The Wellington U19s and the Wellington Development team are the two sides in action in representative rugby tomorrow, with the U19s playing Canterbury in the final of the National U19 tournament in Taupo and the Development team taking on a Tasman XV in Blenheim.
The U19s come into their final, which is live on Sky TV from 5.35 pm, having romped home 46-0 against North Harbour and held on to beat a powerful Auckland side 19-15.
Like Wellington's team, the Canterbury U19s feature a core group of players who have gained experience this season playing Premier club rugby. Canterbury won the South Island qualifying tournament with wins over Southland (37-0), Canterbury Country Colts (58-3), Tasman (55-13) and Otago (27-22). ?In their two games at Taupo, Canterbury has defeated Bay of Plenty 32-6 and Waikato 26-23 - scoring the match winning try with the last play of the game.
The U19s team has yet to be named for their final, but it is understood that hard running openside flanker Henry Stowers has been ruled out with an arm complaint and will be replaced in the starting XV by Teariki Ben-Nicholas.
The Development team defeated the Hawke's Bay Saracens 37-34 last week and meet a Tasman selection that has been brought together for this one-off game. The two Tasman sub-unions, Marlborough and Nelson Bays, have recently been playing in the South Island Development and Seddon Shield? competitions. There are four Makos squad members who have been made available for this match, lock Jeff Lepa, midfielders Mike Wells and James Schrader and outside back Mike Wells.
The Wellington Development side is listed below.
The Wellington Pride have their bye in the Women's NPC competition.
The Pride will play their last two games of the season at home, against Waikato at Westpac Stadium next Saturday and against Hawke's Bay at Porirua Park the following Saturday.
The U18s have finished their season, as have the U16s and U16 Development sides who finished second to Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay respectively in their Hurricanes region tournament in Napier this week.
In other matches tomorrow in the Wellington region, the second leg of the International Schools Series is at Porirua Park. The New Zealand Barbarians play Fiji Schools at 1.10 pm and the New Zealand Schools side meets Australia Schools at 2.50 pm. Entry to the ground at Porirua Park is free, and these matches are being broadcast live on the Rugby Channel.
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The Wellington Development to play Tasman Development is:
1. Apanui Heemi (Upper Hutt Rams)
2. Anaru Rangi (Upper Hutt Rams)
3. Whetu Henry (Oriental-Rongotai)
4. Kaipati Gaualofa (Tawa)
5. Nemani Waaka (Marist St Pat's)
6. Taniela Manu (Upper Hutt Rams)
7. Greg Leolofi (Wainuiomata)
8. Matt Peni (Marist St Pat's)
9. Jared Kahu (Petone)
10. Fa'atonu Fili (Marist St Pat's)
11. Ryan Setefano (Marist St Pat's)
12. Jason Henry (Upper Hutt Rams)
13. Tomasi Alosio (Hutt Old Boys Marist)
14. Tau Mamea (Wainuiomata)
15. Andrew Wells (Marist St Pat's)
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RESERVES
16. Junior Makapelu (Tawa)
17. Marcus Roil (Petone)
18. Ta'amillo Vaa (Petone)
20. Nick Grigg (Petone)
21. Aukuso Tuitama (Northern United)
22. Randall Bishop (Tawa)
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