Rugby: North Otago team named for Meads Cup final

Penijamini Nabainivalu will be aiming to win his first Meads Cup in a Heartland Championship career that started in 2009 when he takes the field in Oamaru tomorrow.

North Otago have named a settled team for tomorrow's Mitre 10 Heartland Championship Meads Cup final with Steelform Wanganui in Oamaru.

The starting XV is unchanged from last weekend's 27-25 win over Wairarapa Bush at Whitestone Contracting Stadium.

The only alteration is on the bench, where experienced forward Jake Greenslade makes way for Michael Mata'afa.

North Otago is still without their regular season captain Sam Sturgess, who suffered a leg injury in the final match of the round robin.

However, the home side has lost little in leadership, as former captain Ralph Darling took over the reins again and will now play in his fourth Meads Cup final – an enviable record which only a select number of Wanganui veteran players can either match or better from across all the Heartland unions.

The Wanganui lineup remains the same as was announced this week, with standby player Ranato Tikoisolomone not required, otherwise the only change from the win over Thames Valley is Wiremu Cottrell returning at prop for Gabriel Hakaraia – who was ruled out after a nasty knee infection that required hospitalisation.

Should he take the field, reserve back Troy Brown will have his blazer game for Wanganui with his 15th appearance, while veteran back Penijamini Nabainivalu is playing his 99th first class game – having joined Wanganui last season after playing the 2009-16 seasons for Buller, and so is still in search of his first Meads title.

Historically, it will be the third time the old rivals North Otago and Wanganui have met in a Meads Cup final, while they have also faced off in a Lochore Cup final as well, all of them in Oamaru.

North Otago claimed their 2007 and 2010 Meads titles at Wanganui's expense, while Wanganui broke a growing Oamaru hoodoo when they won the 2014 Lochore Cup final down there, and have been unbeaten against the southerners in the three other games played since.

The team flew out of Whanganui Airport at 4pm today, and will be returning home around 9.15pm tomorrow, ideally with a little extra luggage.

Kickoff is 3pm, with the game live on Sky TV.

The teams are:

North Otago
1. Ralph Darling; 2. Hayden Tisdall; 3. Melikisua Kolinisau; 4. Charles Elton; 5. William Kirkwood; 6. Jacob Coghlan; 7. Marcus Balchin; 8. Josh Clark; 9. Robbie Clark; 10. Michael Williams; 11. Howard Packman; 12. Taina Tamou; 13. Lemi Masoe; 14. Adam Johnson; 15. Patrick Pati.
Reserves – 16. Kelepi Funaki; 17. Michael Mata'afa; 18. Mathew Duff; 19. Manulua Taiti; 20. Anthony Arty; 21. Matthew Vocea; 22. Lachlan Kingan.

Wanganui
1. Kamipeli Latu; 2. Roman Tutauha; 3. Wiremu Cottrell; 4. Sam Madams; 5. Josh Lane; 6. Campbell Hart (c); 7. Angus Middleton; 8. Ezra Meleisea; 9. Lindsay Horrocks; 10. Dane Whale; 11. Shai Wiperi; 12. Penijamini Nabainivalu; 13. Amos Pogia; 14. Vereniki Tikoisolomone; 15. Nick Harding. Reserves - Forwards: 16. Dylan Gallien; 17. Raymond Salu; 18. Samu Kubunavanua; 19. Jamie Hughes. Backs: 20. Ethan Robinson; 21. Tyler Rogers-Holden; 22. Troy Brown.