Provincial rugby: Waikato head south for season opener

Waikato kick off their NPC season on Sunday. Photo / Jesse Wood

Waikato kick off their 2023 Bunnings Warehouse National Provincial Championship (NPC) campaign on Sunday, facing the Southland Stags at Invercargill’s Rugby Park.

They are yet to name the first 23 of the season but will be under the experienced leadership of prop Ayden Johnstone and flanker Mitch Jacobson, who together share 112 provincial caps.

Waikato won the NPC in 2021 and were at the top of the table two-thirds of the way through 2022 before fading and bowing out in the quarterfinals (won seven, lost three, drawn one).

They will have plenty of steel up front, with Chiefs props George Dyer (22 games) and Ollie Norris (40 games) at their disposal, as well as cunning locks James Tucker (59 games) and Laghlan McWhannell (30 games). Solomone Tukuafu and Rhys Marshall also have plenty to offer.

Hard-hitting lock/loose forward Samipeni Finau has been named to debut for the All Blacks in the No 6 jersey on Saturday afternoon against the Wallabies.

Finau will be eager for more playing time to make a final World Cup push, while Simon Parker and Patrick McCurran, back from Japan, are solid operators.

Halfback Xavier Roe looks set to return from a long injury spell, while Cortez Ratima will look to build upon an outstanding Super Rugby Pacific season with the Chiefs.

Former All Black Josh Ioane and current All Black Damian McKenzie could run the backline from 10 but, if both are unavailable, the Crusaders’ New Zealand Under-20s pivot Taha Kemara is an attractive option.

Manu Samoa player D’Angelo Leuila can also cover first five-eighth but is more likely to feature in the midfield alongside 2023 Hurricanes stand-out Bailyn Sullivan (55 games).

Melville’s Daniel Sinkinson scored seven tries on the wing last year, while Gideon Wrampling and Liam Coombes-Fabling are also good young finishers.

Waikato’s head coach is former All Blacks lock and loose forward Ross Filipo.

Waikato were winners of the NPC in 1992, 2006 and 2021.

Squad (* denotes current international representative):

Pita Anae-Ah Sue, Hamilton Burr, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Liam Coombes-Fabling, Mosese Dawai, George Dyer, Samipeni Finau*, Josh Ioane, Mitch Jacobson, Luke Jacobson*, Ayden Johnstone, Taha Kemara, Anton Lienert-Brown*, D’Angelo Leuila*, Rhys Marshall, Patrick McCurran, Damian McKenzie*, Laghlan McWhannell, Cody Nordstrom, Ollie Norris, Simon Parker, Cortez Ratima, Gabe Robinson, Xavier Roe, Daniel Sinkinson, Bailyn Sullivan, Samisoni Taukei’aho*, Te Rama Reuben, James Tucker, Solomone Tukuafu, Mason Tupaea, Quinn Tupaea, Gideon Wrampling.