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Lions name side for quarter-final clash with Waikato

Lions name side for quarter-final clash with Waikato

We’ve reached sudden-death footy in the Capital, with the Wellington Lions hosting Waikato in one of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC quarterfinals tomorrow afternoon at Sky Stadium.

Julian Savea makes his return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in last weekend’s match against Hawke’s Bay.

Head coach Tamati Ellison has had to swap and change his side that started against Hawke’s Bay due to injury.

The unavailability of Peter Lakai and Losi Filipo for this match means regular No. 6 Brad Shields shifts to No.8; Caleb Delany moves to blindside; Hutt Old Boys Marist lock Teofilo Paulo slots into the second row to partner with Dominic Bird; while Petone’s Riley Higgins moves to the left wing from the midfield, and Savea is in for Filipo.

Xavier Numia, Siale Lauaki and James O-Reilly make up the front row. Northern United’s Du’Plessis Kirifi will captain the side at No. 7. Tawa halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and Marist St Pats no.10 Aidan Morgan pair again the halves. Peter Umaga-Jensen rejoins the midfield to partner alongside Marist St Pats Billy Proctor, while Ruben Love remains at fullback.

The last time these two sides met was in Round Six in Hamilton where the Lions triumphed 41-24 on the back of a hat-trick of tries from Lions winger Losi Filipo.

Kick-off for the quarter-final match at Sky Stadium this Saturday afternoon will be at 4:35pm.

Lions side to take on Waikato:

  1. Xavier Numia – Oriental-Rongotai
  2. James O’Reilly – Hutt Old Boys’ Marist
  3. Siale Lauaki – Tawa
  4. Dominic Bird – Upper Hutt Rams
  5. Teofilo Paulo – Hutt Old Boys’ Marist
  6. Caleb Delany – Old Boys University
  7. Du’Plessis Kirifi – Northern United (Captain)
  8. Brad Shields – Petone
  9. Kemara Hauiti-Parapara – Tawa
  10. Aidan Morgan – Marist St Pats
  11. Riley Higgins – Petone
  12. Peter Umaga-Jensen – Wainuiomata
  13. Billy Proctor – Marist St Pats
  14. Julian Savea – Oriental-Rongotai
  15. Ruben Love – Wainuiomata
  16. Penieli Poasa – Oriental-Rongotai
  17. Cameron Orr – Western Suburbs
  18. Josiah Tevita-Metcalfe – Northern United
  19. Hugo Plummer – Tawa
  20. Keelan Whitman – Marist St Pats
  21. Kyle Preston – Old Boys University
  22. Sam Clarke – Paremata-Plimmerton
  23. Connor Garden-Bachop – Northern United

 

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