Waikato have announced their side to face North Harbour at FMG Stadium Waikato in week 2 of the Mitre 10 Cup this Saturday afternoon.

Both sides will be competing for the Les Pearce Cup, currently held by North Harbour, after retaining the cup with a late 38-36 win over Waikato in round 5 last season. Les Pearce was involved in both Waikato and North Harbour rugby throughout his life before his death in 2002 and now the two regions compete for a challenge trophy in his name.

Waikato head coach, Andrew Strawbridge, has named three changes to his starting XV.

The only change to the forward pack has, Josh Iosefa-Scott comes off the bench to start at tighthead. Iosefa-Scott will join Ollie Norris and Samisoni Takei’aho to make up the front row.

The backline remains predominately unchanged, with only the one personal and one positional change to the wings. Gideon Wrampling made his Waikato debut last week via the reserves and this week has been named to start on the left wing and after getting the late call up last week to start on the left wing, Liam Coombes-Fabling, has been named to start and switches to the right wing.

On the bench Fraser Tech prop, George Dyer, has a chance to make his Waikato Mitre 10 Cup debut after being named in the number 18 jersey.

Due to COVID restrictions there will be no general public in attendance but a select number of corporate hospitality and season ticket holders will be in attendance adhering to social distancing rules and in bubbles of less than 100. However, the game will feature LIVE on SKY Sports 1.

Waikato take on North Harbour at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon, kick-off is at 2.05pm:

1.    Ollie Norris (Hautapu)

2.    Samisoni Taukei’aho (Fraser Tech)

3.    Josh Iosefa-Scott (Melville)

4.    Hamilton Burr (Hautapu)

5.    Samipeni Finau (Hamilton Old Boys)

6.    Adam Thomson (Morrinsville Sports)

7.    Mitch Jacobson (Hautapu)

8.    Luke Jacobson (Hautapu) - Captain

9.    Xavier Roe (Hamilton Old Boys)

10.  Fletcher Smith (University)

11.  Gideon Wrampling (Hamilton Old Boys)

12.  Anton Lienert-Brown (University)

13.  Quinn Tupaea (Hamilton Old Boys)

14.  Liam Coombes-Fabling (Fraser Tech)

15.  Damian McKenzie (University)

16.  Steven Misa (Hamilton Marist)

17.  Rob Cobb (Hamilton Old Boys)

18.  George Dyer (Fraser Tech)*

19.  James Thompson (Hautapu)

20.  Simon Parker (Hautapu)

21.  Cortez Ratima (Otorohanga)

22.  Rivez Reihana (Melville)

23.  Valynce Te Whare (Fraser Tech)

* = Waikato Debuts

Unavailable for selection

Solomon Alaimalo, Sam Cooper, Ayden Johnstone, Sekope Lopeti-Moli, Laghlan McWhannell, Liam Messam, Rhys Dickinson, James Tucker

Article added: Friday 18 September 2020