Poverty Bay ring the changes for Heartland rugby bottom-of-the-table clash
The Weka have thrown everything at their task this season.
And after five weeks they have rolled the dice selection-wise in their last home game of the 2026 Heartland Championship season against West Coast at Rugby Park on Saturday.
Six changes have been made to the Weka side who lost 57-31 to third-placed Thames Valley away last Saturday and traded 11th for 12th place with the West Coast on the table.
Hooker Iose Brown’s inclusion sees prop Lance Dickson shift to the loosehead side, Harawira Kahukura gets Tapuae clubmate Knox Ranitu as his locking partner, while YMP titan Jokatama Cewa is in at blindside flanker.
The Weka welcome back the quality Auckland/North Harbour loan player pairing of Henry Saker and Tayler Adams at halfback and first five.
Jack Sheridan has moved from centre to the left wing for Taine Aupouri, although Aupouri will wear 12 and Braedyn Grant 13.
This will give the home team a complementary mix of muscle and elusiveness.
Powerhouse forward Siosiua Moala will start on the bench, but is sure to play a prominent role when he comes on.
Head coach Paoraian Manuel-Harman, after coming on in the second half for the Weka last weekend, will direct play from fullback.
Both sides will be able to play open running rugby on a pristine surface.
Manuel-Harman said his lads were excited at training on Thursday night. The vibe was positive and energy was high.
Neither the Weka nor West Coast have tasted victory this season. In the 29 times they have met – the first of those a 44-12 win to Poverty Bay in Greymouth in 1974 – the Weka have won 22 and the Coast seven.
Referred to as “the Might of Red and White”, the Coast have won five games to Poverty Bay’s 13 in the Heartland era, including the last two – 38-29 in Greymouth in 2024 and 23-20 in 2023.
The Weka’s last win at home over West Coast was 34-20 at the Oval in 2021.
“Heartland rugby is a beast all its own,” West Coast’s veteran head coach Murray Henderson said. “We’ll man up for our soon-to-be fourth West Coast centurion, a true warrior in Sean McClure.
“Behind the longevity of provincial rugby is 1000 training runs, a decade-plus of family and club support and sacrifice. That’s what it’s about. We don’t run and hide from it.”
Right wing McClure will bring up his 100th game for his province on Saturday. At the other end of the experience spectrum, 18-year-old halfback Bruce Miller is set to make his debut.
Like Manuel-Harman, West Coast’s veteran coach Murray Henderson has made six changes to the Arnie Gibbons-captained squad from their 38-31 loss to Buller last weekend.
The 1pm game is in the hands of excellent officials. Hawke’s Bay police Sergeant Stu Catley will referee his 39th first-class game, with local officials Matthew Smith and Royce Maynard as his assistants.
Poverty Bay Weka: Lance Dickson, Shayde Skudder (co-captain), Iose Brown, Harawira Kahukura, Knox Ranitu, Jokatama Cewa, Keanu Taumata (cc), Uini Fetalaiga (loan player, Auckland), Henry Saker (LP, Auckland), Tayler Adams (LP, North Harbour), Jack Sheridan (returning NZ player), Braedyn Grant, Taine Aupouri, Josaia Bosaka Tikicidre, Paoraian Manuel-Harman. Res: Matekairoa McGuire, Salesi Niuvao, Franco Ludwig, Jack Twigley, Siosiua Moala, Silas Brown, Tsugunosuke Hirai, Cohen Loffler.
West Coast: Daniel Davis, Troy Tauwhare, Tamati Frost, Arnie Gibbons (c), Jackson Keenan, Frankie Read, Tevita Kaufisi (LP, Auckland), Quinn Johnsen, Tom Ziolo, Sam Briggs (LP, Tasman), Will Van Der Geest, Tevita Faitotonu (LP, Canterbury), Leweni Mocevacaka (LP, Canterbury), Sean McClure, Jaime Garland. Res: George Rea, Mitchell Tapp, Mitchell Daley, Camron Lawton, Vaughtin Patena-Fortune, Tyler Power, Jade Coleman, Bruce Miller.