Richie Mo'unga named on Canterbury bench for NPC return

Returning All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga will be eased back into NPC rugby off the bench as the headliner of the first team namings of the new provincial season.

Mo’unga’s Canterbury side features All Blacks Sevens flyer-turned-Highlanders playmaker Andrew Knewstubb at No.10, with Chay Fihaki at fullback. Newly capped All Black Jamie Hannah will run out as a starting lock, with breakthrough Blues rookie Torian Barnes named at No.8, and new Canterbury captain Brodie McAlister at hooker. Mo’unga will wear the No.22 jersey in what will be his first game at Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium.

Canterbury will square off with an Auckland team that features Stephen Perofeta as the starting No.10, with capped All Black Angus Ta’avao-Matau also in the run-on side. Ofa Tu’ungafasi is on the bench alongside newly capped Maori All Black Payton Spencer and ex-Wallaby Issak Fines-Leleiwasa.

There is no sign of Shannon Frizell just yet for the Tasman Mako, but the Nelson-based outfit has named All Blacks snub Noah Hotham to start at halfback, with David Havili at second-five, next-gen Blues star Eli Ouderyn at hooker, and a pair of promising Crusaders rookies, Cooper Roberts and Johnny Lee, also in the starting team. Lee, 22, has been listed as Tasman captain and will be joined in the loose forward trio by Brumbies flanker Rory Scott.

All Black-turned-Flying Fijian Seta Tamanivalu will be back in Taranaki colours for the first time since 2018, named at second five ahead of New Zealand U20 captain Haki Wiseman, who will be injected off the bench. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens will start at fullback, with Fiti Sa, who trained with the All Blacks in July, starting at lock ahead of his brother Jayden.

Standout Waratahs rookie Clem Halaholo will make his debut for Southland in what is sure to be a passionate showdown against southern neighbours Otago. Moana Pasifika livewire Glen Vaihu has also been named to start for the Stags, set to run out at fullback. All Blacks Sevens speedster Michael Manson is back on his familiar right wing for the team, with hooker Jack Taylor having announced himself as the next big thing in the No.2 jersey for the Highlanders.

Otago comes into the contest with plenty of their own firepower, however. Oliver Haig, Lucas Casey and Christian Lio-Willie form one of the strongest loose forward trios of round one, with Blues-bound Cameron Millar at 10 and backed up by his Highlanders replacement, Tonga international Patrick Pellegrini on the bench. Veteran hooker Liam Coltman is also back for another dance in the Otago jersey, 16 years after his debut for the club.

Another powerful loose forward trio can be found in Waikato, with departing All Black Smaipeni Finau joining rising stars Oli Mathis and Malachi Wrampling against Bay of Plenty. The team will again be steered around the park by Xavier Roe and Taha Kemara.wh

Ngani Laumape will again run out for Manawatu, while promising Hurricanes playmaker Harry Godfrey is back from a long rehab journey for Hawke’s Bay, and Du’Plessis Kirifi has come straight back into the mix for Wellington, as has Hurricanes teammate Callum Harkin.

A litter of recent New Zealand U20 graduates and the usual New Zealand Sevens stars can also be found in the opening round of action, which kicks off on Thursday night with Waikato facing Bay of Plenty in Hamilton.