Midfielder Jackson Willison and number eight Sione Lauaki will earn their Waikato blazers when they run out against Auckland this Saturday night at Waikato Stadium in week five of the Air New Zealand Cup. 

TWO WAIKATO PLAYERS SET FOR MILESTONE MATCH AGAINST AUCKLAND

Midfielder Jackson Willison and number eight Sione Lauaki will earn their Waikato blazers when they run out against Auckland this Saturday night at Waikato Stadium in week five of the Air New Zealand Cup. 

Both players are set to play their 18th game for Waikato - the milestone when Mooloo men earn their Waikato blazers.

Waikato coach Tony Hanks said: “it is an outstanding achievement for Jackson who at only 19 years of age has made himself a regular fixture in our starting line-up.  Sione has been with Waikato since 2005, but through injury and All Black commitments has taken a while to get to play his blazer game.  He is a leader in our young team and it is fitting he gets to wear a blazer now.”

Reserve lock Kent Fife, if he gets game time off the bench in this match, could also earn his Waikato blazer.

This week Hanks has made changes to the Waikato loose forward trio with Tom Harding returning to the mix to start at number seven, with captain Liam Messam moving back to the blindside and Lauaki at number eight. 

In the Waikato front row props Aled de Malmanche and Toby Smith are bracketed, with Hanks still waiting to make a call on de Malmanche’s fitness for this match.

Hanks says the team is excited with the challenge ahead against Auckland.  The last time Auckland played Waikato at Waikato Stadium was back in 2004. 

“Waikato and Auckland are two teams who will come out to play good rugby this weekend – in fact we are the teams in this year’s competition who have kicked the least. There is a huge history between the two teams and it is one of the most hotly contested provincial match-ups in the competition.”

“Our motivation this Saturday is to play rugby that makes us and our supporters proud.”

Waikato takes on Auckland on Saturday 30 August at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton in week five of the Air New Zealand Cup. Kick off is 7.35pm.

1. Hikairo Forbes
2. Vern Kamo
3. Aled de Malmanche/Toby Smith
4. Toby Lynn
5. Kevin O’Neill
6. Liam Messam (captain)
7. Tom Harding
8. Sione Lauaki
9. Malcolm Barnes
10. Stephen Donald
11. Henry Speight 
12. Callum Bruce
13. Jackson Willison
14. Tim Mikkelson
15. Sosene Anesi

Reserves:
16. Ole Avei
17. Toby Smith/Josh Hohneck
18. Kent Fife
19. Faifili Levave
20. Josh Sutherland
21. Dwayne Sweeney
22. James Kamana

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