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Four U20 stars join Waikato for 2019

By Online Editors
New Waikato loose forward Samipeni Finau has turned out for his province's Under 19 team as well as the national Under 20 side. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

Waikato have announced their Mitre 10 Cup squad for 2019, just days before the competition kicks off, and there’s plenty for fans to get excited about.

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Altogether, head coach Andew Strawbridge has named 17 new players for Waikato’s return to the Premiership.

Four of those newbies showed off their wares against international opposition during this year’s Under 20 World Championship.

First five Rivez Reihana, prop Ollie Norris and loose forwards Simon Parker and Samipeni Finau. Reihana, Norris and Parker all started in New Zealand’s final match of the competition in which the Baby Blacks thrashed Ireland 40-17 to secure 7th place.

Waikato have also brought in some excellent talent from outside the region in the form of Solomon Alaimalo, Taleni Seu and Api Naikatini. Unfortunately, Seu will miss the whole season due to a shoulder dislocation incurred during the Super Rugby season while Alaimalo will sit out at least the first half of the competition with a broken arm.

The remainder of the new recruits earned their places from strong showings in Waikato club rugby.

All Blacks Luke Jacobson, Anton Lienert-Brown, Damian McKenzie and Sevu Reece have been included but will play little to no part in the campaign.

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The Mooloos will be able to call on the bulk of the team that secured the Championship trophy last season. Of the side that thrashed Otago in the final, only loose forwards Adam Burn and Jordan Manihera and reserves Sosaia Fale and Kylem O’Donnell won’t be back for 2019. Prop Toby Smith and second-rower Laghlan McWhannell will be sidelined for a significant period of the season with injuries, however.

93-cap veteran Dwayne Sweeney will again captain the side. Sweeney debuted for Waikato back in 2002 and is on track to become the province’s first centurion in 15 years. Give the state of the grassroots game in New Zealand, Sweeney could well be the last player to notch up 100 matches for Waikato – or for any province.

“We are pleased that we were able to retain bulk of the squad that helped us gain promotion back into the Premiership,” said Strawbridge.

“We know the new players that have been selected and the current group in the squad are hardworking men and are always looking to grow their game.”

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Waikato kick off their season this Saturday with a match against last year’s losing Premiership finalists Canterbury.

2019 Waikato Mitre 10 Cup Squad

Forwards

Tim Bond (11) Morrinsville Sports

Jahrome Brown (2) Melville

Hamilton Burr (*) Hautapu

Sam Cooper (*) Hamilton Old Boys

Samipeni Finau (*) Hamilton Old Boys

Haereiti Hetet (5) Otorohanga

Josh Iosefa-Scott 20) Melville

Murray Iti (23) Otorohanga

Luke Jacobson (10) Hautapu

Mitch Jacobson (37) Hautapu

Ayden Johnstone (21) Hautapu

Sosefo Kautai (21) Hamilton Marist

Sekope Lopeti-Moli (9) Hautapu

Laghlan McWhannell (13) Hautapu

Api Naikatini (*)

Ollie Norris (*) Hautapu

Simon Parker (*) Hautapu

Taleni Seu (*) Melville

Antonio Shalfoon (*) Te Awamutu Sports

Toby Smith (57) Hamilton Old Boys

Samisoni Taukeiaho (23) Fraser Tech

James Thompson (*) Hautapu

James Tucker (34) Hamilton Marist

Manawa Veitayaki (*) Otorohanga

Backs

Solomon Alaimalo (*) Hamilton Marist

Tyler Campbell (25) University

Matty Lansdown (22) Fraser Tech

Anton Lienert-Brown (19) University

Damian McKenzie (24) University

Brandon Mudzekenyedzi (*) Hautapu

Declan O’Donnell (34) Melville

Carlos Price (*) Hamilton Marist

Sevu Reece (33) Hamilton Old Boys

Rivez Reihana (*) Melville

Louis Rogers (*) University

Fletcher Smith (12)

Jack Stratton (11) Hautapu

Bailyn Sullivan (7) Hamilton Marist

Dwayne Sweeney (93) Morrinsville Sports

Raniera Takarangi (8) Hamilton Old Boys

Valynce Te Whare-Crosby (*) Fraser Tech

Newton Tudreu (*) Hamilton Marist

Quinn Tupaea (12) Hamilton Old Boys

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J
Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

32 Go to comments
A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

32 Go to comments
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