Double header at Petone headlines tomorrow’s representative matches

Wellington Development outside backs Isaia Petelo and Paddy Hughes fighting for the ball against Manawatu last week. A fine, cool day is expected tomorrow for their match tomorrow against Hawke’s Bay at Petone tomorrow.

The Wellington Pride and the Wellington Development teams play back-to-back matches at Petone Recreation Ground in two leading representative fixtures tomorrow, while there are two matches in town at Evans Bay Park including an U85kg fixture between the Wellington Centurions and North Harbour teams.

The Wellington Lions and Wellington U19s are both playing on Sunday, whilst the Hurricanes U16 tournament kicks off in Levin on Monday.

The Wellington Pride host Canterbury in a key Women’s NPC match at 12.30pm, followed by Wellington Development playing Hawke’s Bay Development at 2.30pm and looking to wrap up the Hurricanes Development Competition.

The Pride side will step out in the first game hoping to hold off an in-form Canterbury team in their sixth and penultimate round Women’s NPC fixture.

The Pride lost both both midfielder Amanda Rasch and lock Petra Kirklanova early in their bonus point win over Counties Manukau last Saturday, while halfback Agnes Dean is also sidelined with injury. But they welcome back mobile lock Joanah Ngan-Woo after a week off. No. 8 Jackie Patea will be assisted by flyhalf Lizzie Goulden as co-captain this week.

Heading into this match, the Pride are third on 15 points and Canterbury fifth on 10. The Pride would likely clinch a semi-finals place with a round to spare if they beat Canterbury, whilst a couple of bonus points could also be enough. The equation for Canterbury is simple – they must beat the Pride and preferably by scoring four tries or they’ll be relying on other results going their way in next week’s final set of regular season matches.

Both the Pride and Canterbury are coming off consecutive wins, Wellington beating Hawke’s Bay 43-18 and Counties Manukau 27-12 and Canterbury defeating Otago 43-13 and Hawke’s Bay 58-8. Canterbury have turned their form around after a horror start, dropping the first two games of their campaign to Counties Manukau 15-52 and to Auckland 8-70.

Wellington goes into this match having scored 120 points and 17 tries in their four matches so far, while Canterbury have scored 124 points and 20 tries. The Pride’s defence has held up better, with Wellington having conceded 57 points and 10 tries.

A key player for Canterbury is halfback Kendra Cocksedge, a former World Rugby Player of the Year nominee and their playmaker and usual goal-kicker. Cocksedge enters this match with 486 Women’s NPC points to her name, so Wellington fans will be hoping she doesn’t become the first player to crack 500 points in the WNPC.

The curtain-raiser to the WNPC match on the adjacent field at Petone is Wellington Maori Women versus Tasman Women at 10.30am.

In the match that follows the WNPC fixture, the Wellington Development side will be out to wrap up the Hurricanes Development competition with victory over the Hawke’s Bay Saracens.

Wellington Development just needs a win over the Saracens to lift the silverware. Heading into this weekend’s third round set of matches the points table is: Wellington 9, Hawke’s Bay 5, Manawatu 5 and Wellington Samoans 1.

Both sides are coming off contrasting wins last weekend, Wellington holding off Manawatu Development 18-6 at Porirua Park and Hawke’s Bay galloping to a seven tries to one, 44-7 win over the Wellington Samoans in Napier.

The Wellington side will be without captain Whetu Henry for this clash, who has been called up to the Wellington Lions squad to play Waikato on Sunday. Another feature of the Development’s side is strong depth in several positions. Hunter Prescott replaces Valentine Meachen at hooker and Mike Lealava’a trades places with Fa’atonu Fili at first five-eighth in two straight swaps. Halfback Adam Deck also returns from injury a fortnight ago, with Luke Campbell on the bench, and Issac O’Connor returns to openside flanker, Sam Gard’ner moves to blindside and Mateaki Kafatolu will come off the pine. At centre, Tau Mamea moves from fullback to centre and Jordan Simpson-Hefft returns to 15.

In the other Hurricanes Development competition match, the Wellington Samoans are away at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North against Manawatu, kick-off 2.30pm.

In two matches in town on the St Pat’s Artificial, the Wellington U18s and the Wellington Samoan Schools meet at 1.00pm and the Centurions U85gs play North Harbour U8kgs in a one-off match at 3.00pm.

The two U85kg sides played each other last year in Taupo with Harbour winning 33-24 after going out to a 26-0 lead while Wellington outscored them 4 tries to 3.
 
Wellington's first game last weekend was a good 27-10 win over Waikato so they will hopefully be better for the hit out and will be looking to improve on that performance.   

North Harbour come in on the back of four games the last four weeks with mixed results beating Auckland 20-14 and Counties Manukau 31-8 while losing in the last minute to Waikato 19-22, and another close loss to Auckland last weekend 10-16.
 
The last U85kg rep match played in Wellington was back in March 2012 when Centurion's first fielded an under 85kg side against a New Zealand Barbarians team (made up of the best Auckland, North Harbour, Waikato and Thames Valley players) so it is great North Harbour were able to travel all this way.
 
The after match function for both sides will be held after the game at MSP clubrooms above Hataitai Park with all supporters welcome.
 
On Sunday the Wellington Lions play Waikato in Hamilton at 2.35pm and the Wellington 19s play Taranaki in Taupo at 6.00pm.

Backs Matt Proctor and Joe Hill return to the Wellington Lions. Proctor and Hill resume their usual positions at centre and right wing, respectively, while Tomasi Palu and Greg Foe claim their first starting spots for 2015. The Lions will be without Cory Jane this weekend after he sustained a slight shoulder injury against Otago last week.

The Wellington U16s and Wellington U16s Development teams will be in Levin next week for the 2015 Hurricanes Region U16s tournament.

The tournament is split into two divisions, with Wellington A, Poverty Bay, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay in the top tier and Wellington Development, Horowhenua Kapiti Wairarapa Bush, Ngati Porou East Coast, Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay Development in the other section.

Hawke’s Bay (As) and Poverty Bay (Development) are the defending champions. Hawke’s Bay Development have taken the place of Taranaki this year.

The tournament days are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The Wellington As open against Manawatu, then play Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay. The Wellington Development side meets Hawke’s Bay Development, then Wairarapa Bush and then a crossover match on day three.

Teams

Wellington Development:

1. Finbarr Kerr-Newell
2.Hunter Prescott
3. Marcus Roil
4. LiamHallam-Eames
5. Joe Beech
6. Sam Gard’ner
7. Issac O’Connor
8. Teariki Ben-Nicholas
9. Adam Deck
10. Mike Lealava’a
11. Max Pearson
12. Isaia Petelo
13. Tau Mamea
14. Paddy Hughes
15. Jordan Simpson-Heftt
Reserves:
16. Valentine Meachen
17. Gerrard Faiatoa
18. Apanui Heemi
19. Agustine Escalona
20. Mateaki Kafatolu
21. Luke Campbell
22. Fa’atonu Fili
23. Matt Goosen

Wellington Pride:

1. Muteremoana Aiatu
2. Alice Soper
3. Noleen Nonu
4. Sanita Levave
5. Joanah Ngan-Woo
6. Amy Sutorius
7. Carol Sio
8. Jackie Patea
9. Raukawa Tuahuru
10. Lizzie Goulden
11. Ayesha Leti-l’iga
12. Sauimoana Solia
13. Georgia Daals
14. Ruby Finau
15. Vaine Marsters
Reserves:
16. Alicia Print
17. Sunema Tupuola
18. Miriam Ready
19.Kirstin Stewart
20. Tatiana Tafatu
21. Fa'asua Makisi
22. Timena Tuma'ai

Wellington U18s

1. Ben Aumua-Peseta (St Pat’s Town)
2. Sitiveni Paongo (Wellington College)
3. Nu'u Haueia (Scots College)
4. John Tuia (St Pat’s Town)
5. Henry Mexted (Scots College)
6. Jimmy Hewit (Wellington College)
7. Jack Nelson-Murray (St Pat’s Town)
8. Hannon Brighouse (St Pat’s Town)
9. Ryan Fraser (St Pat’s Silverstream)
10. Sam Fox (Scots College)
11. Brandon Mudzekenyedzi (Heretaunga College)
12. Willie Schutz (St Pat’s Town)
13. Willie Fine (St Bernard’s College)
14. Malachai Unasa (Rongotai College)
15. Saia Paese (St Pat’s Town)
Reserves:
16. Penieli Poasa (St Pat’s Town)
17. Junior Foaitua (St Bernard’s College)
18. Gus Stone (St Pat’s Town)
19. Folau Vea (Tawa College)
20. Ezra Seiuli (Rongotai College)
21. Jayden Treviranus (Upper Hutt College)
22. Reece Plumtree (Wellington College)

Centurions U85kgs (team to be selected from):

Damian Austin (Avalon)
Mark Austin (Avalon)
Jack Coles (Petone)
Pete Coles (Petone)
Bernard Dodds (Tawa)
Bill Drummond (Eastbourne)
Sam Duncan (MSP)
Arthur Flux (OBU)
Gus Gawn (Poneke)
Julius Glasson (MSP)
Sam Gundersen (MSP)
Matt Jackett (Avalon)
Dan Kubiak (Tawa)
Keegan Lane (Wellington)
LA Moemai (Avalon)
Nick Naylor (MSP)
Joe Perez (Petone)
Makea Pokere (Poneke, captain)
Cam Prestidge (Tawa)
Danny Shaw (Tawa)
Gareth Stokes (MSP)
Sam Tuala (Tawa)
Angus Whiteman (Wellington)
Jordan Wilson (MSP)
Todd Young (Johnsonville)

Wellington U16 squad for Levin:

1. Meinrad Fitsemanu
2. Desmond Matofai
3. Ethan McQuinlan
4. Naitoa Ah Kuoi
5. Tama Kapene
6. Adam Tone
7. Jack Wright
8. Kainoa Wimutu
9. Adrian Seumanufagai
10. Connor Garden-Bachop
11. Todd Svenson
12. Billy Proctor
13. Tai Neli
14. Maloitofiganofovalwane Manuao
15. Michael Martin
16. Bronson Aiono
17. Werdna Maligi
18. William Rua
19. Tommy Prescott
20. Johsua Onekawa
21. Matiu Samuels
22. Oria Andrews
23. Daniel Brown
24. Andre Hart

Coaches: Justin Wilson, Rodney So'oialo, Willie Leota
Managers: Mike Parker, Lance Ehu, Jasper Stone
Physio: Mike Ngan Kee

Wellington U16 Development squad for Levin:

1. Moala Katoa
2. Ngatama Maruwai
3. Tobias Makisi
4. Sam Green
5. Mellennium Leota
6. Junior Taoipu Daniel
7. Mitchell Bull-Elvines
8. Iasiah Peachey
9. Preston Kyle
10. Isalei Pouvalu
11. Tisi Finau
12. Denzel Leota
13. Stone Warren – Robinson
14. Caleb Cavubati
15. Reuben Vaa
16. George Jacobs
17. Tanara Haenga
18. Keelan Whitman
19. Tom Lynn
20. Callum Harkin
21. Emin Kaya
22. Jack Gray
23. Mitchell Stringer
24. Tom Hoskins

Coaches: Mason Malagamaalii, Garry Archer and Kent Harris
Managers :Brendon Carter, Danny Merito and Darius Patau
Physio: Mike Ngan Kee