Bumper weekend of rugby coming up
After the frantic last few weeks with midweek matches, the Premier competitions start settling back into the regular Saturday weekly routine. On the field there’s plenty to keep the interest up, with top-three matchups in each of Premier, Premier Reserve, Women’s, Colts and Under 85kg Divisions 1, and First Grade that all promise much.
Off the field its Past Players and Supporters Day (aka Old Timers’ Day) at Marist St Pat’s with most of their teams playing at and around Evans Bay.
If you can’t make it to a ground you can keep up with the goings-on by radio. The Saturday Rugby Club team will be on RadioSport (1503AM) with Daniel McHardy and Matt Buck having the call of Marist St Pats and Tawa from Evans Bay, while Gordon Noble-Campbell and Lions coach Earl Va’a will be on Te Upoko (1161AM) with Old Boys-University and Wainuiomata.
Premier Swindale Shield
Old Boys-University maintain their place at the head of the ladder and no matter what will remain there tomorrow night. They go looking for their 18th win on the trot, but host the last team to beat them, Wainuiomata, at the ‘back paddock’ of Nairnville Park.
The Goats get their NZ Universities contingent of Finnbarr Kerr-Newell, Will Mangos, and skipper Ian Kennedy back, and all start in what looks like a massive forward pack that has Hugh Renton listed at openside and Jonathan Fuimaono at tighthead. The backline is unchanged from that which shredded HOBM last week. Wainuiomata lie fifth after last week’s last-minute disappointment, and make a handful of changes. Anthony Mamea joins twin brother Andrew in propping the scrum, Michael Lealava’a returns in midfield along with Teru Time on the wing.
The two teams will contest their interclub trophy, the Peter Dunford Cup. Dunford was a Wellington College old boy who moved to Wainuiomata in the 1950’s and became heavily involved in the local club. After many years being contested in the second-tier it has been at Premier level since Wainuiomata’s return in 2007. It is held by Wainuiomata after their 24-22 win at William Jones in the last Swindale round last year which also proved enough to see both sides through to the Jubilee Cup, where OBU turned the tables winning 26-8 at the Basin.
Across town there’s an appetising match-up between the sides that sit second and third at the Polo Ground when Oriental-Rongotai hosts Wellington, where both sides’ hopes of winning the Swindale Shield depend both on success here and OBU slipping up. Curiously, the only times this season so far that both haven’t walked off the filed with the win have come against the same opponents; OBU, and Avalon. Ories have named a full-strength looking side with Kane Le’aupepe and Luke Tau’lupe restored to the starting pack, and a bench that includes Hurricanes squad member Iopu Iopu and the returning 150+ game veteran Paulo Aukuso. For the Axemen Adam Deck returns at halfback, Damian Winter makes his first start for the year at prop, while last week’s Man of the match Eremiha Tapsell moves to the wing to accommodate the returning Henry Hocking at fullback.
There is also interclub silverware at stake between these two, the Alby Jack Cup. Jack played for the Oriental club before and after WWII and the successful combined Poneke-Oriental side during it together with seeing service in Africa and the Middle East. In 1950 he moved to the Axemen where he played until 1960, aged 43, and was also involved in the game in several other capacities. Donated following his death in 2000, and played for across the Premier and old Senior 1 and Senior 2 grades since depending on the Axemen’s fortunes, it is held by Wellington after their 22-8 win last year.
Nearby at Evans Bay, the third item of silverware up for grabs when Marist St Pat’s mount their first defence of the Bill Brien Challenge Cup on their Old Timers’ Day after beating Norths to claim it last Saturday. The visitors and challengers are Tawa, who aren’t unaccustomed to being the trophy’s custodians either, and sit fourth on the ladder after last week’s thriller against Wainuiomata, four places ahead of their hosts. MSP have kept faith with the side that overran Norths, making a single change with Pago Haini coming in for Gabe Papuni at No. 8. Tawa return locking duo Pati Gaualofa and Hemi Fermanis and hooker Lotu Nuku to the starting pack, while Lorenzo Lolesio comes in centre outside of Shaun Treeby in the only backline change. The sides met three times last year; Tawa took the Swindale contest 32-27 at home, but MSP took the wins on successive weekends in the Jubilee Cup round-robin (44-38) and semi-final (27-23).
There are also three games out in the Hutt Valley. At Fraser Park Avalon, who sit ninth, can keep themselves in the frame with a win, but need to topple sixth-placed Poneke to do that, as well as end a hoodoo on their home ground where they remain winless this year. Wolves coaches Aaron Falloon and Jason Aiken have shuffled their lineup with Jordan Aquila and Akuila Alatini both still absent; Thomas Kiwara moves from full to halfback and veteran Cameron Cross out to the #10 jersey, and Tui Yandall packs at No. 8 after being at lock last weekend. Poneke’s Tilyard Shield triumph put them back into the winner’s circle after a pair of one-point losses, and their side tomorrow has only two changes from that win; Captain Joe Scheres returns after being forced off early in the loss to Tawa, and Pakai Turia is restored to fullback. Poneke took the win in last year’s Swindale meeting by 39-10, but Avalon reversed that with a 27-6 margin in the Hardham Cup.
To the south two sides with plenty to play for meet at the Hutt Rec, when Hutt Old Boys Marist welcome Northern United to the Nest. Both sides got away to poor starts last weekend and found themselves trailing by large margins at halftime; HOBM fought back to nearly snatch a result against OBU, but Norths had no such fortune against MSP, so both teams will be looking for a much better opening 40 this time out. The Eagles are 10 points adrift of eighth-placed MSP and desperately need the full five points. Veterans Otto Rasch and 200-plus game warhorse Polanga Pedro come into the pack, while in the backline Brandyn Laursen moves out to second-five with both Alexis Time (on the bench) and Ope Peleseuma absent. Norths are mostly unchanged, though Jackson Garden-Bachop and Te Kahui Bishop form this week’s midfield combination after the struggles there last weekend.
At the top of the valley at Maidstone the Upper Hutt Rams take on Paremata-Plimmerton; the hosts looking for their first win at home, the visitors their first win of the season. The Rams make a handful of changes to their lineup, including restoring Mitchell Markov to openside where he’ll battle Pare-Plim’s wiry veteran Shane Hedges; while injuries continue to be a problem for the Ngatitoa side forcing another round of reshuffling for coaches Javan Brown and Frank Bentham.
The last game of this preview is at Helston where home side Johnsonville host Petone in a game between two of the bottom three. The Villagers would be favoured to win comfortably, but the Hawks were well in last week’s game against Avalon after 60 minutes and could spring a surprise, and will have the services of Hurricanes squad member Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi at halfback. Petone simply need the five points to keep their Jubilee Cup aspirations alive.
All seven matches kick-off at 2.45pm.
Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield
Wednesday night’s round saw the number of unbeaten sides reduced to one. Marist St Pat’s continued on their way by beating lowly Ories, but Poneke suffered their first lost in going down to Tawa. Tomorrow Tawa can make further inroads in the defence of the title they won last year when they take on MSP in the early game at Evans Bay, while Poneke will look to bounce back when they travel to face Avalon. The other top-four side, the Upper Hutt Rams, will also try to keep pace when they host Paremata-Plimmerton at Maidstone.
There is a pair of mid-table clashes when HOBM take on Norths at the Hutt Rec and OBU and Wainuiomata meet at Nairnville Park. The remaining matches pit Wellington against Ories at Hataitai, with bottom-side Johnsonville welcoming Petone to Helston.
All games kick off at 1pm.
Women’s Fleurs Trophy
The women’s matches revert to the Saturday morning times, and are headlined by a pair of top 4 clashes with the leaders both hitting the road. Norths make the journey into the city where they will take on the Old Boys-University Impalas at Te Whaea, while Oriental-Rongotai – after two rounds off owing to defaults – head out around the harbour and over the hill to face Wainuiomata at William Jones.
Kilbirnie Park hosts two matches side-by-side. On the #1 field home club Poneke welcomes Avalon, while on number #2 Marist St Pat’s start their clubs Old Timers’ Day by facing Hutt Old Boys Marist in a game that could prove crucial to each’ s chances of making the top 6. The remaining game is all the way out at Maoribank where minnows the Upper Hutt Rams and Johnsonville-Tawa go looking for their first win.
All games kick-off at 11.30am.
Colts Paris Memorial
The fifth round of the age grade competition starts tonight when fourth-placed Ories take on eighth-placed Wellington at Te Whaea, the former looking to close the gap to the top with the latter looking to put breathing space between themselves and the bottom.
Tomorrow’s games all kick-off at 1pm, and the standout game is between unbeaten sides Marist St Pat’s and Tawa on the St Pat’s college artificial. The third unbeaten side, leaders OBU Green, will have to deal with Petone at Te Whaea while the two winless sides, HOBM and Upper Hutt Rams, both look to end their droughts at home when hosting Norths at the Hutt Rec and Poneke at Maidstone respectively.
Under 85kg JC Bowl
Like the Colts, there’s a showcase clash in the lightweights grade. That takes place at Lyndhurst Park, where defending champions Tawa welcome unbeaten leaders Wellington; the latter will be looking to stretch their advantage over the field, the hosts looking to make sure they are still factor in where the trophy goes.
Third-placed OBU Bunnies will look to remain in touch as well (and unlike the top-two they have already had their bye) when they face HOBM at Te Whaea, and there are mid-table clashes between Avalon and Poneke at Fraser Park, and Stokes Valley and Johnsonville at Delaney. Eastbourne has this week’s bye.
All JC Bowl matches kick-off at 2.45pm.
First Grade Thompson Memorial
Like their Premiers, OBU’s third team are top of the table and undefeated, and tomorrow they host the Petone Brotherhood at Te Whaea with the latter coming off their first loss last weekend. Poneke, who inflicted that loss, are at home at Kilbirnie against the Petone Saxons, HOBM welcome Tawa to the Hutt Rec, while MSP and Avalon clash at the St Pat’s college turf. Second-placed Norths have the bye.
All Thompson Memorial matches are also 2.45pm kick-offs.
College Rugby
The schoolboy competitions start this weekend with grading and qualification rounds, while last year’s top four sides are in Palmerston North at the First XV Festival.