There was a changing of the guard at the coaching and administrative level at Wellington Rugby in 2010, with Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper and Vodafone Wellington Lions coach Jamie Joseph both departing during the year and of the past four years Greg Peters leaving to head SANZAR in Sydney.
2010 was the final year in charge of the Hurricanes for Head Coach Colin Cooper, who bowed out after eight years and 104 games at the helm. Cooper had guided the team to the playoffs in 2003, 2005, 2006 (final), 2008 and 2009. The season also brought an end to the Hurricanes career of current Operations Manager and former Manager Tony Bedford, a foundation member of the Hurricanes Management and 15-time South African tourist.
Cooper’s exit from the Super Rugby arena in May was followed three months later by the appointment of Jamie Joseph to the Highlanders’ coaching position and leading to Joseph’s resignation from the Vodafone Wellington Lions three games into the ITM Cup season. Assistant coach Andre Bell replaced Joseph and successful Wellington Development and Poneke Head Coach Richard Watt took the assistant’s role.
Chief Executive Peters’ time in charge had coincided with the Lions reaching the NPC finals in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and winning the Ranfurly Shield in 2008, as well as the Hurricanes reaching Super Rugby semi-finals in 2008 and 2009 (he arrived after their May 2006 final appearance). However the search for silverware proved more elusive than ever in 2010 for Peters, with the Hurricanes battling to eighth in the last ever 14-team Super Rugby competition and the Lions sneaking into the semi-finals only to be well beaten by eventual champions Canterbury at the next hurdle.
The Hurricanes’ 2010 campaign was a roller coaster one. The franchise won its first three games, lost the next four – all to South African opposition – launched a four-game winning streak, then dipped out of contention in the last game where a win over the Waratahs would have been enough to reach the semi-finals again.
Andrew Hore took over the captaincy for 2010 from Rodney So’oialo who had led the team to the playoffs three times since 2006. It was also a notable year for some members of the squad: So’oialo becoming the second Hurricanes player to reach 100 games for the franchise and Conrad Smith, John Schwalger and Tamati Ellison also reaching the milestone of 50 games.
Their season record was won seven, lost five and drawn one in 13 matches. Winger David Smith was the leading try scorer with seven tries and halfback Piri Weepu the leading points scorer with 75. Four players – hooker Hore, prop Tialata, lock/flanker Michael Paterson and second five-eighth Nonu – started in every match 2010, while a fifth, prop John Schwalger, played in every match (twice off the bench).
The Vodafone Wellington Lions struggled to hit gear until near the end of an inconsistent ITM Cup season, only sealing their semi-final place with three late bonus point wins. The first half of their campaign saw them win unconvincingly at home against Tasman and Northland and lose at home to Counties Manukau in round 2 (a week before winning in Dunedin against Otago in Joseph’s farewell) and lose away to Manawatu for the first time since 1982 in round 6. A first loss to Auckland in four seasons in torrential rain and defeats to Canterbury and Bay of Plenty in subsequent weeks gave them a five win-five loss record after 10 weeks and on shaky ground.
However in a late rally, they found their form with big wins over North Harbour (51-22) and Taranaki (49-13) and away to Southland (27-14) who had just lost the Ranfurly Shield to Canterbury. The Lions and Canterbury entered their semi-final in Christchurch with a near identical points for and against record from the round-robin. The Lions had scored 375 points and conceded 296; Canterbury had scored 372 points and conceded 290. The semi-final was not lacking in entertainment, but in the end the home side prevailed 57-41 in a 10-try thriller. This was Wellington's first ever ITM Cup/NPC semi-final defeat in 10 top four encounters since 1999.
Positives were the successful introduction to NPC rugby of several new players, notably winger Julian Savea, fresh from winning the IRB World U20 Player of the Year accolade, first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga, who was later drafted south to the Highlanders for 2011, and halfback TJ Perenara whose inclusion in the starting XV in the semi-final came just a matter of weeks after he captained the New Zealand Schools to a youth Test win over Australia in Dunedin. Also noted was the absence for all but three matches of the season of 2010 captain Rodeny So’oialo. Lock Jeremy Thrush ended the season wearing the captain’s armband and he was one of just three players alongside fullback Apoua Stewart and flanker Scott Fuglistaller to play in all 14 ITM Cup matches in 2010. Prop John Schwalger was the Tui Player of the Year at the end of season awards.
In representative rugby, the Wellington U18s were the representative Team of the Year. They won the Hurricanes region U18 title with an unbeaten run in their three round-robin games in September and then an emphatic win over their Hawke’s Bay counterparts. They scored 158 points, including 23 tries, and conceded just 32 points in their four games.
The Wellington Bs, under the guidance of Head Coach Dion Ross, enjoyed another successful season, winning and retaining the Hurricanes Region Development competition with four wins, a loss and a draw in six round-robin games and then comfortably defeating Taranaki 40-23 in the final.
The Northern United Premiers were the outstanding Wellington club rugby team in 2010 and deservedly won the first round Swindale Shield and second round Jubilee Cup titles. In winning the first round, Norths piled on 546 points Just two teams, Petone and Ories, failed to stop them from scoring four tries or more in 11 games, and they finished 13 points clear of the rest of the field. Their only loss all season was to Poneke in the Jubilee Cup round-robin, the team they emphatically beat in the final at Westpac Stadium several weeks later. The competition’s entertainers, Norths scored 123 tries and 819 points and averaged over 40 points per game in 2010. Their season record was: played 20, won 17, drew 2 and lost 1.
Two Norths players set Wellington club rugby individual records in 2010 – Buxton Popoalii scoring a record 23 tries in 19 games and James So’oialo scored a record 282 points.
Vodafone Wellington Lions ITM Cup 2010:
Played: 14, Won: 8, Lost: 6
Points For 416 Points Against 353