Canterbury will host Otago in Saturday’s NPC last after each South Island outfits achieved resounding semi-final victories. Otago dispatched Bay of Plenty 41-17 in entrance of greater than 10,000 spectators at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
In Christchurch, Canterbury piled on 4 second-half tries to dismiss Hawke’s Bay 43-19. In the meantime, there was pleasure in Ashburton as Mid Canterbury grew to become the Kings of the New Zealand Rugby Heartland.
Who had been the performers of the week within the penultimate weekend of the NPC?
Jona Nareki (Otago)
A dynamic younger backline can’t train outdated canine Jona Nareki new methods. The livewire winger placed on an electrical, instrumental show.
In his 66th recreation for Otago, the 27-year-old winger scored his thirty seventh attempt for the blue and gold and was concerned within the creation of ample scoring for the hosts. Simply earlier than halftime, a 50/22 kick executed by Nareki resulted in a fast lineout that instantly led to a attempt for industrious blindside Will Stoddart. That made the rating 21-12 on the interval.
When it was 28-12 to Otago, Nareki ploughed right into a Bay of Lots ruck with the drive of a scud missile and snaffled considered one of his 4 turnovers, which led to a Cam Miller penalty. Miller transformed all seven photographs at aim and created an eighth attempt of the season for halfback Dylan Pledger.
At 31-12, Nareki pressured Blues fullback Cole Forbes right into a poor clearance that Finn Hurley ultimately punished.
Otago’s victory was their largest towards Bay of Lots since a 62-15 hiding in 2001. In that recreation, Otago fielded a dozen internationals and that season Otago would make the NPC last, dropping 30-16 to Canterbury in Christchurch.
Otago have received seven video games in a row for the primary time since successful the NPC in 1998. Their successful rating of 41 semi-final factors is barely bettered by the 1998 champions, who trounced Taranaki 61-12 of their semi-final, with Scottish worldwide Brendan Laney scoring 4 tries and All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Byron Kelleher scoring two every.
In the meantime, Bay of Lots have received 50 out of 80 matches from the beginning of their championship promotion-winning season in 2019 to the current. Three semi-final defeats and a 2024 extra-time last loss to Wellington, nonetheless, have prevented the Steamers from reaching the highest of the NPC summit.
Nonetheless, there was loads to love about Bay of Lots in 2025. Prop Tevita Mafileo appeared in seven video games and was named within the All Blacks squad for his or her Grand Slam tour on Monday, having beforehand been summoned as damage cowl.
Fellow prop Benet Kumeroa has performed 35 video games for Bay of Lots and was named within the All Blacks XV on Tuesday regardless of having by no means performed Tremendous Rugby. Hearty hooker Kurt Eklund at all times leads from the entrance, whereas Naitoa Ah Koi and Nikora Broughton are a mannequin of consistency.
Within the backline, Charlie Sinton, Lucas Cashmore, Seamus Bardoul, and Cole Forbes enhanced their reputations and bulldozing winger Fehi Fineanganofo scored 9 tries to go along with the six he scored for the Hurricanes in Tremendous Rugby Pacific.
Nic Souchon (Otago)
With Henry Bell, A-One Lolofie and Heath McEwan all injured and Liam Coltman relegated to the bench, journeyman Nic Souchon was loaned from Southland to Otago to start out the match at hooker. NPC guidelines enable groups to draft a entrance rower if they will state an honest sufficient case as to why they don’t have a entrance rower throughout the province able to filling the void.
Otago’s lineout secured 8/9 throws, and with 10 tackles and 7 carries in 46 minutes, Souchon proved a greater than strong alternative towards a group he paradoxically appeared for 5 instances between 2020 and 2022.
Within the NPC last final yr, 38-year-old former All Blacks hooker Hika Elliott performed a rousing second half and a few further time earlier than leaving the sector injured for Wellington of their 23-20 win over Bay of Lots.
In the meantime, Souchon has had an eventful 2025. The Paeroa-born 28-year-old helped Southland win three video games in a row for the primary time in 2013, together with their first Ranfurly Defend triumph towards Waikato since 2011 on August 31. Since 2023, he has performed 22 video games for the Stags.
In March, he grew to become the 323rd Hurricanes participant when he got here off the bench for 23 minutes in a 40-31 defeat to Moana Pasifika. He didn’t function once more in Tremendous Rugby Pacific.
Souchon has additionally performed for Canterbury, in addition to six video games beforehand for Otago, three of which had been profitable Ranfurly Defend defences in 2019. In Main League Rugby (MLR), he has performed for the Utah Warriors and Previous Glory DC.
Sam Darry (Canterbury)
It was one thing of a shock that Sam Darry was ignored for the All Blacks squad on Monday on the expense of the perennially injured Josh Lord. Darry was then spared a world lifeline when Patrick Tuipulotu was dominated out of the Grand Slam tour on account of damage.
Darry, who’s overcome damage himself, confirmed he’s hungry so as to add to his six All Blacks caps with a commanding semi-final show. Darry topped the hosts’ deal with depend with 21 alongside fellow lock Zach Gallagher. Moreover, he received half of Canterbury’s lineout possession and was a towering presence across the park. Within the first half, Darry scored a attempt from shut vary with a muscular thrust to make it 13-0. Within the second spell, he charged down a telegraphed Folau Fakatava field kick, amassing the rebound like Nikola Joki? and supplying to prop Daniel Lienert-Brown, who scored simply his seventh attempt in 92 video games for Canterbury.
Tom Christie (Canterbury)
The bona fide Canterbury rugby legend has 51 wins in 78 video games, incomes the 2018 NPC title and holding the Ranfurly Defend 3 times. His report with the Crusaders is even higher: he has performed 72 video games, attaining 52 wins, and received eight Tremendous Rugby championships from 2017 to 2023 and in 2025. The openside flanker sure for Newcastle is saving his finest performances for final. Towards the Magpies, he made 19 tackles, sustaining his lead as the highest tackler within the NPC. He additionally pilfered a turnover that instantly led to Canterbury’s first attempt by Ngane Punivai, made a storming run that helped Dallas McLeod rating considered one of his two tries, after which collected his twelfth attempt in pink and black whereas roaming the wing within the 77th minute.
With regards to legacy. Since 2020, Hawke’s Bay has had a report of 51 wins and 23 defeats, with a championship title in 2020 and two tenures and 18 profitable defences of the Ranfurly Defend. Nevertheless, two quarter, two semi and a 2023 NPC last loss to Taranaki is underachievement for Jacob Devery, Folau Fakatava, Devan Flanders, Lincoln McClutchie, Danny Toala, Josiah Tevita-Metcalfe and Lincoln McClutchie, a backbone of gamers who’ve remained primarily collectively from the virtually untouchable Hastings Boys’ Excessive College First XV that received 38 out of 40 matches between 2016 and 2017, outscoring opponents by a median rating of 42-7. Fakatava was briefly an All Black, and Flanders is a Tremendous Rugby common with 56 appearances for the Hurricanes. He ranked within the high ten of the 2025 NPC for lineouts secured, tackles made and carries, securing choice for the All Blacks XV. Nevertheless, the opposite gamers haven’t but matched the promising potential indicated by their college careers.
Mid Canterbury – The Hammers are the kings of New Zealand Heartland Rugby after defeating Thames Valley 21-18 within the Meads Cup last at a packed Ashburton Showgrounds – a reversal of the 2024 last, which noticed the Swamp Foxes prevail 37-29 at Boyd Park in Te Aroha.
Mid Canterbury accomplished the season with an ideal 10-0 report, one thing that even the 2013 and 2014 Meads Cup champion groups, coached by Glenn Moore—the 2017 Black Ferns Rugby World Cup-winning coach—failed to realize.
Mid Canterbury joins Wanganui (2008 & 2016) and South Canterbury (2021-2023) as groups which have received the Meads Cup undefeated. All through the season, they received 4 video games by a transformed attempt or much less and scored greater than 30 factors in all eight round-robin matches.
Co-captains New Zealand Heartland XV prop Adam Williamson and openside flanker Declan McCormack had been excellent within the last as they had been all season, with McCormack securing the ultimate turnover because the guests ominously threatened. Blindside flanker Manasa Samo, who scored each tries within the 21-19 semi-final win over Wairarapa Bush, tackled fiercely. Lock McGregor Greatest has solely misplaced as soon as in 13 outings and scored a 25-meter runaway attempt within the last, elevating questions elsewhere about whether or not he is perhaps associated to Mid Canterbury All Blacks locks Jock and Isaac Ross?
Halfback Kieran McClea performed eight video games for Otago between 2022 and 2023. Unsettled, he joined the Hammers and has appeared 15 instances, attaining 12 victories. His attempt within the last helped put Mid Canterbury forward 21-6. Though winger Raitube Vasurakuta didn’t play within the last, he is an excellent finisher with 33 tries in 49 video games. Nathan McCloy and Tom Reekie have partnered at first and second five-eighths since 2021, with Reekie ending because the Hammers’ main factors scorer in 2025 with 120 factors.
