said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Wellington named, same 15 as last week except Higgins for PUJ.
Anyone know the status of PUJ injury?
@Higgins is getting a bit old to turn out isn’t he?
I would never contemplate prostituting myself that low. Bad enough having two whangai playing a game or two for them, fortunately neither of them ever being in a team that beat The Bay in proper rugby (15s) thankfully (one lost a couple of times though!) although there might have been one instance of it happening in the Central Region 7s warm up tournament where The Bay and Wgtn both fielded two teams for some reason many years ago.
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1 Xavier Numia, Oriental Rongotai
2 Asafo Aumua, Avalon
3 Pekahou Cowan, Petone
4 James Blackwell, Petone
5 Dominic Bird, Upper Hutt Rams
6 Caleb Delaney, Old Boys University
7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, Northern United ©
8 Peter Lakai, Petone
9 TJ Perenara, Northern United
10 Aidan Morgan, Marist St Pats
11 Pepesana Patafilo, Tawa
12 Riley Higgins, Petone
13 Billy Proctor, Marist St Pats
14 Julian Savea, Oriental-Rongotai
15 Ruben Love, Wainuiomata16 James O’Reilly, Hutt Old Boys Marist
17 Solomona Sakalia, Northern United
18 PJ Sheck, Tawa
19 Taine Plumtree, Old Boys University
20 Keelan Whitman, Marist St Pats
21 Richard Judd, Paremata-Plimmerton
22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, Northern United
23 Connor Garden-Bachop, Northern United -
@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Great opportunity for Riley Higgins.
Agree. He's looked good so far though but this is his biggest game.
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@Winger he will be eyeing a Hurricanes contract so will want to make a statement.
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@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@Winger he will be eyeing a Hurricanes contract so will want to make a statement.
I will watch him closely. I see him as potentially better than PUJ. But haven't seen enough of him yet
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@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
@Winger he will be eyeing a Hurricanes contract so will want to make a statement.
A red instead of a yellow?
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Have Waikato named their side yet? Talk about delayed.
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@Canes4life said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Have Waikato named their side yet? Talk about delayed.
The team will be named today, and has always been announced the day before the game.
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@Bovidae maybe by Waikato standards. Most professional outfits name their team on Thursday if they are playing Saturday.
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@Canes4life You've missed our discussions about team releases during the NPC season.
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@Canes4life I think you're overly optimistic with "most". Hawke's Bay named their team this morning and we're still waiting for Waikato, Northland, Bay of Plenty. So half of the provinces didn't.
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@Bovidae I’ve obviously missed something haha
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Waikato NPC team named for Ranfurly Shield Challenge against Wellington Lions.
Waikato NPC have named their matchday 23 as they travel down to the Capital to challenge the Wellington Lions for the...
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@Bovidae Tuhakaraina on the bench is a good call. I've liked what I've seen so far.
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- Ayden Johnstone (Hautapu) – co-captain
- Rhys Marshall
- Sefo Kautai (Hamilton Marist)
- James Tucker (Hamilton Marist)
- Laghlan McWhannell (Hautapu)
- Hamilton Burr (Hautapu)
- Mitch Jacobson (Hautapu) – co-captain
- Samipeni Finau (Hamilton Old Boys)
- Xavier Roe (Hamilton Old Boys)
- Damian McKenzie (University)
- Daniel Sinkinson (Melville)
- D’Angelo Leuila (Fraser Tech)
- Bailyn Sullivan (Hamilton Marist)
- Liam Coombes-Fabling (Fraser Tech)
- Tepaea Cook-Savage (Fraser Tech)
- Pita Anae Ah-Sue (Southern United)
- Ollie Norris (Hautapu)
- George Dyer (Fraser Tech)
- Patrick McCurran (Fraser Tech)
- Jack Lam (Hamilton Marist)
- Cortez Ratima (Otorohanga)
- Tana Tuhakaraina (United Matamata Sports)
- Mosese Dawai (Otorohanga)
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@Crucial He is midfield cover, mostly centre.
Finau at no.8 is an interesting decision. He was playing there in the pre-season game I watched.
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Good to see McKenzie back at 1st. And will watch his match-up with Morgan closely. As I will Proctor v Sullivan.
Forecast Sat 24th
Rain, possibly heavy in the morning, easing to showers in the evening. Southerlies, strong in exposed places.
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Biggest vs smallest wing in NPC?
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@Winger said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):
Good to see McKenzie back at 1st. And will watch his match-up with Morgan closely. As I will Proctor v Sullivan.
Forecast Sat 24th
Rain/wind -usual Wellington crap
FIFY
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@Stargazer Northland side has been named, they have just decided not to publish it on social media this season until the last minute.
I think they still have to submit the sides by a certain time to NZR, and often get updated on the NPC page
Bunnings NPC Round 8: Team Lists
Round eight of the Bunnings NPC kicks off with a blockbuster clash between traditional foes Canterbury and Auckland on Friday night.
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@taniwharugby The rule in the Competitions Regulations Handbook is that teams must be announced publicly 24 hours before kick-off.
