News

Pukekohe Mitre 10 Mega host Onewhero Counties Bulk Haulage/Carters at Colin Lawrie Fields 1 in their Challenge Cup Premier fixture on Saturday in the Counties Power Game of the Week.

It’s fourth vs fifth, with Pukekohe on 33 points sitting just above Onewhero who are on 29 points. Pukekohe Mitre 10 Mega coach Rhys Cullinane was very pleased with his side’s big win over Patumahoe Hotel last weekend, and he said they didn’t pick up too many injuries in the encounter.

“We’ve come through that game ok at this stage. We actually have a couple of guys who we are hoping will be back this week. It was certainly a physical game, there could be a couple guys out with injury but we are pretty good.”

Pukekohe Mitre 10 Mega were without tighthead prop Mokani Fuavao last weekend so Cullinane is hoping to have him back.

“He’s been very good for us, especially at scrum time. We are hoping he will return this weekend against Onewhero. If not this week, he will be in the next couple of weeks.”

A Counties Cavaliers selection squad played Northland on Wednesday night so Cullinane’s hoping his players came through unscathed. He said Saturday will be a great occasion.

“It’s our sponsors day and no doubt Onewhero will come down and be physical and we will have to play for the full 80 minutes against them as usual. It will be a huge game.”

Onewhero Counties Bulk Haulage/Carters will be without halfback Richard Judd, who will be on Chiefs development duty, but coach Adam Cathcart is hoping to have a couple of others back in the mix.

“We are just waiting to see how the two Nahi brothers are. Centre Leroy and second five-eighth Teina have been injured so hopefully they’ll come back and our openside flanker Steven Jones as well.”

Onewhero Counties Bulk Haulage/Carters can’t wait for this weekend’s match-up and Cathcart said there’s always something special about an Onewhero-Pukekohe clash.

“It’s always great playing Pukekohe. We’ve got a Country vs City kind of thing going on, which has formed over the years and they are the City boys. It is always a physical battle, but then we have a good catch up at the end of the game too.”

Be sure to get to Colin Lawrie Fields 1 at 2:45pm on Saturday to watch the Counties Power Game of the Week between Pukekohe Mitre 10 Mega and Onewhero Counties Bulk Haulage/Carters.  

Photo Credit: Richard Spranger