Hughes out of NPC warmup
Ten men who played in the club final on Saturday will back-up for the 24-man Manawatu¯ XV against a Taranaki lineup under lights at Hicks Park, Hawera, tomorrow.
One who won’t is Varsity lock Tom Hughes who injured his right knee in the second minute of the final. He tried to run it off, but succumbed 16 minutes later.
He will be out for four to six weeks, giving him time to work on his upper-body conditioning.
It might also open the door for his clubmate Mickey Woolliams to be an integral part of the tight forwards, especially after his dynamic second half in the final.
He will come off the bench tomorrow and yet only last Wednesday he had been in doubt for the final after wrenching an ankle for Manawatu¯ against the New Zealand Defence Force.
Hurricanes lock Liam Mitchell gets his first run of the season tomorrow.
Even if players such as Woolliams aren’t full contracted, coach Peter Russell said the Turbos will still have to employ back-up players to train with the squad. Feilding No 8 Sam Wasley has been brought in as one of those alongside Yellows hooker Harry Jones, who had a strong club final, and Varsity brothers, prop Sam and midfielder Ueta Tufuga.
Manawatu¯ could have done without untimely injuries though.
Andre Taylor (groin) could be away for a few more weeks and first five-eighth Ben Wyness is being held back to rehabilitate the lower leg he badly injured a year ago.
The good news about Canterbury prop Samuela Tawake is that his knee ligament injury in club rugby wasn’t a rupture and his timeline is about three weeks. Prop Sione Asi is working to get strength back into his shoulder.
Hooker Nick Grogan has a sore back from training and might be rested if not fully fit, while flanker Johnny Galloway has been ill this week.
Of the starting XV, Sam Malcolm is the sole player in the current group who has yet to turn out after his season with the Toronto Arrows, who finished third in the American Major League Rugby. He scored 145 points for them in his 16 games.
Halfback Jamie Booth will come off the bench in his first run following his season with the Sunwolves in Japan.
Meanwhile, Russell expects Taranaki to be stronger opposition than last week’s.
‘‘We want to enter the season with a lot of continuity,’’ he said. ‘‘Taranaki will want to come through the middle of us.
‘‘We have maintained our physicality through the other three games and now we have to step up.’’
The Manawatu¯ squad were to have a low-contact training session with the Palmerston North Boys’ High School first XV today.
The only players yet to join the squad are Ma¯ ori All Blacks Otere Black and Rob Thompson, who are in Rotorua preparing to play Fiji.
Manawatu¯ XV: 15 Adam Boult (Te Kawau), 14 Te Rangitira Waitokia (Varsity), 13 Hamish Northcott (Varsity), 12 Ueta Tufuga (Varsity), 11 Ben Werthmuller (OBM), 10 Sam Malcolm (Varsity), 9 Griffin Culver (Feilding); 8 Braydon Iose (Kia Toa), 7 Johnny Galloway (COB), 6 Nick Crosswell (Feilding), 5 Liam Mitchell (Te Kawau), 4 Fraser Stone (Kia Toa), 3 Paulo Leleisiuao, 2 Sam Stewart (Te Kawau), 1 Sunao Takizawa (COB).
Subs: 16 Nick Grogan (Varsity) or Harry Jones (Feilding), 17 Sam Tufuga (Varsity), 18 Mickey Woolliams (Varsity), 19 Sione Tu’ipulotu, 20 Sam Wasley (Feilding), 21 Jamie Booth (Varsity), 22 Stewart Cruden (Varsity), 23 James Tofa (COB), 24 Josiah Maraku (Feilding). Kickoff: 6pm.
‘‘We have maintained our physicality through the other three games and now we have to step up.’’
Peter Russell, Manawatu coach