With every point crucial in both the Premiership and Championship, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay have the added pressure of playing for the title of the ‘real bay’ in their Sunday afternoon clash in Tauranga.
Find your key match information and team lists below. Note: teams are added as they are named.
Canterbury v Otago
Friday 30 October, 7.05pm, Orangetheory Stadium
Played: 166
Won: Canterbury 93, Otago 63, Drawn 10
Last match: Canterbury 35, Otago 25 (5 October 2019)
Referee: Brendon Pickerill
Statchat (Opta): Canterbury have won their last 14 Mitre 10 Cup games on the bounce against Otago; their last defeat to them came in October 2005.
TEAMS
Canterbury
1: Daniel Lienert-Brown 2: Brodie McAlister 3: Oliver Jager 4: Luke Romano 5: Sam Darry 6: Billy Harmon 7: Tom Christie 8: Reed Prinsep © 9: Mitchell Drummond 10: Fergus Burke 11: Ngatungane Punivai 12: Rameka Poihipi 13: Dallas McLeod 14: Chay Fihaki 15: Josh McKay
Reserves: Shilo Klein, Finlay Brewis, Tamaiti Williams, Liam Allen, Whetukamokamo Douglas, Luke Donaldson, Brett Cameron, Andrew Knewstubb
Otago
1: Jamie Mackintosh, 2: Liam Coltman, 3: Josh Hohneck, 4: Will Tucker, 5: Josh Dickson, 6: Samuel Fischli, 7: Slade McDowall, 8: Nasi Manu, 9: Kayne Hammngton, 10: Josh Ioane, 11: Jona Narkei, 12: Patelesio Tomkinson, 13: Josh Timu, 14: Freedom Vahaakolo 15: Vilimoni Koroi
Reserves: Ricky Jackson, Jonah Aoina, Yoshihisa Sasagi, Jack Regan, Sione Misiloi, James Arscott, Michael Collins, Charles Elton
Wellington v Tasman
Saturday 31 October, 2.05pm, Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua
Played: 11
Won: Wellington 5, Tasman 6
Last match: Tasman 31, Wellington 14 (26 October 2019)
Referee: Dan Waenga
Statchat (Opta): Tasman (5) and Wellington (4.7) have scored more tries per game in the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup than any other teams in the competition.
TEAMS
Wellington
1: Xavier Numia, 2: James O’Reilly, 3: Alex Fidow, 4: James Blackwell ©, 5: Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 6: Vaea Fifita, 7: Mateaki Kafatolu, 8: Teariki Ben-Nicholas, 9: Connor Collins, 10: Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11: Julian Savea, 12: Vince Aso 13: Billy Proctor, 14: Wes Goosen, 15: Ruben Love
Reserves: Tyrone Thompson, Morgan Poi, Uluilakepa Kaliopasi, Taine Plumtree, Sam Smith, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, Aidan Morgan, Pepesana Patafilo
Tasman
1: Isileli Tuungafasi 2: Andrew Makalio 3: Isaac Salmon, 4: Alex Ainley 5: Quinten Strange 6: Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta 7: Sione Havili-Talitu 8: Taina Fox-Matamua 9: Finlay Christie 10: Mitchell Hunt 11: Leicester Faingaanuku 12: Alex Nankivell 13: Fetuli Paea 14: Lotima Faingaanuku 15: David Havili
Reserves: Quentin MacDonald, Ryan Coxon, Blair Prinsep, Isaac Ross, Anton Segner, Dwayne Polataivao, Timothy O’Malley, Mark Telea
Northland v North Harbour
Saturday 31 October, 4.35pm, Semenoff Stadium, Whangarei
Played: 41
Won: Northland 12, North Harbour 27, Drawn 2
Last match: North Harbour 21, Northland 20 (16 August 2018)
Referee: Cam Stone
Statchat (Opta): Northland have won their last four home games in the Mitre 10 Cup; the last time they won more in succession at home was a 11-game stretch across the 1996 and 1997 campaigns.
TEAMS
Northland
1: Ross Wright, 2: Ben Tou, 3: Coree Te Whata-Colley, 4: Josh Goodhue 5: Sam Caird, 6: Tom Robinson, 7: Kara Pryor, 8: Matt Matich, 9: Sam Nock, 10: Johnny Cooper, 11: Pisi Leilua, 12: Tamati Tua, 13: Scott Gregory, 14: Brady Rush, 15: Mathew Wright
Reserves: Jordan Olsen, Luatangi Li, Tyler Kearns, Rob Rush, Sam McNamara, Will Grant, Dan Hawkins, Rene Ranger
North Harbour
1: Teague McElroy, 2: Luteru Tolai, 3: Sione Mafileo, 4: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 5: Jacob Pierce, 6: Ethan Roots, 7: Dillon Hunt, 8: Murphy Taramai, 9: Bryn Hall, 10: Bryn Gatland, 11: Tomas Aoake, 12: Antonio Mikaele-Tu’u 13: James Little, 14: Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 15: Shaun Stevenson
Reserves: Zane Turner, Alex Woonton, Jimmy Roots, Xavier Cowley-Tuioti, Tim Sail, Lewis Gjaletma, Inisi Fine, Jared Page
Auckland v Waikato
Saturday 31 October, 7.05pm, Eden Park
Played: 144
Won: Auckland 97, Waikato 41, Drawn 6
Last match: 20-20 (31 August 2019)
Referee: James Doleman
Statchat (Opta): Waikato have scored the opening try of the game in four of their last five Mitre 10 Cup games against Auckland; each of those five games has seen at least one try scored within the opening 10 minutes of the game.
TEAMS
Auckland
1. James Lay 2. Leni Apisai 3. Marcel Renata 4. Scott Scrafton 5. Hamish Dalzell 6. Adrian Choat 7. Blake Gibson 8. Sione Tuipulotu 9. Jonathan Ruru 10. Harry Plummer 11. Salesi Rayasi 12. TJ Faiane 13. Tumua Manu 14. AJ Lam 15. Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: Soane Vikena, Jarred Adams, Marco Fepulea’i, Liam Hallam-Eames, Danny Tusitala, Simon Hickey, Joel Cobb
Waikato
1: Robb Cobb 2: Samisoni Taukei’aho 3: Sefo Kautai 4: Hamilton Burr 5: Samipeni Finau 6: Adam Thomson 7: Luke Jacobsen 8: Liam Messam 9: Xavier Roe 10: Fletcher Smith 11: Gideon Wrampling 12: Bailyn Sullivan 13: Quinn Tupaea 14: Liam Coombes-Fabling 15: Beaudein Waaka
Reserves: Steven Misa, Ollie Norris, Josh Iosefa-Scott, James Thompson, Hugo Nankivell, Cortez Ratima, Rivez Reihana, Louis Rogers
Bay of Plenty v Hawke’s Bay
Sunday 1 November, 2.05pm, Tauranga Domain
Played: 53
Won: Bay of Plenty 29, Hawke’s Bay 23, Drawn 1
Last match: Bay of Plenty 12, Hawke’s Bay 7 (25 October 2019)
Referee: Jono Bredin
Statchat (Opta): Bay of Plenty have won four of their last five Mitre 10 Cup games against Hawkes Bay (L1), including their last two on the bounce; the last time they won more in succession against them was a six-game stretch from 1996 to 2006.
TEAMS
Bay of Plenty
1: Jordan Lay, 2: Kurt Eklund, 3: Jeff Thwaites, 4: Stan Van den Hoven, 5: : Kane Le'aupepe, 6: Joe Johnston 7: Mitch Karpik 8: Sam Dickson, 9: Luke Campbell, 10: Otere Black (C), 11: Joe Webber 12: Chase Tiatia, 13: Mathew Skipwith-Garland, 14: Emoni Narawa, 15: Kaleb Trask
Reserves: Nathan Vella, Tevita Mafileo, Ross Geldenhuys, Scott Curry, Zane Kapeli, Joe Tupe, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Dan Hollinshead, Fa’asiu Fuitai
Hawke’s Bay
TBC
Manawatu v Southland
Sunday 1 November, 2.05pm, Manfeild.
Played: 48
Won: Manawatu 27, Southland 18, Drawn 3
Last match: Southland 26, Manawatu 31 (14 September 2019)
Referee: Nick Hogan
Statchat (Opta): Southland have not won away from home in the Mitre 10 Cup since Round 2, 2015 against Northland; they have lost 27 consecutive away games since.
TEAMS
Manawatu
1: Tietie Tuimauga 2: Sam Stewart 3: Michael Alaalatoa 4: Tom Hughes 5: Liam Mitchell 6: Howden Te Kamaka 7: Shamus Hurley-Langton 8: Kirk Tufuga 9: Bryn Wilson 10: Ben Wyness 11: Te Rangatira Waitokia 12: James Tofa 13: Josiah Maraku 14: Nigel Ah Wong 15: Nehe Milner-Skudder
Reserves: Gene Syminton, Solomona Sakalia, Micaiah Torrance-Read, Kyle Stewart, Johnny Galloway, Griffin Culver, Drew Wild, Adam Boult
Southland
1: Ethan De Groot 2: Greg Pleasants-Tate 3: Siate Tokolahi 4: Craig Smith 5: Michael McKee 6: Charles Alaimalo 7: Matthew James 8: Tony Lamborn 9: Logan Crowley 10: Scott Eade 11: Kieran Lee 12: Raymond Nu’u 13: Jaye Thompson 14: Isaac Te Tamaki 15: Matthew McKenzie
Reserves: Joseph Walsh, Sabastian Siataga, Christopher Apoua, Joe Robins, Nathan Va’atausili, Liam Howley, Brad Armstrong, Brad Kooman
Taranaki v Counties Manukau
Sunday 1 November, 4.35pm, TET Stadium, Inglewood
Played: 38
Won: Taranaki 24, Counties Manukau 12, Drawn 2
Last match: Taranaki 34, Counties Manukau 29 (10 August 2019)
Referee: James Munro
Statchat (Opta): Counties Manukau have made more offloads (12) per game than any other team this Mitre 10 Cup season; they have made a competition-high 81 total offloads directly to teammates.
TEAMS
Taranaki
1: Jared Proffit 2: Ricky Riccitelli 3: Reuben O'Neill 4: Josh Lord 5: Mitchell Brown (C) 6: Mitchell Crosswell 7: Lachlan Boshier 8: Kaylum Boshier 9: Lisati Milo-Harris 10: Stephen Perofeta 11: Codey Rei 12: Lukas Hall 13: Sean Wainui 14: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens 15: Jayson Potroz
Reserves, Bradley Slater, Chris Gawler, Donald Brighouse, Findlamor Hoeata, Tom Florence, Warwick Lahmert, Brayton Northcott-Hill, Lewis Ormond.
Counties Manukau
1. Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2. Donald Maka, 3. Suetena Asomua, 4. Sam Slade 5: Matiaha Martin, 6. Viliame Taulani, 7. Alamanda Motuga, 8. Kieran Read, 9. Jonathan Taumateine, 10. Jason Robertson, 11. Sione Fifita 12: Orbyn Leger 13: Nikolai Foliaki, 14. Kirisi Kuridrani, 15. Luteru Laulala
Reserves: Zuriel Toniatama, Clinton Malolua, Conan O’Donnell, Potu Leavasa, Jonathan Kawau , Cameron Roigard, Kalione Hala, Etene Nanai-Seturo