Clash with Auckland headlines final round robin fixtures

Saturday’s clash with Auckland is set to decide the final standings of the Farah Palmer Cup, presented by Bunnings Warehouse, with the top two teams set to go head-to-head at Eden Park on Saturday.  

Alongside Waikato, all three teams could finish first and lock in a home finals, with Canterbury naming a strong team once again in their bid for top spot. 

Pip Love and Amy Du Plessis return to the starting lineup after missing the Counties Manukau game through illness.  

Hayley Hutana starts on the left wing and Tayla Simpson moves into the #12 jersey, in place of Grace Steinmetz and Grace Brooker. 

On the bench, Winnie Palamo returns from a knock that has kept her out since her impressive debut in Round 1 against Wellington, and is also joined by Nicole Purdom and Isabella Waterman. 

“It was great to achieve our first goal of the season last week, locking away the JJ Stewart Trophy.” said FPC Head Coach Jimmy Sinclair. “It was great to add to the legacy and hold down the JJ Stewart Trophy for a seventh year, it’s a real credit to the depth in Canterbury that has allowed us to do this across the whole season so far. 

“We’re excited to get up to Auckland and build on a strong performance against Counties.” 

Kick off is 11:35am on Saturday, with fans able to purchase a virtual ticket for just $10 as Auckland Rugby “Tackle the Floods” in support of their NPC opponent, Hawkes Bay, here.