Pressure rising in club rugby competitions this weekend

As the days again start to slowly lengthen the pressure on the field only increases to rise. In the bucqi Jubilee Cup several teams have the chance to put themselves at the leading edge of the pack, while in the Hardham Cup three sides could already put themselves on the cusp of making the semi-finals already. Weather could be a factor too with rain forecast late on.

Elsewhere there’s plenty of rugby to whet the appetite with significant games in the Women’s, First Grade, and Colts grades, and top-of the-table matches in all of the top three College grades too.

Tomorrow’s rugby coverage on RadioSport (1503AM) will come from Evans Bay, with Gordon Noble-Campbell joined in commentary by former MSP and now Bay of Plenty Mitre10 Cup coach Clayton McMillan. They’ll call the Marist St Pat’s vs Old Boys-University match, with regular updates from around the grounds.

Premier bucqi Jubilee Cup

Its top vs bottom at Lyndhurst Park as leaders Oriental-Rongotai, the only side with two wins, travel to take on Tawa, the only team with two losses. The Magpies have endured two arm-wrestles so far, prevailing over eastern suburbs neighbours Poneke and MSP and making proof of its not by how many, it’s just how. Conversely Tawa came out on the losing end of their matches against those same teams, and need a win here even if recent history says that making just the semi-finals after starting with two losses is an improbability.

Maybe making things more difficult for the home side is they will be without Lotu Nuku, Pati Gaualofa, and Joketani Koroi upfront, though Kalim Kelemete returns at #10 with Kem Hauiti-Parapara reverting to halfback. For Ories the backline is unchanged with coach Roy Kinikinilau remaining in midfield partnering Paulo Aukuso, though up front Ken Aperila returns to a reshuffled loose trio and Steve Fa’atau replaces Hamea Ahio in the propping quarters. Ories’ 25-12 win the Swindale six weeks ago confirmed their Jubilee Cup place and left Tawa plenty to do, which they managed to accomplish.

The other three matches are all between sides with matching one-win, one-loss records, testament to just how competitive the opening rounds have been. South of the Mt Victoria tunnel Wellington return home to Hataitai Park after last week’s successful trip to Upper Hutt, with Poneke making the short journey to visit coming off their win over Tawa. The clash between the two respective first-fives, James So’oialo and Greg Mullany, could be very telling to the outcome and one that representative selectors may also have an eye on.

The Axemen have a reshuffled backline with So’oialo back at #10 and joined by Carne Green in the halves, with Poneke having Hennie Tui back in their colours for the first time this year and Jimmy Hewitt moving to 8, Levi Harmon back in midfield and Michael Sage starting at fullback in place of Pakai Turia. These two met little more than a month ago, with Wellington prevailing 35-13.

Around the corner across at Evans Bay last year finalists Marist St Pat’s and Old Boys-University stage their second rematch of the season. MSP will probably feel they let themselves down against Ories while OBU got back to winning ways albeit only after barely holding out a fast-finishing Wainuiomata, and this shapes as one of the most anticipated clashes of the round-robin.

OBU has won the last four encounters with MSP, all three last year and this year’s Swindale contest back in early April at Nairnville by 23-19, and make just one change to last week’s side with Sam Coventry replacing Morgan Poi at the back of the scrum. MSP will be defending the Bill Brien Challenge Cup and have three changes with Nemani Waaka back at lock and Josh To’omaga returning to blindside, and Willie Schutz replacing Mike Buckley on the left wing.

The only Hutt Valley derby in this year’s Jubilee Cup will be played out at Maidstone Park where the Upper Hutt Rams will be looking to repeat the result but maybe not the manner of their 36-29 over Wainuiomata from the Swindale Shield. The visitors will be looking to avenge that loss, and also put together a full 80-minute performance with lacklustre patches in games having plagued them all season. Both sides come in of off losses with Upper Hutt going down to Wellington, and Wainuiomata to OBU.

Wainuiomata are much changed. Norman Fa’aliga, Attila Va’a and veteran Justin Va’a (making his first start since ‘retiring’ after the 2014 Jubilee Cup final) comprise an all new front-row, Tu Umaga-Marshall returns at fullback, and Isaiah Mamea swaps in for Frae Wilson in midfield. Opposing them Daniel Schrijvers, Tynan Barrett, and Petara Rikiriki all return, while it’s a whole new front row and Devon Healy-MacDonald, Josh Houston-Tupou, and Jason Greyling may have their work cut out for them.

All four matches in the bucqi Jubilee Cup revert to the usual 2.45pm kick-off time.

Premier 2 Hardham Cup

The headline match in the Hardham Cup is at the Hutt Rec when old rivals Hutt Old Boys Marist and Petone meet yet again. Two of the three unbeaten sides, such meetings in the second round aren’t uncommon though they are invariably for the Jubilee Cup, not the Hardham. As best that we can tell, you have to go to the 1960’s for the last time that the first teams of Petone and HOBM’s ancestor club Hutt met for this trophy. Both come off resounding wins, HOBM dealing to Pare-Plim and Petone romping over Johnsonville and each make just a single change from their sides last week, both in the loose forward trio. Matt Sleith replaces Jared Woodward for HOBM and James Bowen comes in for Ryota Kobayashi for Petone.

The two of course last met in the McBain Shield clash on an April Sunday afternoon, with Petone taking the trophy 27-23 with winger Willie Fine’s third try of the day on fulltime settling an absorbing contest that perhaps masked both sides’ troubles.

The third unbeaten side is Norths, after accounting for Pare-Plim and OBU B so far, and they should have little difficulty in accounting for Johnsonville at Jerry Collins Stadium. The Hawks were simply overrun by Petone, and whatever confidence they had after notching their first win would surely have been tested. At minimum they would be looking for an improvement on last week, and their last meeting with Norths which tomorrow’s home side won 66-0 at Helston. Of note Norths will be without skipper Aiden Cains, and Jackson Garden-Bachop is named at #10 for the third successive week.

Just up the road Paremata-Plimmerton are at home for the third week in succession, but after reverses to Norths and HOBM will be desperate to put on a good performance in front of their crowd. Avalon make the journey across the hills, and will themselves be looking to atone for last week’s shock loss to MSP B that threatens to derail what started off as a very promising season, but while Cameron Cross returns they will be without Shane Fawcett, Sefo Aumua, and Ben Peni. Pare-Plim again make a host of changes with a trio of players making their starting debuts, Johnathan Sabo moves in #10 with Blake Neve switching to fullback. The two met at Ascot Park back in the first of the midweek night rounds, with Avalon prevailing 23-10 then.

The fourth game of the day is the early one at Evans Bay, when the two promoted ‘B’ sides Marist St Pat's and Old Boys-University meet. MSP will be buoyed having taken down Premier opposition in Avalon last weekend, while OBU toiled hard in their loss to Norths. When the two met in the early rounds of the Harper Lock Shield MSP prevailed 20-12.

Premier Reserve Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups

Like the MSP and OBU Hardham Cup game, all six Premier Reserve matches feature the same matchups as the Premier matches that follow.

Like the first two rounds most matches are crossover ones between the two divisions. The sole clash between Ed Chaney sides is at the Hutt Rec where Hutt Old Boys Marist host Petone, with the only one between HD Morgan teams at Ngatitoa between Paremata-Plimmerton and Avalon.

The crossover games have the only matchup between unbeaten sides so far at Maidstone when Wainuiomata visit the Upper Hutt Rams, Norths host Johnsonville at the JCS, Tawa do likewise with Oriental-Rongotai at Lyndhurst, and Wellington and Poneke provide the early entertainment at Hataitai.

All Premier Reserve matches kick-off at 1pm.

Women’s

Just two weekends remain in the Women’s competitions before the playoffs. In the Premier Victoria Tavern Trophy Wainuiomata are the only side with a perfect record, and will stay at the top of the table regardless of results with this week’s bye.

On the field Norths and Oriental-Rongotai renew their rivalry on the #2 ground at Porirua Park, though this time it could be to determine who has a home-semi in two weeks’ time which could potentially be against the other. In their last meeting Ories ended North’s unbeaten run, culminating in the two sides sharing the first-round Fleurs Trophy. The other scheduled game was to be at Nairnville Park, however Avalon have defaulted due to unavailability handing OBU the full five points and eliminating themselves from the semi-finals.

In Division 2 Hutt Old Boys Marist and Marist St Pat’s will fight over top spot at the Hutt Rec with Johnsonville-Tawa and Poneke doing likewise for third at Redwood Park. The Upper Hutt Rams, who have already been eliminated from the playoffs, have the bye.

All Women’s matches kick-off at or just after 11.30am.

Colts John E Kelly Memorial

The feature match of the round is the clash between the top two, leaders Tawa and Oriental-Rongotai, at Redwood Park with both sides in good form. Tawa will be rested having won by default over Johnsonville with Ories eventually subduing Wellington last time out. Added to that is that when these two met in the first week of the season, they drew 20-all.

Elsewhere Wellington and Old Boys-University meet at Prince of Wales, Norths travel to the Hutt Rec to take on Hutt Old Boys Marist – who will be licking their wounds after the mauling they took from OBU last weekend – and Poneke host Johnsonville at Kilbirnie Park, all at 1pm. It’s a slightly later 1.30pm kick-off for Marist St Pats and the Upper Hutt Rams on the St Patrick’s College turf.

Under 85kg JC Bowl

The fourth set of matches in the lightweight second round gets underway with a pair of matches under lights, both at 7.30pm. At Maidstone Park the Upper Hutt Rams go in search of their first win since midseason promotion when they host Johnsonville, while Avalon host first-round winners Wellington in a match of one-win one-loss sides at Fraser Park.

In the remaining two matches tomorrow the OBU Bunnies host leaders Tawa at Te Whaea at 1pm, and Kapiti make the trip southeast to visit second-placed Eastbourne at HW Shortt at 2.45pm.

First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup

Having ended OBU’s season-long unbeaten run, the Petone Brotherhood’s reward is to take on the other unbeaten side in this round, Norths, on Porirua Park #2 in a top-of the table clash at 2.45pm.

Also at the time the winless Petone Saxons face neighbours Hutt Old Boys Marist on the Petone Rec, and Poneke take on Avalon at Kilbirnie Park. Slightly later at 3.15pm are Marist St Pats and Tawa on St Patricks College turf, with OBU left to brood over their loss for another week with the bye.

College WelTec Premiership and Premier 2

As with most weeks so far one game of the round has already been played, with Rongotai beating Silverstream 20-14 in their match on Wednesday. In the remaining matches one of Wairarapa and St Bernard’s should pick up their first win of the season when the latter heads over the Rimutaka’s to Masterton at 1pm. In the pair of 2.30pm kick-offs back in Wellington St Pat’s Town head to Porirua to face an injury-ravaged Bishop Viard side, while the big game of the round is at Scots College when the third-placed home side takes on leaders Wellington College with the challenge Williment Cup also at stake.

In Premier 2 the round is highlighted by the clash of the top-two as unbeaten sides Tawa and leaders Paraparaumu meet at Tawa with the challenge Isberg Cup on the line. Further north the Silverstream 2nds will look to get back on track when they travel to Porirua, winless Aotea host the St Pats Town 2nd XV, while Wainuiomata make their second trip up the coast in three weeks, this time to face Kapiti. The remaining match is in Trentham when Hutt International – the only side to have lost all four matches so far – host Taita. There is also a top-two clash in Premier 3 with leaders Mana away to the Wellington College 2nd XV at 1pm.