Off the Ball for 24 September

Last week marked a year until the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Here 2,586 people pack down a scrum to mark the date. PHOTO: TOKI Services via Instagram.

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max, Lovelocks Sports Bar,  Motor Doctors and Sarah Kilner Real Estate 

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.

There were nine Wellington representative teams in action over the weekend and all won well except the Wellington Development side in their first outing together this season.

The Development side lost the first half against Tasman B six tries to one and then won the second half six tries to one, so on the scoreboard at least goalkicking was the difference in the 39-46 defeat.

The Wellington Development side play the second match of their campaign this coming Saturday against the Hawke’s Bay Saracens in Napier. The Hawke’s Bay side is coming off a big win over their Manawatu counterparts (see below).

There was a match scheduled for today at Porirua Park, between the Wellington Community U18s and the New Zealand Maori U18s but this has been cancelled for reasons unknown (see schools teams named below).

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This coming weekend in Wellington, the U13s representative side hosts the Auckland U13s in their annual fixture. The game is at Jerry Collins Stadium at 1.45pm.

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All three Wellington U18s teams are in action for the final time this Saturday. The Centurions U18s travel to play the Wairarapa Bush U18s in Masterton in the final of the Hurricanes U18 competition. The Wellington Samoans U18s and the Wellington Community U18s will meet in a consolation final in Wellington. Venue and time TBC.

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The two Hurricanes U16s teams have this coming weekend off, but their Hurricanes U16 tournament is in Masterton all next week.

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The Wellington Lions retained the Coronation Cup against Manawatu yesterday, winning 49-7. The Coronation Cup was presented by the Arnott family to the Manawatu Rugby Union in the Queen’s coronation year of 1953. For many seasons the two unions played an annual Queen’s Birthday fixture for the Coronation Cup.

Yesterday’s win was their 87th first-class meeting, with Wellington now having won 61, Manawatu 20 and with six draws.

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The Lions have scored the most points and tries of the 14 NPC teams, scoring 274 points anddotting down 42 times in six games. Waikato are next most with 236 points and 35 tries. 

The Lions next match is this coming Saturday night against Tasman Mako at home at Westpac Stadium. The Mako are one win and one point ahead of the Lions on the Premiership table, so this looms as a key contest as far as semi-final spots are concerned.

This match against Tasman will be exactly 10 years to the week (27 and 29 September respectively) that the Lions put the Ranfurly Shield on the line in their first and only defence of the year after beating Auckland 20-0 on 20 September 2008 to win it for the first time since 1982.

The Lions’ first Ranfurly Shield defence in 26 years was on decidedly shaky ground when Tasman halfback Kahn Fotuali’i dived across the tryline late in the second half to put his side ahead 13-11. But it was a Fotuali'i indiscretion moments later at the other end of the field and a subsequent penalty in front of the uprights to his opposite Piri Weepu that saw the Lions regain the lead. The Lions were then able to pull clear with a 75th minute try to lock Jeremy Thrush to make it 21-13, followed by a popular match-winner to No.8 Thomas Waldrom and win 26-20.

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A record breaking weekend for the Wellington Pride.

In beating Tasman 88-7, they posted their highest score and biggest win in 20 years of the Women’s NPC, Surpassing the 81-5 they racked up against Poverty Bay in 1999.

Second five-eighth Amanda Rasch slotted nine conversions and scored one of 14 tries for a personal haul of 23 points. In so doing, Rasch broke two records. She scored more points than the 20 by Huia Paul against Otago in 2011 and Helen Collins against Hawke's Bay in 2012 and broke Neroli Knight's record of eight conversions against Poverty Bay in 1999. 

Left wing Ayesha Leti L’iga scored a hat-trick (and had a direct hand in two more tries) to finish the weekend having scored 48 tries in 16 matches this season, 41 for Oriental-Rongotai and seven for the Pride. She has taken her customary place at the top of the try scoring list after four rounds of the Women’s NPC.

The Pride have two matches to play, against North Harbour (away) and Taranaki (home) to finish the round-robin. A couple of bonus points against North Harbour will probably be enough to seal their home semi-final on 13 October.

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The Hawke’s Bay Development side quietly won the Hurricanes Shield competition on the weekend. Just needing a couple of competition points to overtake the Centurions Development side and retain their title, they put the Manawatu Development side to the sword and won 100-15.

The Manawatu union is having a tough time of it this year, with the Turbos, the Evergreens (Development) and the U19s all falling away sharply. Their Women’s team is faring better, but they lost 12-48 to Canterbury on Saturday.

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Back home, there was supposed to be a secondary school sevens tournament on Saturday but the Wootton Sevens/Hutt Cup tournament was cancelled as only several entries were received in time. As recently as three years ago these two and one in Wellington were run as three separate tournaments for the Western Bay, Hutt Valley and Town schools, attracting well over 30 teams combined. The Condor Sevens is still on for Naenae College on Labour Day Monday, 22 October.

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The Tawa Invitational Sevens tournament is back for a third year, scheduled for Saturday 6 October at Lyndhurst Park.

This is a chance for teams to have a hit out to see where they stand, before their sevens campaigns start. The tournament is placed the week prior to the start of the WRFU Ambassadors Series and two weeks prior to the Wellington Colleges Condor Qualifier.

There are eight men's teams entered - Northern United (two teams), Wellington Axemen, OBU, MSP (two teams) and Tawa. There is one pool of four college teams: Tawa College, Aotea College, St Pats Silverstream, and St Pats Town.

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Marist St Pats is seeking applications for coaches across all grades for 2019. Read more here

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Northern United Rugby Club are seeking suitably qualified, experienced, committed and enthusiastic coaches for the following teams in 2019:

Womens Head Coach: With a proud history and legacy of high performance and success, current club champions and a rapidly growing market in the women’s game this is a great opportunity for top coaches to work with talented players, hone skills and build on existing team development and accomplishments.

First Grade Head Coach: Chance to work with team to share and grow skills and knowledge. This team serves a very important role within our club with multiple functions including ongoing development of talented younger players, premier players returning from injury or break, players unable to fully commit to high performance teams and those wanting some decent rugby but in a fun and less intense environment associated with Premier teams.

Successful applicants will work closely with players, team management and club officials to generate a sound team culture and standards applicable and aligned with our club values of enjoyment, family, community, cultural diversity, character, loyalty and achievement.

Coach and team expectations will be appropriate with club goals, support, talent pool, overall performance and growth. Ability to see the ‘big picture’ and work harmoniously within the team and club to achieve results but also support & cultivate strategies for ongoing development, retention and recruitment

If you have the abilities and would like to be involved working with great people, community and a club with a positive vision for the future please forward your interest and application BY 5PM FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER to: Grainger Heikell Rugby Development Officer Northern United Rugby Club cco@northsrugby.co.nz

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The New Zealand Secondary Schools and Barbarians Schools squads were named this past weekend.

The New Zealand Schools team plays Tonga Schools in Brisbane this Thursday, the Australian Schools Barbarians next Monday and the Australian Schools next Saturday in Brisbane.

The New Zealand Barbarian Schools have two matches at Porirua Park coming up, against the New Zealand Maori U18s at Porirua Park this Thursday and against Fiji Schools at Porirua Park next Monday. Similarly, the Maori U18s also play a match at the JCS against Fiji Schools on Friday 5 October.

As usual there are some interesting selections and non-selections in both squads across the board. The Wellington players in these teams are:

NZ Schools: Iona Apineru | St Pat’s Silverstream, Ethan Webster-Nonu | Scots College.

NZ Schools Barbarians: Caleb Cavubati (Scots College), Roderick Solo (Scots College) Ropati Sooalo (Aotea College), Sam Smith (Wairarapa College), Junior Uelese (Scots College), Keelan Whitman (St Pat’s Town).

NZ Maori U18s: Raniera Petersen (Upper Hutt Rams), Chris Hemi (St Pat’s Silverstream).

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In English teams featuring Wellington players, Jason Woodward’s Gloucester lost 15-38 to Saracens yesterday to remain unbeaten. Lima Sopoaga’s boot helped Wasps beat Sale 31-13, Alapati Leiua’s Bristol beat Harlequins 20-13 and Chris Boyd’s Northampton lost 15-17 to Bath.

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The All Blacks, including Vaea Fifita, have hit Argentina, ahead of their next match this coming weekend. Read more here

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This year's end of year tour could be the last the All Blacks play in its current form.

French newspaper Midi Olympique reports from 2020, World Rugby wants to introduce a 'League of Nations' format involving the top 12 teams in the world.

The idea of World Rugby vice president Agustin Pichot reportedly sees an international competition dividing into four groups of three, with three pool games followed by a semi-final and final.

The report says the World League would be played alternately in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere each November, with the North to hold the proposed first edition in 2020. Read more here 

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