Wellington Pride looking forward to hosting the Heat in Women’s NPC playoff

In 2006, the Wellington Pride became the only team, before or since, other than Auckland to win the Women’s NPC (WNPC) competition.

A feature of the 2006 Pride team was their forwards power. One highlight was a 70-metre rolling maul from a defensive lineout that led to a try in the opposite corner.

Jackie Patea was part of that Pride pack as an up and coming lock. She was also in the team that lost the WNPC final to Auckland in 2011. In 2012 she captained the Pride and made the Black Ferns for the first time.

This Saturday at 12.30pm, as the Pride’s co-captain and No. 8, Patea will lead the team out on to Petone Recreation Ground against the Counties Manukau Heat in their WNPC semi-final.

Three weeks ago the Pride defeated Counties Manukau 27-12 in round-robin play at the same venue, overcoming an early double injury loss and 30-minute break and change of field and a cold, wet day to win one of their five matches this year.

Patea said that they will expect Counties Manukau to come back stronger and harder this Saturday.

“I think this time around it’s going to be a whole different ball game for them,” she said, “they’ll come back twice as strong and twice as fast so we’ll have to play our structured game and play to our game plan.

“But if that’s not working we’ll have to adjust to what’s in front of us, to stick together and play as a team and put our bodies on the line for each other.”

When they met previously, the match was suspended and subsequently re-started on the adjacent No. 2 field while injured Pride lock Petra Kirklanova was assisted from the field with a knee injury. This came moments after co-captain Amanda Rasch had also left the field with a lower leg injury.

Whilst this disrupted both teams, the poor weather conditions didn’t suit the visitors either.

“Their backs are a major strength, so if it’s a fine day I know they’ll be trying to run the ball around us a bit more – so it’s definitely going to be a hard game this weekend.”

The Heat have three current Black Ferns that toured Canada in June and July and played Tests against the hosts, USA and England, hooker hooker Te-Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, halfback and wing/fullback Renee Wickliffe and goal-kicking halfback Arihiana Marino.

The reward for the winner of Saturday’s semi-final between second placed qualifier Wellington and third placed Counties Manukau is a spot in next week’s final, against either top qualifier Auckland or Waikato.

Win or lose, Patea said the Pride have fantastic team spirit this year.

“I think we have an awesome culture this year, and it’s definitely different from previous years. In the past we’ve had groups within the team but this year everyone’s come together and we get on really well.”

“We support each other and have a laugh as well which is good on the field when it gets close.”

There’s a good blend of youth and experience in the Pride too, with long-serving players such as Patea and Aimee Sutorius playing alongside the likes of teenage wing Ayesha Leti-l’iga.

Patea made her mark as a lock, where she made the Black Ferns between 2012-2014, before switching to No. 8 this season.

“I’ve never really played No. 8 before. I trialled mainly at lock earlier this year, but Ports [Pride Head Coach James Porter] came up to me afterwards and said I played a really good game around the field at lock so he wanted to try me there. I don’t think it’s permanent, I think it’s just for the balance of the team.

“I think it helped with the way that Ports did things this year with opening the trials to everyone, inviting all club players to come down and have a crack at it.

“When we lost the two players through injury at the start of the last match against Counties Manukau we knew we had players on the bench who could come in and do the job, and we had faith in them.”

Against Canterbury the following week, the Pride were behind 0-8 after 20 minutes, but came back to win 32-18 in a wholehearted, committed performance. Patea and her fellow loose forwards that day, Aimee Sutorius and Carol Sio, along with centre Georgia Daals, were standouts in that game.

Tighthead prop Noeleen Nonu, whose brother Ma’a plays his 100th Test for the All Blacks this weekend, and lock Sanita Levave were two of the outstanding players on opposite teams in the Wellington club rugby Women’s final two months ago. Both have continued their great form with a string of consistent performances.

Despite missing out on the Black Ferns earlier this year, Patea hopes for a return to the international side. “I’m still gunning for another black jersey. Last I heard they were looking at selecting another squad after the WNPC for next year, and there’s a few of us Wellington girls gunning for that black jersey.”

WNPC semi-finals this Saturday:

• Wellington Pride v Counties Manukau Hear, Petone Recreation Ground 12.30pm
• Auckland Storm v Waikato, Auckland University RFC, 2.30pm