Crunch time in the Swindale Shield this weekend
At the Premier level the fight is on for the Jubilee Cup places. The fate of some teams remaining on the fringe of contention will be determined this week, though the earliest that the field for the championship round can be set is next weekend. Below that at the Premier Reserve grade it’s just as intense with as many as eight teams still alive in the race for the Hardham Cup places. As well as that there’s the strong likelihood that the first real weekend of winter conditions has arrived.
Off the field there’s plenty as well. Two of the region’s oldest clubs - Wellington and Petone – celebrate their Old Timers Day as does one of the youngest, Avalon.
This week we take a look at each teams’ remaining games and what they need to do to qualify.
Firstly, a reminder on the WRFU’s competition rules:
- In the event of a tie on competition points for first-place the title and trophy will be shared.
- If there is a tie between two teams that affects qualification for the Jubilee or Hardham Cups the first tie-breaker is the result of the round-robin match, with points-difference used only if that match was drawn.
- If three or more are tied then a mini-table method is used, counting only the results between the tied sides.
Premier Swindale Shield
There are three interclub trophies at stake tomorrow. Avalon and Marist St Pat’s will contest the Joe Aspell Cup; Aspell played for Marist in the 1940’s, was later the Club President and honoured as a Life Member and donated it for competition between Marist and Taita when he was the licensee of the Taita Hotel; it is now played for by the respective successor clubs. Somewhat newer is the Ken Gray Cup that Petone and Paremata-Plimmerton play for, inaugurated only last year. Gray’s contribution to Petone, Wellington, and New Zealand rugby is well known, but few know that his first club was Paremata, and was selected for Wellington B from there in 1958. The following year he moved to Petone and began his long contribution there.
The third trophy is the Beet Algar Rosebowl, played for by Poneke and Old Boys-University. Beet (short for Beethoven, and named after the composer) played for Poneke and was a Wellington rep either side of World War I, and an All Black 1920-21. During the war he served with Wellington Mounted Rifles (the same regiment as Petone’s William Hardham, VC), and was wounded in the Battle for Jerusalem in 1917. He became a longtime coach, administrator and Life Member, and served as Poneke’s Patron from 1978 until his death in 1989.
RadioSport (1503AM) will cover the Petone vs Paremata-Plimmerton match at the Petone Rec with Gordon Noble-Campbell joined by Andy Leslie, while Adam Julian will call the HOBM vs Upper Hutt Rams clash at the Hutt Rec on Te Upoko (1161AM).
Old Boys-University
Currently: 1st on 47 points
Remaining: Poneke (A), Avalon (H), Johnsonville (A)
The Goats were already qualified ahead of last weekend’s thrilling tilt with Tawa, and could wrap up the Swindale Shield as early as tomorrow if they win with a bonus point and Ories lose to Tawa without getting one. Outside of that there is maintaining their winning streak (19 and counting), and tuning up for their Jubilee Cup defence, while it seems likely that they will top Norths’ 2010 record of 53 points albeit doing so in a 13-game campaign opposed to 11 for Norths. Their side for the Beet Algar contest with Poneke includes both Marino Mikaele-Tu’u and Wes Goosen who return from NZ U20 and Hurricanes duty respectively.
Oriental-Rongotai
Currently: 2nd on 41 points
Remaining: Tawa (H), Petone (H), Paremata-Plimmerton (A)
One competition point is all that remains for Ories to secure their Jubilee Cup place. The competition’s highest-scoring side are the only side that could catch OBU for the Swindale Shield, but that would require the Goats dropping matches. The Magpies face a less than straightforward assignment tomorrow against Tawa with contests between the two keenly fought in recent seasons, and will be without both Ambrose Curtis and Hunter Prescott for the rest of the year with both heading north to try their luck at making Manawatu’s NPC squad, and an injured James Proctor. They have been replaced by Andrew Ellis, Poasa Poasa, and Jarrod Henry respectively, while their NZ U20 reps both start – Malo Tuitama on the wing (with brother Aukuso on the other) and Alex Fidow in the somewhat unfamiliar #6 jersey.
Wellington
Currently: 3rd on 35 points
Remaining: Norths (H), HOBM (A), Wainuiomata (A)
The Axemen gained some breathing space with their win over neighbours Poneke, with the influence of the returning James So’oialo obvious in the victory. It’s a tricky looking run in, with potentially difficult trips away to close out the round. One win however should see enough points earned to return to the Jubilee Cup, two would make it certain. So’oialo starts against the club he first made his name far tomorrow, with lock James Ford and centre Ahtun Masun coming into this week’s side.
Marist St Pat’s
Currently: 4th on 32 points
Remaining: Avalon (A), Johnsonville (A), Poneke (H)
The pre-season pick of some, MSP have negotiated a somewhat rocky start to the season and are rounding into form for when it matters most with the old firm of Peter Sciascia and Fa’atonu Fili guiding the side around the park, though neither will start tomorrow when they head to the artificial turf at Fraser Park to take on an Avalon side that will be playing to keep their hopes alive. They will be firm favourites against winless Johnsonville next weekend ahead of the final round ‘Battle of Kilbirnie’ with Poneke. Regan Sword and Tyler Tane are tomorrow’s starting halves combination, with Pago Haini returning to the No. 8 jersey.
Poneke
Currently: 5th on 31 points
Remaining: OBU (H), Upper Hutt Rams (Westpac), MSP (A)
Of all the teams in the middle pack, Poneke might have the toughest finish of the lot, starting with hosting leaders OBU tomorrow, finishing with the journey across the road to Evans Bay, and a Friday night excursion to Westpac against an Upper Hutt Rams side that could be fighting to stay in the hunt themselves in between. They control their fate however and two wins should be enough, but getting them will be anything but easy. Galu Taufale, Edwin Ainley, and Isaia Walker-Leaware all return to the starting line-up tomorrow, the latter for the first time since the opening round.
Northern United
Currently: 6th on 31 points
Remaining: Wellington (A), Wainuiomata (H), Tawa (H)
Tawa
Currently: 7th on 31 points
Remaining: Ories (A), Pare-Plim (H), Norths (A)
The northern duo find themselves in similar situations. Both have away trips to a top-three side tomorrow, home games next week, and the potential of a do-or-die contest against each other in the last-round. Neither side will back down from any of the challenges they face over the next three rounds, but they will also be keeping an eye on Upper Hutt’s results, especially Tawa who lost their round-robin match to the Rams. Wins of course ease the nerves, and like Poneke it would seem that two wins from three would be enough.
After coming off the bench last weekend NZ U20 captain Leni Apisai starts for Norths tomorrow with No.8 Siaosi Mafi dropping out of a reshuffled pack for their trip to Wellington, while Tawa’s side for their clash at Ories has an unchanged backline behind a forward pack with no fewer than five changes from last week’s side.
Wainuiomata
Currently: 8th on 30 points
Remaining: Johnsonville (H), Norths (A), Wellington (H)
Logic says that Wainuiomata should have no issues in banking the five points against Johnsonville tomorrow as the Hawks have conceded four tries in every match so far bar last weekend. The issue is what follows; a trip to a potentially desperate Norths side, followed by a home encounter with Wellington to finish. Last year Wainuiomata went into the last round needing a win to qualify, and they may face the same equation again this time around. If it wasn’t for the 10 bonus points they’ve amassed they might already be in dire straits. Jarimar Schuster is restored to the starting lineup for tomorrow, but Greg Lealofi will be absent after leaving last week’s game due to injury.
Upper Hutt Rams
Currently: 9th on 27 points
Remaining: HOBM (A), Poneke (Westpac), Petone (H)
The Rams face a wide variance of potential outcomes over the next three weekends; they could win just one of their remaining matches and still make it, or could win all three and miss out. The only thing they can really do is focus on the task at hand, win their games, and otherwise hope for results to go their way. Next Friday’s Super Rugby curtainraiser against Poneke at Westpac Stadium shapes even now as their most significant match of the season so far. Hat-trick debutant Salesi Rayesi retains his place on the wing with Apa Heemi and Vern Sosefo returning.
Avalon
Currently: 10th on 20 points
Remaining: MSP (H), OBU (A), HOBM (A)
Hutt Old Boys Marist
Currently: 11th on 18 points
Remaining: Upper Hutt Rams (H), Wellington (H), Avalon (H)
Petone
Currently: 12th on 17 points
Remaining: Pare-Plim (H), Ories (A), Upper Hutt Rams (A)
Simply put, all three teams need a miracle if they are to make the Jubilee Cup. They need sides currently in the top eight ahead of them to not just lose this weekend, but also to not pick up any more bonus points the rest of the way, while likely having to win all their matches with bonus points themselves. All three could be eliminated from contention as early as tomorrow.
Avalon are largely unchanged, but will be without their NZ U20 hooker Asafo Aumua with his place being taken by Tufi Tufi, HOBM bring back in veterans Otto Rasch and Polanga Pedro, and evergreen hooker Eugene Smith makes his first start for Petone since the final round of the Jubilee Cup last year.
Paremata-Plimmerton
Currently: 13th on 4 points
Remaining: Petone (A), Tawa (A), Ories (H)
Johnsonville
Currently: 14th on 2 points
Remaining: Wainuiomata (A), MSP (H), OBU (H)
Both teams were mathematically eliminated two weeks ago, but since then both have notched their first competition points. Both also have tough ends to the round when they each host one of the current top two; their focus now will be on their Hardham Cup campaigns.
Pare-Plim make just two changes from last week’s winning side; Ryan Petersen and Tainui Parata come in at prop and midfield respectively, while Ponty Caicau and Irise Ta’ala become the latest starting debutants for Johnsonville this season, while Peter Stewart returns at halfback.
As usual, all Premier matches kick-off at 2.45pm.
Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield
Despite appearances, the Hardham Cup qualification picture for the Premier Reserve sides is anything but straightforward. Not only do the rules above apply here also, but there’s the added requirement that to be eligible, their Premiers must be in the Jubilee Cup.
Marist St Pats (45 points) are in the box seat despite suffering their first loss of the season against Petone. They could provisionally secure a Hardham Cup place tomorrow (and with other results potentially the Harper Lock Shield as well) when they head to second-bottom Avalon, who are coming off a 100-point shellacking by Norths.
Behind them though, Poneke (39), Petone (35), and the Upper Hutt Rams (32) are all dependent on their Premiers fortunes as much as their own, with the Villagers and Hutt Old Boys Marist (29) very long shots. Because of the Jubilee Cup requirement Old Boys-University (30), Norths, and Tawa (both 29) are all still factors in the qualification race, and the potential exists that a team that finishes as low as fifth will be the side to go up.
The matches involving these sides tomorrow have Poneke and OBU meeting Kilbirnie, Petone hosts Paremata-Plimmerton on the Petone Rec, the Rams head to the Hutt Rec and HOBM, Norths visit Wellington at Hataitai, and Tawa away at Polo against Ories. The remaining match is Wainuiomata hosting wooden-spooners Johnsonville at William Jones.
All Harper Lock Shield matches kickoff at 1pm.
The remaining club grades and the final round of the Tranzit Coachlines festival and college qualification matches were previewed earlier today.