Intriguing penultimate round as lower grade silverware decided this weekend
It's all on this weekend as the two Premier grades reach their penultimate rounds, with the possibilities ranging from every team knowing which competition they will be playing in in two weeks' time, to very little being decided at all. The lower grades enter their final games of the first round as well, and there are tantalising clashes that will determine some of those items of silverware.
It is Old Timers' Days at Premier clubs Old Boys-University and Oriental-Rongotai, and at both Eastbourne and the Wests Roosters. It's also the first weekend of the College/Club connection rounds with several opening-round college games being played at club venues. We took a look at the first round of the college grades earlier today.
Tonight's Upper Hutt Rams vs Poneke game will be called by Adam Julian on Te Upoko (1161AM), while RadioSport (1503AM) will have Norths vs Wainuiomata with Gordon Noble-Campbell and Norths Director of Rugby Tom Martin in commentary.
Premier Swindale Shield
One little titbit about the weekend's schedule, it's the reverse set of fixtures to last year's Opening Day Gala round at Trentham Memorial Park with every team facing the same opponent they did that day.
One of the crunch games of not just the round, but the season so far, happens at 5pm tonight with the Upper Hutt Rams (29 points) and Poneke (35) taking to Westpac Stadium as the curtainraiser to the Hurricanes clash with the Highlanders. The Rams hold the key to the fortunes of every other side around them, with their draw with HOBM combined with Poneke and Norths' wins last weekend pushing them to the brink. If they win, then the battle goes on into next week; if they lose (and without getting any competition points), then it will all be over if Tawa takes maximum points from their match with Paremata-Plimmerton tomorrow. A loss, but with a bonus point(s), would keep them barely alive. Poneke on the other hand can secure a return to the Jubilee Cup with a win, but a loss would make things tricky for their last round match across the road at Evans Bay against MSP. The Rams make one change, with Daniel Schrijvers in for Vern Sosefo, while Hurricanes midfielder Willis Halaholo is the notable named change of a few for Poneke.
The two sides also contest the Alby Makeham Shield, after the former Wellington representative halfback who earned the nickname 'Kick it again' for the regularity with which he put boot to ball. Makeham played for both Poneke (1951-59) and Upper Hutt (1960-62), and during his representative career was part of the 1956 Ranfurly Shield win over Canterbury. Last year the Rams scored two late converted tries for a 35-all draw.
Tawa (30) slid to 8th after their loss to Ories, and will be after the full five points from their home match with Paremata-Plimmerton (4). That, depending on the Rams result the previous night, could be enough to see them safely through or merely still alive in the contest. The implications of a loss are also clear; with the worst case being they go into next week's trip to Norths needing maximum points themselves and for the Rams to get nothing against Petone, since the result back in round three gives the Rams the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Two sides needing both Poneke and Pare-Plim to win are Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist; as if either Upper Hutt or Tawa win they will be consigned to the Hardham Cup irrespective of their own results tomorrow. Petone (22) take on second-placed and already qualified Oriental-Rongotai (45) in the main game of the day at the Polo Ground, and no matter the circumstances the two sides have their interclub Jim Brown Memorial Trophy at stake. Petone would like to retain it, while Ories would like to celebrate their Old Timers' Day and captain Whetu Henry's 150th match for the Magpies by taking it back. Both sides came from behind at half-time last weekend, with the Villagers getting past Pare-Plim and the Ories mowing down Tawa spearheaded by an Andrew Ellis hat-trick. Interestingly Ories have named Motu Matu'u at hooker, despite him also being on the bench for the Hurricanes tonight.
The trophy was donated by Brown's former employer Dominion Breweries following his death in 2004. A loyal servant of Petone and a Wellington representative from 1965-74, a broken leg in a match against Upper Hutt reputedly denied him All Blacks selection. That didn't stop him contributing to his club however, with legend having it that he mixed concrete on working bee fundraisers with his cast wrapped in a plastic bag. He is also honoured with the Jim Brown Medal, given to the player of the match in the Jubilee Cup Final.
Hutt Old Boys Marist (21) are again in the surroundings of home, with Wellington (37) the visitors to the Hutt Rec. The draw with Upper Hutt barely did them any favours, leaving them with only a slight chance of Jubilee Cup footy. However the Eagles have a strong record against Wellington, having won all three matches against the Axemen since they returned to the top-flight (as well as inflicting the 25-0 2002 Hardham Cup result that saw Wellington start their decade-plus exile from the Premier ranks), so at the very least will be looking to continue that. Wellington coughed up their chance to secure a Jubilee Cup berth last weekend, and surely wouldn't want to let that pass them by again this weekend, if a Rams loss hasn't already handed that to them.
Depending on how the Rams have fared on Friday night, Norths and Wainuiomata (both 35) could run out on to Jerry Collins Stadium safe in the knowledge that both have made the top 8 or they could have everything to play for in their Alf Keating Memorial Trophy clash. If the Rams beat Poneke, then all these sides the need to do to secure a Jubilee Cup place is to win and match whether the Rams got a bonus point or not. In that circumstance, the loser could have much to do next week.
Marist St Pat's (37) are another side that will have interest in Friday's game, and a win by Poneke will have them once again through to the Jubilee Cup. If the Rams triumph, then they would progress should they beat winless Johnsonville (2) at Helston Park barring one of the biggest upsets of recent times. MSP are taking the opportunity to rest several players, with lock Elijah Williams-Stewart, flanker Michael Findlay, and centre Lawrence Lotovale making their first Premier starts for the club.
The final match of this preview sees the return of Premier rugby to one of Wellington's oldest venues, as Old Boys-University (48) run out on to their home paddock of the Basin Reserve for the first time this year. The Goats had their 19-game winning streak ended last weekend by Poneke, and will set about starting another when they face Avalon (20). The Wolves are now out of contention, as any of the potential (and remote) situations where a tiebreaker gets involved work against them, and their focus begins to switch to their Hardham Cup campaign. OBU can only lift the Swindale Shield this week with a win coupled by an Ories loss, a win for each of the top two will mean it goes onto next week (though OBU faces Johnsonville), while an Avalon win here could put Ories into the box seat.
All Saturday Swindale Shield matches kickoff at 2.45pm.
Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield
It could be double delight for Marist St Pat's tomorrow. Already guaranteed a share of the title at worst (as 10 points ahead of second-placed Petone), they should get the one point they require to win it outright when they take on winless Johnsonville at Newlands Park, and will also be assured a Hardham Cup place with a win by their Premiers (or earlier if Poneke's premiers win the previous night.)
Behind them it's all on for the second Hardham place though. Petone sit second and take on 12th-placed Oriental-Rongotai at Polo, but will become ineligible if their Premiers are eliminated. Poneke's lost to OBU reduced their buffer over the Goats to just four points, but conversely their Premiers win put them in a position where they are more in control of their own fate. They take on the Upper Hutt Rams at Maidstone - with the Rams still holding an outside shot at the Hardham Cup themselves - while OBU host second bottom Avalon in the unfamiliar surroundings of Wellington College. Tawa are the other side with a legitimate, if still rather dependent chance, and they take on Paremata-Plimmerton at Lyndhurst. The remaining games have HOBM hosting Wellington at the Hutt Rec and Wainuiomata visiting Norths at the JCS.
All Harper Lock Shield matches kickoff a 1pm.
Women's Fleurs Trophy
The final round of the first part of the season kicks off tonight with two matches, and the remaining three tomorrow. Wainuiomata should be too strong for Johnsonville-Tawa at Alex Moore Park, while there will be some intrigue in the clash at Fraser Park between Avalon and Marist St Pat's, as those two and HOBM are in a race for the remaining places in the second round Victoria Tavern Trophy, with Avalon in the box seat. HOBM will know where they stand by the time they host Poneke at the Hutt Rec tomorrow, while Old Boys-University have been defaulted to by Upper Hutt Rams ladies at Nairnville in a match that has no bearing on the competition.
The big game of the round however is at the Polo Ground and the first meeting of the year between heavyweights Oriental-Rongotai and Norths, which will decide where the first-round trophy will head. Norths have one hand on that, as Ories' loss to Wainuiomata puts them at a disadvantage on the points table (39-35). In fact, the only way that Ories can win the title outright is to win and score four tries while also denying Norths any bonus points, while if the sides finish tied on 39 or 40 points the title will shared. While Norths can still claim it outright without winning on the day, that obviously represents the simplest way they can.
Both Friday games kickoff at 7.30pm, with all three Saturday games at 11.30am
Colts Paris Memorial
Like the Women's grade, the first-round title comes down to a straight head-to-head between the top two sides - Marist St Pat's and Old Boys-University - with whoever wins their match at Nairnville Park lifting the trophy. Both sides have won seven of their eight matches so far; MSP's only loss was to Tawa while OBU were surprisingly beaten by the Upper Hutt Rams. MSP has scored more points than their opponents tomorrow so far, but OBU has the best defensive record in the grade.
However, the remote possibility of a three-way tie exists. If MSP and OBU draw, but only the latter gets a four-try bonus point, then Tawa would join them if they take maximum points from their clash with Poneke at Redwood Park. Elsewhere Oriental-Rongotai and Norths are slated to follow the Women's match on Polo #2, Upper Hutt and Petone will take to Maidstone Park, and the bottom two sides, HOBM and Wellington, will look to end this part of the season with a win when they meet on the Hutt Rec's #3 ground.
All five matches kickoff at 1pm.
Under 85kg Restricted JC Bowl
The equation is simple. If Wellington beat 7th-placed HOBM tomorrow at the Hutt Rec then they will take the trophy, if they don't then Tawa - who have the bye - will retain this title from their lounges, with the only way that the two could share it is if Wellington draws with HOBM while scoring four tries.
Avalon and Johnsonville will battle over third place when they clash at Fraser Park, Eastbourne hosts the OBU Bunnies on their Old Timers' Day, and the bottom two, Poneke and Stokes Valley, meet on Kilbirnie Park with each side looking for a win that might just keep them in the top division for the second half of the season.
All four matches kickoff at 2.45pm
First Grade Thompson Memorial Cup
If Old Boys-University extend their winning streak to an unbeaten eight games tomorrow against Tawa, who sit seventh, at Redwood Park they will lift the trophy. If they don't that could leave the door open for Norths, but the Porirua side would need to take maximum points from their clash with Poneke at Kilbirnie Park to be a chance. Poneke could finish anywhere from third to fifth depending on their result and those of Hutt Old Boys Marist, who face Avalon at Trafalgar Park, and the Petone Brotherhood, who face their Saxons clubmates. MSP has the last round bye.
All four matches kickoff at 2.45pm.