The Vodafone Wellington Lions enter Mooloo territory this Friday night at 7.35pm to play Waikato in round eight of the Air New Zealand Cup.

There is just one injury-enforced change to the Vodafone Wellington Lions side to make the trip to Waikato Stadium from the team that beat North Harbour at Westpac Stadium last Saturday night.

Luke Mahoney will start at hooker in place of Tone Kopelani, who is out for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. After making a strong start against Harbour, Kopelani left the field and was replaced by Mahoney midway through the first half.

Kopelani is replaced in the playing 22 by Dane Coles who joins the side for his third game of the season.

The Lions travel to the Waikato hoping to reverse two defeats there last year, including a narrow loss to the home side in the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup final.

At stake is a probable top four finish at the end of the round robin and a home quarterfinal at Westpac Stadium in the first weekend of October.

Wellington-Waikato fixtures are traditionally free-flowing and fast-paced and this one promises to be no different, with both teams able to call upon mobile forward packs, dynamic loose forwards and dangerous backs.

In last year’s final, Waikato prevailed 37-31, after coming out on top 37-21 in their Top Six fixture four weeks earlier, both these games reflecting the frantic nature of Wellington-Waikato clashes in the modern era.

The Lions outscored Waikato five tries to two in defeating them 41-17 at Waikato Stadium in one match in 2005, while also beating them twice at home in 2004, 28-16 and 37-17 in the NPC semi-final.

Overall, they have previously met 60 times at first class level, Wellington winning 38, Waikato 28, and one draw.

Several Lions players had strong games against Harbour last week. In particular there were energised performances from openside Serge Lilo, No. 8 Thomas Waldrom, halfback Piri Weepu, and right wing Ma’a Nonu who was increasingly dangerous from his right wing position.

Nonu’s match-up this week against former Oriental-Rongotai club teammate Roy Kinikinilau promises to be equally electrifying, as is the battle of the fullbacks Cory Jane and Waikato’s Sosene Anesi in his 50th game.

Other key head to heads will be in the loose, between Lilo and Waikato openside Marty Holah, Waldrom against Liam Messam at No. 8 and Api Naikatini versus Steven Bates at blindside.