Captain Jaxon for Manawatu
Jaxon Tagavaitau will once again lead the Manawatu sevens team as they look to go one better than last year and win the Central Region Sevens title in Levin today.
The former Turbos midfielder captained the team last year and has retained his job after an intensive month-long battle for a place in Bertus Mulder and Koli Sewabu’s final 12-man team.
Tagavaitau is just one of five players returning from the squad who finished second at the tournament in 2015.
Jordan Bunce, Devon Scott, Shai Wiperi and Osea Rokubu are the others retaining their places.
Just one current Turbo was named in wing Nathan Tudreu.
But Mulder was confident there was enough talent in the side to lock up a crucial qualifying spot at January’s National Sevens tournament.
‘‘These players are the guys who stood out in club sevens and also at trainings the last couple of weeks,’’ he said.
‘‘We needed a good mixture of players with some physical forwards and some fast backs. We believe this is a good mix of players who can get us to... nationals.’’
He said the focus for the team was on decision making and quickly reading the their options on the field.
Included in the team is Linton Army forward Reece White, who was a standout at the Manawatu club sevens, and rising wing Ben Werthmuller.
Samu Kubunavanua, who won last year’s New Zealand Rugby Awards try of the year after finishing off a length-of-the-field movement for Wanganui, has been named as a loan player.
Others in the team are Mickey Woolliams, Alipate Natoba and Maikeli Ledua.
The team is missing a number of players who could bolster the
squad for the national tournament in January - Junior Tomasi Cama (New Zealand Sevens coaching commitments), Antonio Kiri Kiri (New Zealand Sevens playing commitments), Mosese Dawai and Vili Koroi (Condor sevens invitational team), Brice Henderson (injured) and Karl Bryson (family commitment).
Mulder said they would continue to work with a wider squad of 23 players ahead of the national tournament meaning those who missed selection for the central event could still play their way into the team.
Meanwhile, the Manawatu women’s sevens team is missing five of their best forwards as they attempt to defend their Central Region Sevens title.
Rachael Goss is unavailable as she is getting married and that has meant Sarah Goss and Nicole Dickins won’t be there either.
New Zealand Sevens player Rebekah Tufuga is away in Hong Kong and Crystal Mayes is injured.
Having so many players up front being ruled out is a big blow, but there is no lack of class in the backs with the likes of internationals Selica Winiata, Kristina Sue and Janna Vaughan.
Former New Zealand Sevens international Vaine Greig, who now plays for the Cook Islands, is also in the team after a change to tournament rules allowed provinces to pick one player in their squads who plays internationally for a country other than New Zealand.
Coach Mike Pettman said their first focus was ensuring they qualified for the national competition so they can defend their title in January.
While he was happy with where the team is at, he said they have had a disrupted build-up due to the players’ other commitments.
‘‘There has been times at training when we have only had six there,’’ he said. ‘‘It is not ideal preparation.’’
But that has not stopped them racking up some impressive preseason results which suggest ominous signs for the other teams in Levin on Saturday.