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Moana Pasifika make nine changes to starting team for Hurricanes rematch
Moana Pasifika have made nine changes to their starting team as they eye back-to-back Super Rugby Pacific victories over the Hurricanes in Wellington on Tuesday.
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The new expansion franchise will return to action just four days after their 37-17 defeat to the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday as they make up for lost ground following the rescheduling of this fixture due to Covid outbreaks earlier in the season.
With such a tight turnaround, head coach Aaron Mauger has made numerous alterations to his last-placed side as he utilises the full depth of his playing squad.
As such, nine new players will line up for Moana Pasifika in the Kiwi capital, with former Wallabies playmaker Christian Leali’ifano named to captain the side for the first time with regular skipper Sekope Kepu unavailable through injury.
Leali’ifano, one of six players retained in the starting team from the weekend’s loss, will be accompanied by two new vice-captains in the form of Manu Samoa duo Alamanda Motuga and Jonathan Taumateine, who replaces Ereatara Enari at halfback.
The mid-week clash will be a homecoming of sorts for Taumateine, who was part of the Hurricanes set-up for two seasons before joining Moana Pasifika this year.
Together, he and Leali’ifano will direct a backline that features an unchanged midfield combination of Danny Toala, another ex-Hurricane who scored Moana Pasifika’s decisive try in their extra-time win against his old team last month, and Levi Aumua.
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Tima Fainga’anuku has also kept his place on the right wing, but will form one third of a new outside back trio that includes former Hurricanes and Blues speedster Lolagi Visinia and Manu Samoa flyer Neria Foma’i.
Up front, Joe ‘Apikotoa acts as Kepu’s replacement at tighthead prop, while Tongan international Sam Moli replaces the injured Luteru Tolai at hooker.
The front row is rounded out by loosehead prop Abraham Pole, who takes the place of the benched Ezekiel Lindenmuth.
Manu Samoa lock Sam Slade remains in the second row, where he is partnered up with Mahonri Ngakuru, while Motuga is joined in the loose forwards by blindside flanker Alex McRobbie and Manu Samoa No 8 Henry Time-Stowers.
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Lindenmuth is one of seven new faces in the reserves, with young first-five Lincoln McClutchie the only players who has kept his place on the bench from the Highlanders match.
Manu Samoa duo Ray Niuia and Henry Taefu, as well as Hong Kong prop Taukiha’amea Koloamatangi, are all included on the pine, as is lock Michael Curry, loose forward Penitoa Finau and halfback Manu Paea.
In addition to Kepu and Tolai, various other players – ‘Ikale Tahi internationals Don Lolo and Lotu Inisi, prop Isi Tu’ungafasi, Manu Samoa loose forward Jack Lam and lock Mike McKee – were all unavailable for selection because of injury.
Kick-off for Tuesday’s match is scheduled for 7:05pm NZT.
Moana Pasifika team to play Hurricanes
1. Abraham Pole
2. Sam Moli
3. Joe ‘Apikotoa
4. Mahonri Ngakuru
5. Sam Slade
6. Alex McRobbie
7. Alamanda Motuga (vc)
8. Henry Time-Stowers
9. Jonathan Taumateine (vc)
10. Christian Leali’ifano (c)
11. Neria Foma’i
12. Danny Toala
13. Levi Aumua
14. Tima Fainga’anuku
15. Lolagi Visinia
Reserves
16. Ray Niuia
17. Ezekiel Lindenmuth
18. Taukiha’amea Koloamatangi
19. Michael Curry
20. Penitoa Finau
21. Manu Paea
22. Lincoln McClutchie
23. Henry Taefu
Comments on RugbyPass
late hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
4 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
24 Go to comments