Wellington Lions squad;

15 Trent Renata (Oriental-Rongotai)
14 Julian Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)
13 Wes Goosen (Old Boys University)
12 Regan Verney (Old Boys University)
11 Ben Lam (Tawa)
10 Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United)
9 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (Tawa)
8 Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Old Boys University)
7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Loan Player)
6 Brad Shields (c) (Petone)
5 James Blackwell (Petone)
4 Sam Lousi (Marist St Pats)
3 Alex Fidow (Oriental-Rongotai)
2 Asafo Aumua (Avalon)
1 Tolu Fahamokioa (Tawa)

Reserves:
Sitiveni Paongo (Tawa), Vince Sakaria (Marist St Pats), Joe Apikotoa (Hutt Old Boys Marist), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Poneke), Galu Taufale (Poneke), Sheridan Rangihuna (Hutt Old Boys Marist), Dan Kirkpatrick (Petone), Malo Tuitama (Oriental-Rongotai).

Taranaki Bulls

15 Marty McKenzie
14 Declan O’Donnell
13 Sean Wainui
12 Charlie Ngatai (co-captain)
11 Seta Tamanivalu
10 Stephen Perofeta
9 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
8 Toa Halifihi
7 Adrian Wyrill
6 Lachlan Boshier
5 Leon Power
4 Leighton Price (co-captain)
3 Angus Ta’avao
2 Sione Lea
1 Mitchell Graham

Reserves
16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17. Jared Proffit, 18. Mike Kainga, 19. Brad Tucker, 20. Fin Hoeata, 21. Kylem O’Donnell, 22. Johnny Fa’auli, 23. Waisake Naholo

The Naki look good on paper ...especially that backline.

@Nepia That backline looked good on the field last weekend.

Savea vs Tamanivalu should be interesting.

Looking forward to going to the stadium to watch this one. Not sure why ticket prices are the same as what they are for super games (against non-NZ teams mind you) but never mind.

Not a Fidow fan. I suspect Mitchell Graham will make short work of him at scrum time.

@Rugger-Quizzes said in Wellington v Taranaki:

Looking forward to going to the stadium to watch this one.

Make sure you wear something yellow so no one can see you.

I'm used to Wellington not performing so hot when we have trotted out a good team on paper. Now we have an average team on paper and I shudder to think what the result will end up being. I was quite impressed with how we performed in the second half last week but Manawatu's back line is nowhere near as good as the Naki's.

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Taranaki:

7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Loan Player)

Not often you see a loan player in a 'big City' team... Where is he from?
Hard to believe they don't have a half decent spare 7 wanting a game.

@Gunner said in Wellington v Taranaki:

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Taranaki:

7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Loan Player)

Not often you see a loan player in a 'big City' team... Where is he from?
Hard to believe they don't have a half decent spare 7 wanting a game.

This article contains info about him:

And so does this one

Geezzzzz Aumua!

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Taranaki:

Geezzzzz Aumua!

And again

Does Aumua have a super contract yet?

@Stockcar86 looked like a hint of a touch from the Wellington player inside him before he got it, but he looks something special alright.

@Stockcar86 said in Wellington v Taranaki:

Does Aumua have a super contract yet?

Not confirmed by the Hurricanes (yet), but this seems to suggest that they may have signed him:

Back then Apisai was the second hooker on the Hurricanes' depth chart, just a spot below captain Dane Coles. Injury helped Ricky Riccitelli push past him, and with Asafo Aumua now emerging strongly, Apisai is off to Auckland having signed a two-year deal with the Blues.

"When you've got four quality hookers in the region playing for three spots, unfortunately one person has to miss out and that happened to be me and I had to look for different places that would help me develop," said Apisai.

@Stockcar86 said in Wellington v Taranaki:

Does Aumua have a super contract yet?

I would have cried if he wasn't signed for the Canes. Its why one of the Canes hookers moved to the Blues. I haven't seen the game but was surprised how good eh looked against Manawatu. I felt he was potentially outstanding after watching him for Wellington for a few minutes last year but watching him against Mamawatu he looks a future superstar. Surely an EOY AB

At the very least Aumua should be an apprentice on the AB EOYT

@Gunner said in Wellington v Taranaki:

@Stargazer said in Wellington v Taranaki:

7 Du'Plessis Kirifi (Loan Player)

Not often you see a loan player in a 'big City' team... Where is he from?
Hard to believe they don't have a half decent spare 7 wanting a game.

He's moving to Wellington but he's called a loan player as he played rugby this year in Waikato. But he looks a VG prospect. As does the young TH prop, have the mentioned the young hooker and the young lock. The Canes hopefully have got them all signed up. I also want to see Kemara Hauiti-Parapara in this game as he looks another one to watch

Was annoyed initially that the Lions had signed Kirifi to be honest but he looks to be a pretty decent player.

Fidow destroyed a few times in the scrums which will surprise nobody.

Aumua outstanding though. What a prospect he is!