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US Eagles teammates Tony Lamborn and Chris Baumann will go head-to-head in the Mitre 10 Cup on Saturday. Lamborn starts at openside flanker for Hawke’s Bay Magpies who host the Wellington Lions at McLean Park in Napier. Baumann will make his Wellington debut at tighthead prop.
The Magpies feature New Zealand Maori flyhalf Ihaia West and Hurricanes lock Mark Abbott, as well as several New Zealand u20 graduates and Samoan 7s captain Fa’alemiga Selesele. Wellington also field an experienced side led by former Samoan 7s skipper Greg Foe. Tongan international Tomasi Palu is at scrumhalf and the second row pairing of top prospect Isaia Walker-Leawere and Waratahs export Sam Lousi is the largest in the competition.
Kickoff is set for 5:35pm local time, 1:35am Eastern.
HAWKE’S BAY MAGPIES
1 Ricky Riccitelli 2 Ash Dixon (capt.) 3 Tolu Fahamokioa 4 Geoff Cridge 5 Mark Abbott 6 Hugh Renton 7 Tony Lamborn 8 Fa’alemiga Selesele 9 Ellery Wilson 10 Ihaia West 11 Mason Emerson 12 Billy Ropiha 13 Jonah Lowe 14 Ryan Tongia 15 Lewis Marshall
16 Jordan Tangaere 17 Jason Long 18 Ben May 19 Josh Eden-Whaitiri 20 Marino Mikaele-Tu’u 21 Brad Weber 22 Tiaan Falcon 23 Matt Garland
WELLINGTON LIONS
1 Vincent Sakaria 2 Leni Apisai 3 Chris Baumann 4 Isaia Walker-Leawere 5 Sam Lousi 6 Galu Taufale 7 Greg Foe (capt.) 8 Hoani Matenga 9 Tomasi Palu 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop 11 Wes Goosen 12 Shaun Treeby 13 Matt Proctor 14 Joe Hill 15 Jason Woodward
16 Asafo Aumua 17 Alex Fidow 18 Joe Apikotoa 19 Kane Leaupepe 20 Issac O’Connor 21 Sheridan Rangihuna 22 Pakai Turia 23 Peter Umaga-Jensen
