Rugby: Club performances rewarded in season opener

Will Johnston

Photo by LDV Photography.

Two of Stratford-Eltham’s form players during the CMK premier club rugby season are set to make their first-class debuts in the national provincial championship opener on Friday night.

Halfback Leone Nawai (pictured) and first-five eighth Obey Samate have been included in Taranaki's first team of the season to play Counties Manukau at Yarrow Stadium as they prepare to defend their title.

The pair from the championship winning club were named on the bench after an impressive season with key attributes being their speed and ability to find space. Nawai is likely to replace club teammate Adam Lennox at halfback later in the game, with the two complementing each other at a grassroots level. Lennox will play in his 20^th match.

Samate has moved north from the Harbour Hawks club in Dunedin was one of Stratford-Eltham’s form players with his accurate kicking and game awareness highlights of his game.

They’re just two of several players who have been rewarded with strong performances in club rugby, as coach Neil Barnes continues to be an advocate of the competition and its ability to provide first-class opportunities for players.

Clifton’s Josh Setu, Spotswood United’s Ethan Reti, Stratford-Eltham’s Scott Jury and New Plymouth Old Boys’ Jackson Morgan will earn their first caps since 2022.

Setu, who has been plagued with injuries, will start in the midfield along with one-capped Blues rep Meihana Grindlay, Jury will also start at flanker, while Reti and Morgan are on the bench.

The remainder of Barnes’ team has a familiar feel to it. Many featured in the final against Hawke's Bay in October last year.

Taranaki is coming off two pre-season wins, first against Wellington 50-35 and Bay of Plenty 31-26 in Urenui.

Meanwhile, the Taranaki Whio start their Farah Palmer Cup campaign against Manawatu in Palmerston North on Sunday afternoon.

The side is coming off two positive pre-season matches, where they beat Waikato Development 44-13 and Whanganui 78-7.

Thirteen un-capped players have been selected in the squad for the season.

Taranaki team to play Counties Manukau on Friday, 5:35pm at Yarrow Stadium

Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Vereniki Tikoisolomone, Josh Setu, Meihana Grindlay, Kini Naholo, Josh Jacomb, Adam Lennox, Kaylum Boshier, Michael Loft, Scott Jury, Tom Franklin, Fiti Sa, Reuben O’Neill, Ricky Riccitelli, Jared Proffit. Reserves: Bradley Slater, Mitch O’Neill, Michael Bent, Jackson Morgan, Hemopo Cunningham, Leone Nawai, Ethan Reti, Obey Samate.