Lauaki, Willison in Mooloo milestones
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:09
Midfielder Jackson Willison and No.8 Sione Lauaki will earn their Waikato blazers when they run out against Auckland in an Air New Zealand Cup Round Five match in Hamilton on Saturday.
Both players are set to play their 18th game for Waikato - the milestone when Mooloo men earn their Waikato blazers.
Waikato coach Tony Hanks said: "it is an outstanding achievement for Jackson who at only 19 years of age has made himself a regular fixture in our starting line-up.
"Sione has been with Waikato since 2005, but through injury and All Black commitments has taken a while to get to play his blazer game. He is a leader in our young team and it is fitting he gets to wear a blazer now."
Reserve lock Kent Fife, if he gets game time off the bench in this match, could also earn his Waikato blazer.
This week Hanks has made changes to the Waikato loose forward trio with Tom Harding returning to the mix to start at No.7, with captain Liam Messam moving back to the blindside flank and Lauaki at No.8.
In the Waikato front row props Aled de Malmanche and Toby Smith are bracketed, with Hanks still waiting to make a call on de Malmanche's fitness for this match.
Hanks says the team is excited with the challenge ahead against Auckland. The last time Auckland played Waikato at Waikato Stadium was back in 2004.
"Waikato and Auckland are two teams who will come out to play good rugby this weekend – in fact we are the teams in this year's competition who have kicked the least. There is a huge history between the two teams and it is one of the most hotly contested provincial match-ups in the competition.
"Our motivation this Saturday is to play rugby that makes us and our supporters proud."
Waikato: 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Tim Mikkelson, 13 Jackson Willison, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Malcolm Barnes, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7
Tom Harding, 6 Liam Messam (captain), 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Aled de Malmanche/Toby Smith, 2 Vern Kamo, 1 Hikairo Forbes.
Replacements: 16 Ole Avei, 17 Toby Smith/Josh Hohneck, 18 Kent Fife, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 Josh Sutherland, 21 Dwayne Sweeney, 22 James Kamana.
Date: Saturday, August 30
Venue: Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Referee: Kelvin Deaker
TMO: Ben Skeen
