Off the Ball for 11 September

Tiwi Davies scores for the Wellington Maori on Saturday against the Wellington Samoans. Max Pearson also scored two tries, but the Samoans won 24-23 - more below.

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max , Lovelocks Sports Bar  and Harcourts Johnsonville 

Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this week.

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A mixed bag for Wellington’s many teams playing at home and around the country from Tasman to Taupo.

St Mary’s showed great character in challenging conditions to win the Top 4 National Schoolgirls championship.

Yesterday morning they beat Hamilton Girls’ High School, who had caught fire in the second half in beating defending champions Southland Girls’ High School 51-12 on day one on Friday. In horrendous conditions on a more exposed field, St Mary’s had held on to beat Auckland’s Southern Cross Campus 22-17.

Hamilton GHS started the final off with a strong g period in possession, but St Mary’s snuffed them out, got their hands on the ball and eventually led 17-3 at halftime. The key period of the game was early in the second half when Hamilton had their tails up with an attacking scrum under St Mary’s poles – only for St Mary’s to win a tighthead and run the ball back up field out of trouble, eventually scoring again.

Captain Dhys Faleafaga – who played No. 8 in the semi-final and second-five in the final - was our girls Player of the Tournament, while several others played well including both props and lock Emma Brown who was a defensive enforcer in both games. The presence of Ainselyana Pulieta alongside Faleafaga in midfield in the final was also a key addition, having missed Friday’s game due to her netball commitments.

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Staying with girls rugby, the Wellington U18s representative side were too big, strong, and fast as they romped to a 112-0 win over a Tasman side just starting out at this level. Garry Archer’s team – without a number of players with St Mary’s – ran in eight tries in the first half and 11 more after the break.

In the match that followed on the Hutt Rec, the Wellington Pride were well beaten by the Manawatu Cyclones, featuring former Pride first five-eighth Lizzie Goulden and pocket-rocket Black Ferns fullback Selica Winiata. Manawatu won 35-27.

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The Wellington Lions lost their first match of the season on Saturday, but secured two bonus points with a late flurry that could be key in their quest to be top qualifier. Tasman won 37-35.

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The Wellington U19s lost their first match of the Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 tournament on Saturday.

Wellington lost to North Harbour 27-30 so are out of semi-final contention this year. On Wednesday they will play Tasman in the first match of the day. Tasman lost to Waikato 11-28. The best the Junior Lions can now finish is fifth.

Auckland sent a strong message to the competition, with a 71-5 victory over Manawatu in their opening match. They will face traditional rivals Canterbury in the Graham Mourie Cup semi -finals, while defending champions, Waikato, have advanced and will play North Harbour in the other semifinal.

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It was Wellington Samoan Rugby Club day at Jerry Collins Stadium on Saturday, with all three of their teams playing at Jerry Collins Stadium.
 
The Wellington Samoans and Wellington Maori game was see-saw with the Samoans scoring within the first couple of minutes off some Fa’atonu Fili magic, putting Fereti Soloa away with a crosskick. The Maori hit back with a try of their own and a couple of penalties. The Samoans then hit back with a  couple of tries and looked to run away with the match until two players were sin binned which the Maori took full advantage off with a late surge.

The Maori had a chance to take the lead with time up on the game clock but that was missed and the Samoans defended their lead for the remaining minutes of referee’s time.
 
The Samoans have a bye this weekend but travelling to the Mount on Friday to play Bay of Plenty Samoans and then return play our last game against the Centurions at Jerry Collins Stadium.

The Hawke’s Bay Saracens beat the Wellington Centurions 24-14 (Blake Neve, Pakai Turia tries) in the other game on Saturday, while Manawatu had the bye.

Despite the loss, Wellington Maori lead the Hurricanes Shield standings (on 10 points), ahead of the Hawke’s Bay Saracens (9), Manawatu (5), Wellington Samoans (5) and the Centurions (1).

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The Wellington U18 Centurions beat Horowhenua-Kapiti U18 36-5 in heavy underfoot conditions in Paraparaumu, with wing Caleb Cavubati scoring four tries. The match was scoreless until well into the first half when Cavubati found space to cross for his opener. The forwards built pressure and fullback Jack Gray crossed next, before Cavubati scored again to make it 19-0 at halftime.

The Centurions forwards continued to work hard after the break, against staunch defence, before tighthead prop Tanara Haenga dived over for their fourth try. Horowhenua Kapiti got on the board with a try, before Cavubati scored his third and fourth tries to seal the contest.

Centurions coach Damian Rapira-Davies was pleased with the way his team adapted to the conditions and the spirit that the game was played in. He passes on thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Centurions Club to Horowhenua-Kapiti for hosting this fixture.

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Great to see Wellington Lion and Wellington Axemen Vaea Fifita doing his thing for the All Blacks on Saturday night against the Pumas.

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Wellington Axemen prop Anthony Ellis scored a try in Buller’s 33-31 win over North Otago on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Tawa duo Kalim Kelemete (try) and James So’oialo (con, 2 pen) scored all Horowhenua-Kapiti’s points in their 13-10 win over Thames Valley in soggy conditions in Levin.

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Former Marist St Pat’s coach and current Bay of Plenty coach Clayton McMillan will take over from Colin Cooper as Maori All Blacks coach.

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A piece on former Northern United and Wellington Lions midfielder this morning.

“Kiwi centre Robbie Fruean scored on his Pro14 tournament debut for Edinburgh with his new coach proclaiming him as "a risk worth taking".

Fruean, 29, has had health and injury setbacks - including heart surgery - during his career, but that has not fazed new Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill whose faith was repaid when the ex-Crusader scored a try and set up another in a 37 -18 win over Welsh club Dragons on Saturday (NZ Time).

The ex-England hooker predicted Fruean  - who had open heart surgery after rheumatic fever in 2007 - would prove a top investment after transferring from English club Bath on a two-year contract.”

Read more here

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Marist St Pat’s and former Wellington loose forward Victor Vito scored a try as La Rochelle romped to a 51-20 win over French champions Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14 over the weekend.

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The Otago side did a number on Hawke’s Bay in the Men’s NPC yesterday – perhaps it’s all the “Josh’s” in their side. There were five players out of 23 in Otago’s side with the first name Josh, plus another in the squad. One of their number, lock Josh Furno, scored two tries in the 64-21 win, while the side also had a Jono at halfback and a Jona on the left wing!

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As well as the U19s in Taupo and the Wellington Samoans in Tauranga (as above), Coming up this week, the Wellington Pride are away to Waikato, the Wellington Samoan Schools are away to Wanganui and the Wellington Centurions are away to Manawatu in Palmerston North this Saturday.

At home on Saturday, the Wellington Centurions U18s and the Wellington Catholic Colleges meet, while Wellington Maori hosts Hawke’s Bay Development. Both these games are scheduled for Porirua Park/Jerry Collins Stadium.

On Sunday, the Wellington Lions play the red-hot Canterbury side at Westpac Stadium at 4.35pm for the Harry Saundercock Shield. 

Contributions to Off the Ball to editor@clubrugby.co.nz