Aumua set to roar again with Lions
Asafo Aumua is set to continue his relentless try-scoring ways for the Wellington Lions this season.
The New Zealand under-20s hooker grabbed the headlines in June when he scored a hat-trick during New Zealand’s 64-17 win over England in the final of the Under-20 World Cup. One of the tries included him beating six defenders on his way to the tryline.
The performance surprised a few, but not those who knew him back in Wellington.
Last season he was the Lions’ leading try-scorer with six in 10 games, including a hat-trick against Northland.
The 20-year-old was the name which leapt off the page when the Lions announced their 42-man wider training squad on Monday night.
It’s a squad with a mix of youth and experience. Aumua has four under-20s team-mates for company in prop Alex Fidow, lock Isaia Walker-Leawere, halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and utility back Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
At the other end of the spectrum is 35-year-old former Samoan international lock/loose forward Kane Thompson making his return, as well as former Hurricanes and Wellington utility back Dan Kirkpatrick, and former Waikato lock Chris Middleton.
Thompson has carved out a handy career in New Zealand, France, Japan and England and has led Johnsonville’s pack in club rugby this season.
Kirkpatrick played 24 matches for Wellington in 2008-09. He played in France from 2012 up until this year, before moving back to New Zealand and rejoining Petone.
Wellington coach Chris Gibbes said the wider squad gave him the chance to look at a large group of players before deciding on the final makeup of his 2017 Mitre 10 Cup squad.
‘‘What we do know is we will need plenty of depth if we want to be successful during the Mitre 10 Cup and that it’s important to have a mix of youth and experience for what will be a tough campaign.
‘‘We’re fortunate to have some very exciting young talent coming through in Wellington, but equally to have a few guys near the back ends of their careers who are still passionate about the game and the Lions and are keen to contribute.’’
A Wellington XV will take on Manawatu in Otaki on August 6 and Tasman in Seddon on August 10, with the Lions’ championship (second division) campaign set to kickoff on August 20 against Manawatu in Palmerston North.