Wealth of talent for the selectors
With 34 former representatives included in the 74 players named for Saturday’s Steelform Wanganui rugby trial at Cooks Gardens there is a wealth of talent for the selection panel to view.
There are 24 from last year’s 32-strong Mitre 10 Heartland squad and 10 players who have previously repped for the union.
Missing from the 2018 squad are backs Harry Symes (injured), Simon Dibben (semi-retired), Cameron Crowley (retired), Kameli Kuruyabaki (in Manawatu), Kaveni Dabenaise (in Northland) plus Taihape lock Peter Hay-Horton (unavailable) and loan forwards Henri Williams (Waikato) and Michael Tafili (Counties-Manukau).
Former reps included in the trialists are backs Troy Brown (6 games in 2015), Jaye Flaws (5 games 2014), Clive Stowers (4 games 2014), Timoci Seruwalu (9 games 2017 and in the Lochore Cup champion HorowhenuaKapiti squad last year), Michael Nabuliwaqa (15 games 2015-16), Nick Harding (13 games 2012 and 2017) and forwards and forwards Kieran Hussey (3 games 2015), Bradley Graham (3 games 2012), Ranato Tikoisolomone (16 games 2015-17) and Samu Kubunavanua (32 games 2014-17).
Last year’s Heartland rep backs named to trial, and their total number of games for Wanganui, are — Lindsay Horrocks (61), Dane Whale (35), Craig Clare (26), Ethan Robinson and Penijamini Nabainivalu (9 each), Tyler Rogers-Holden (8), Shandon Scott (6), Joshua Fifita (4) and Tom Symes (2).
The 2018 rep forwards to trial are — Roman Tutauha (62 games), Sam Madams (50), Tremaine Gilbert (46), Viki Tofa (45), Bryn Hudson (37), Kampeli Latu (33), Jamie Hughes (29), Campbell Hart (24), Angus Middleton (20), Gabriel Hakaraia (6), Jack Yarrall (11), Wiremu Cottrell (8), Dylan Galien (6), Jack Hodges and Jackson Campbell (1 each).
Marist supplies 15 trialists, Ruapehu and Border 13 each, Taihape 12 each, Kaierau 10, Ngamatapouri five, Marton and Ratana two each and Hunterville and Pirates one each,
The trialists, depending on injuries last weekend, are:
■ Metropolitan
Backs — Kaierau: Cameron Davies, Shandon Scott, Ethan Robinson, Karl Pascoe, Clive Stowers. Marist: Rory Gudsell, Haze Reweti, Penijamini Nabainivalu, Josaia Bogileka, Luke Foster, Ioane Aki. Forwards — Border: Angus Middleton. Kaierau: Raymond Salu, Joe Edwards, Josh Lane, Matt Ashworth, Josefa Rokotakala. Marist: Gordon Karaitiana, Faamanu Pulemagafa, Viki Tofa, Jack Yarrall, Sam Madams, Bradley Graham. Marton: Tipene Harrison. Ngamatapouri: Bryn Hudson Pirates: George Forster. Coaches — Carl Gibson, Ace Malo.
■ Rangitikei-Country
Backs — Border: Lindsay Horrocks, Craig Clare, Te Kepa Grindlay, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Tom Symes, Nick Harding. Ngamatapouri: Timoci (Jim) Seruwalu, Michael Nabuliwaqa, Sheldon PakingsManhire. Marton: Ngatu Bates. Taihape: Tyler Rogers-Holden. Forwards — Border: Kampeli Latu, Kieran Hussey, Jack Hodges, Chris Breuer, Jason Myers, Ranato Tokoisolomone. Hunterville: George Gardiner. Marist: Kayden Shedlock, Bradley O’Leary, Hamish Broadhead. Ngamatapouri: Samu Kubunavanua. Ratana: Corrie Pikimaui, Dale Akuhata. Taihape: Wiremu Cotterell. Coaches — Cole Baldwin, Steelie Koro.
■ Northern Wanganui
Backs — Ruapehu: Kahl ElersGreen, Joshua Fifita, Troy Brown, Royce Trow, Cody Scarrow, Mitchell Millar. Taihape: Rawiri Broughton, Dane Whale, Jaye Flaws, Sosefo Bourke.
Forwards — Ruapehu: Gabriel and Te Uhi Hakaraia, Roman Tutauha, Hamish McKay, Campbell Hart, Jackson Campbell, Jamie Hughes. Taihape: Tremaine Gilbert, Hadlee Hay-Horton, Dylan Gallien, Matthew Brown, Timi Teepa, Regan Collier. Coaches — David Gower, Matt Gilbert.
Each of the three trial teams will play two 40min spells.
Premier roundup
The eight teams in the Tasman Tanning premier first round qualifying series this season:
McCarthy Transport Ruapehu (1st 33 pts — 7 wins, 5 BP — 316 pts for 96 against — 50 tries for 12 against) — Highest wins 91-3 v Ratana (home), 69-0 v Pirates (away), 56-18 v Ngamatapouri (away). Closest games 8-5 v Taihape and 34-27v Marist (both home), 31-28 v Kaierau (away). Top Points scorers: Mitchell Millar 65, Tautahi Rawiri 36, Troy Brown 30. Most tries: Rawiri, Brown 6 each. Hat-trick: Rawiri v Ngamatapouri. Holders of Grand Hotel Challenge Shield.
Byford’s Readimix Taihape (2nd 25 pts — 5 wins, 2 losses, 5 BP — 246 pts for, 52 against — 39 tries for 5 against). Highest wins 87-14 v Ngamatapouri and 56-0 v Ratana (both away). Losses 9-10 v Border and 5-8 v Ruapehu (both away). Top points scorers: James Barnett 53, Tyler Rogers-Holden and Dylan Gallien 35. Most tries: Rogers-Holden and Gallien 7 each. Hat-tricks: Matt Brown v Pirates (away), Gallien v Ngamatapouri (home) and Rogers-Holden v Ratana (home).
Waverley Harvesting Border (3rd 24 pts — 5 wins, 2 losses, 4 BP — 4 — 186 pts for 102 against — 25 tries for 13 against). Highest win 71-5 v Pirates away. Losses 25-27 v Marist (home), 15-27 v Ruapehu (away). Top points scorer: Nick Harding 51 (26 v Pirates).
Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau (4th 23 pts — 4 wins. 3 losses, 7 BP — 247 pts for 115 against, differential 132 — 36 tries for 18 against). Highest win 54-0 v Ratana (home), Losses: 20-24 v Border, 11-17 v Taihape, 28-31 v Ruapehu (all at home) Top points scorer: Shandon Scott 48. Most tries: Clive Stowers, Karl Pascoe, Joe Edwards all 5. Four tries in match: Pascoe v Ngamatapouri. Hat-trick: Stowers v Ratana.
Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist (5th 23 pts — 4 wins, 3 losses, 7 BP — 234 pts for 156 against, differential 78 — 34 tries for 20 against). Highest win: 57-14 v Pirates (home). Losses: 31-35 v Kaierau (home), 27-34 v Taihape and 9-26 v Taihape (both away). Lifted Challenge Shield off Border 27-25 and defended it three times. Most points: Peni Nabainivalu 26. Most tries: Nabainivalu 4. Hat-trick: Ioune Hough-Aki v Ratana (away).
Harvey Round Motors Ratana (6th 10 pts — 2 wins 5 losses. 2 BP — 64 pts for 301 against — 9 tries for 49 against). Victories: 22-21 v Pirates and 32-31 v Ngamatapouri (both home). Heaviest losss:3-91 v Ruapehu, 0-56 v Taihape and 0-54 v Kaierau (all away). Held scoreless three times and defaulted to Border.
Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri (7th 7 pts — 1 win 6 losses, 3 BP — 154 pts for, 324 against, 23 tries for, 50 against). Top points scorer Sheldon Parkinga-Manhire 41 Most tries: Seva Sararaia Suta and Timoci Seruwalu 4 each. Only win 50-22 v Pirates (home on opening day). Missed qualifying when pipped 32-31 at Ratana. Heaviest losses 14-87 v Taihape away, 18-56 v Ruapehu and 12-51 v Kaierau (both home).
Black Bull Liquor Pirates (8th 1 pt — 7 defeats, 1 BP — 62 pts for, 363 against, 7 tries for 48 against. Most points: Peika Peika 21. Closest defeat 21-22 at Ratana. Conceded 50 points four times, Heaviest losses 5-71 v Border and 0-69 v Ruapehu both at home. Failed to score in three matches, Last year unbeaten in first round of championship.
Wanganui has provided some fine loose forwards over the past half century and the union has lost one of them with the sudden death of 68-year-old Ray Stafford in Waipukurau last week.
“Ray Stafford, the tall sideranker, again captained the side and set a good example to his pack with his driving play” was the way the NZ Rugby Almanac summed up his play in 1978 when Wanganui was third in the North Island Div 2 championship.
The following season he was described as “a tireless loose forward and energetic chaser of the ball” and in 1980 he was “always energetic.”
Ray played 80 times for Wanganui in 1971 and between 1976 and 1981. He played in the Waikato between 1972-1975. From Marton he went farming in Wangamomona and then to Hawke’s Bay.
He played in two Wanganui Ranfurly Shield challenges — against Auckland in 1976 (lost 9-16) and Manawatu (beaten 26-9) the following season.
Ray was one of nine local players in the Wanganui-King Country combined team beaten 60-9 by the 1977 British Lions at Taumarunui and repped for Wanganui in a 9-45 loss to the 1981 Springboks at Spriggens Park.
He scored 14 tries for Wanganui and kicked four penalty goals and two conversions and was in the local teams that beat the touring 1980 Fijians 16-11 and NZ Colts 19-13 in 1978.
There were also local matches against New South Wales (lost 0-17) and Australia (lost 3-8) in 1978, NZ Juniors (lost 9-28) in 1979 and New South Wales again (lost 6-25) in 1980.
Talking Rugby with John B Phillips
Whanganui Midweek 12/6/19