Away representative rugby fixtures on Saturday

Losi Filipo gets a pass away in Lester Maulolo's tackle last Saturday at Jerry Collins Stadium between the Wellington Samoans and Wellington Centurions.

It’s an odd week, as aside from the Wellington Lions Men’s NPC match against Otago on Sunday afternoon there’s little rugby on at all in the capital, leaving the fields largely silent for the first time since club pre-season matches started off back in February.

However, there are still representative teams in action, with all but the Lions away from home this weekend.

The first team up on Saturday are the Wellington Pride who journey south to face the Otago Spirit under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium at 12.30pm. The Spirit had the bye last weekend and sit second in the Championship division, having recorded big wins over Hawkes Bay (39-17) and Tasman (82-0) after an opening loss to Canterbury (7-20).

One name in their side that will be familiar to Wellington readers is outside back Soraya Umaga-Jensen, older sister to the twins Peter and Thomas, while loose forwards Georgia Mason and Angie Sisifa have both played well against the Pride before, should they play.

The Pride will be after much-needed competition points, and preferably the full five, with two tough matches against frontrunners Counties-Manukau (home) and Canterbury (away) to follow. They’ll look at last week’s one-point to Auckland as the one that got away, after fighting back brilliantly to lead 23-12 early in the second half, only for the Storm to hit back with a 19-point burst that won them the game. Their side this week has a few changes, with a completely new front row in the form of Raylene Lolo, Rosie Stirling, and Brooke Tauaneai, with Joanah Ngan-woo coming in at lock. In the backs the only change is at first-five where Tina Vaaua-Hamlin is given the reigns. Two players are in line for their debuts off the bench; Wainuiomata’s Elieta Taito and Norths’ Dhys Faleafaga, in her first action since leading her St Mary’s College side to a national championship.

Two of the age-grade sides have 1pm starts against their respective Hawke’s Bay counterparts, both on neutral territory. The U13’s are in Palmerston North for the final match of their four-game representative programme, with the U18 Girls a little further north in Ashhurst looking for the third win of theirs.

Across Cook Strait, the Wellington Development side under former internationals Dion Waller and Riki Flutey get their short three-match programme underway against Tasman B in Blenheim at 3pm, naming a squad earlier this week that mixes youth and experience. They follow this match with a home game against Canterbury next week before finishing up in Auckland the following week.

The Wellington second string side wasn’t available at the time of publication (Friday, 4pm), but Tasman B look likely to have former Old Boys University fullback Sam Chamberlain in their side as well as several other players with NPC experience such as Makos and NZ sevens No. 8 Tone Ng Shiu.

Tasman B are coming off a 37-13 win over Canterbury B , whom the Wellington Development side plays next week, while their 46-34 win over the Wellington side last year at Jerry Collins Stadium will be fresh in the minds of some. Wellington led that game 19-0, only to be overhauled and over-run.

Monday sees three more teams in action. In Wanganui the Wellington U16A and U16B sides get their weeklong Hurricanes Regional campaigns underway, while at Porirua Park the U18 selection plays their one-off match against the touring Tongan U18 side with kick-off in that match at 1pm.

Other Wellington college players in national representative action include Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington College) and Josh Southall (St Patricks Silverstream) who are in Australia with the NZ Schools side. Ah Kuoi started and Southall came off the bench in their 57-7 win yesterday over Fiji and their attention turns now to Monday’s match against the Australian Barbarians side.

Also yesterday Kienan Higgins (St Patrick’s Silverstream) and Taine Plumtree (Wellington College) had strong games for the Schools Barbarians in their 33-19 win over Tonga in Palmerston North, while Tenara Haenga (Wainuiomata HS), Keelan Whitman (St Patricks Kilbirnie), Jaylen Tuapola (Scots College) and Ben Strowger-Turnock (Wellington College) are all with the Maori U18 side. The Barbarians and the Maori face each other on Monday in Palmerston North, with the Maori getting their crack at the Tongans next Friday at Porirua Park at 2pm.

Sunday sees the Wellington Lions looking to keep the momentum in their season rolling along, and a win over Otago would secure them top-spot for the semi-finals, and presuming a win there, for the Championship final the week after as well. Wellington should be fairly well rested, having the relatively luxury of a full week since their 34-10 win over Waikato while Otago will be backing up from Wednesday night’s 30-32 loss to Northland in Whangarei.

The two unions have a long history, first meeting back in 1883 which was notable for the fact it was the first time that unions from the North and South Island met. In more recent times they’ve met 39 times during the NPC-era with Wellington winning 21 times, Otago 16, and two draws (in 1993 and 2004); with Wellington notching 114 tries to the southern men’s 89. Interestingly enough Wellington won the first eight matches from 1976-83, while Otago won eight of nine from 1990 to 1998, broken only by that 1993 draw.

Overall going back to that first 1883 meeting the ledger stands at 65 wins for Wellington, 41 for Otago, and nine draws.

Since 1989 the two teams have played for the Mike Gibson Memorial Trophy. Gibson was a talented centre who played three seasons for Otago before moving north and representing Wellington in 1987. Tragically he was struck by leukaemia and passed away the following year, with his family donating the trophy. Wellington won that inaugural contest 27-11, but it’s currently held by Otago following their 44-21 win last year.

Chris Gibbes’ has made a number of moves from the side that in the end comfortably eased past Waikato. Up front Tolu Fahamokioa and Leni Apisai swap places with Sitiveni Paongo and Asafo Aumua, while at the back of the scrum Galu Taufale does the same with Teariki Ben Nicholas. Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and Jackson Garden-Bachop return to the halves while after several weeks out Trent Renata is back at fullback at Ben Lam moves over to the wing. Malo Tuitama and Dan Kirkpatrick (injured) drop out of the 23 altogether with Losi Filipo – coming off scoring the matchwinner for the Samoans last Saturday – coming onto the bench.

Teamlists – as received

Wellington Pride
1 Raylene Lolo (Oriental-Rongotai)
2 Rosie Stirling (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
3 Brooke Tauaneai (Wainuiomata)
4 Joanah Ngan-Woo (Oriental-Rongotai)
5 Sanita Levave (Norths)
6 Kiri Mei (Wainuiomata)
7 Sinead To’oala-Ryder (Marist St Pat’s)
8 Jackie Patea-Fereti (Wainuiomata)©
9 Acacia Te Iwimate (Petone)
10 Tina Vauua-Hamlin (Marist St Pats)
11 Ayesha Leti-l’iga (Oriental-Rongotai)
12 Jane Bryce (Marist St Pats)
13 Monica Tagoai (Marist St Pats)
14 Vaine Marsters (Norths)
15 Reijeli Uluinayau (Oriental-Rongotai)
16 Alicia Print (Oriental-Rongotai)
17 Angel Uila (Petone)
18 Elieta Taito (Wainuiomata)
19 Dhys Faleafaga (Norths)
20 Tawny Burgess (Old Boys-University)
21 Holly Macdonald (Old Boys-University)
22 Saua Ualesi (Poneke)

Wellington Lions
1 Tolu Fahamokioa (Tawa)
2 Leni Apisai (Norths)
3 Alex Fidow (Oriental-Rongotai)
4 Sam Lousi (Marist St Pats)
5 Will Mangos (Old Boys-University)
6 Mateaki Kafatolu (Petone)
7 DuPlessis Kirifi (Loan)
8 Galu Taufale (Poneke)
9 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Tawa)
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop (Norths)
11 Ben Lam (Tawa)
12 Regan Verney (Old Boys-University)
13 Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Wainuiomata)
14 Julian Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)©
15 Trent Renata (Oriental-Rongotai)
16 Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
17 Sitiveni Paongo (Tawa)
18 Joe ‘Apikatoa (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
19 Chris Middleton (Norths)
20 Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Old Boys-University)
21 Sheridan Rangihuna (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
22 Billy Proctor (Marist St Pats)
23 Losi Filipo (Petone)

Wellington U18 (named earlier this week – subject to change)
1 Moala Katoa (Scots College)
2 Manaaki Tiatia-Boyle (Scots College)
3 Werdna Maligi (Scots College)
4 Tama Kapene (Scots College)
5 Mellenniumma Leota (Wellington College)
6 AJ Hart (St Patricks Kilbirnie)
7 Alex Faifailoa (Wainuiomata HS)
8 Mitch Stringer (Hutt Valley HS)
9 Kyle Preston (Tawa College)
10 Matiu Samuel (Rongotai College)
11 Caleb Cavubati (Scots College)
12 Eli Moata’a (Porirua College)
13 Tai Neli (Scots College)
14 Tominiko Maiava (Wellington College)
15 Jack Gray (Scots College)
16 Katiu Ioane (Tawa College)
17 Stanley Paese (St Patricks Silverstream)
18 DJ Taiopu (Rongotai College)
19 Junior Unese (Scots College)
20 Misi Faimalo (St Patricks Kilbirnie)
21 Malo Manuao (Scots College)
22 Jason Tuitama (Rongotai College)