Off the Ball – Monday 27 March

A new series for Mondays looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone.

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max and Lovelocks Sports Bar 

On Saturday, the Maidstone Park stand was named after two local servants of the game. David “Paints” Painter (Upper Hutt) and George Hinaki (Rimutaka) were surprised and humbled to be the centre of attention at the unveiling of the new Painter-Hinaki Grandstand. More to come about this next couple of days.

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This coming Saturday, the Upper Hutt Rams play Marist St Pat’s – whom they haven’t beaten since 2002 – in a key third round game. More on that too later this week. 

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On Saturday the Mish Mosh Axemen U85s had their annual Amazing Race before taking on Wests in a pre-season game next weekend. The JC Bowl defending champions this year raced from Westpac Stadium to the club house in teams of five, carrying a tackle bag and keeping a raw egg safe. They had to collect photos at the Stadium, Cable Car Lane, Plimmer Steps, City Square, Cuba St (Busking), Mish Mosh (Team Sponsor with a special challenge there) the Top of Mt Vic and then Axemen HQ Hataitai Park. A great day that was physically hard, great contribution to team culture and bonding.

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The Tawa Premiers got butted off Lyndhurst Park by a polished OBU Fighting Billy Goats, but afterwards fullback Randall Bishop received his blazer for 100 matches for Tawa (actually a belated presentation as has 109 starts). Matt Treeby is poised on 99 games and will bring up the century with a visit to the Polo Ground this coming Saturday.

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Matt’s brother Shaun Treeby will be flying off to South Africa gaining a short term contract with the Stormers (hence he didn’t lace up vs OBU in the weekend).

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On Saturday, Petone won the Bill Brien Challenge Cup off Marist St Pat’s. Like the Ranfurly Shield, the Bill Brien is put on the line in all regular season home matches. MSP’s tenure stretched eight matches going back to them beating Northern United at the end of April last year. Petone’s first defence is this Saturday against Avalon, with the two sides also playing for the Morgan Family Trophy.

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At Ories HQ, there was a scramble for player recruitment and movement with many out due to injury and unavailability. So there were a few debuts for Ories on Saturday against Avalon. Of notable mention: Sione HA'U, a 19 year old league convert who played his second game of rugby in the run-on XV on the left wing. George FAINGA'A starting at 12 and who has impressed as a solid figure in the midfield. Lauina FA'ATAU who started for the second week in a row at loosehead prop. Adam DECK made his starting debut as the pivot and registering a 15 point haul. And long-time servant of the second team Sone FINA'I who made his premier debut off the bench at 10 and was a cool head to close out the match with a tactical kicking display. Ories reports that it is pleased with the continuation of allowing opportunities for players to play Premier rugby and growing their confidence in their own games. Whether by choice or not, it remains a pleasing feature to field guys who otherwise would never have the opportunity to play top club rugby elsewhere.

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Incredibly bad luck for Lorenzo Pili breaking his ankle in his Premier Swindale Shield debut match for Hutt Old Boys Marist against Wainuiomata on Saturday. The former St Bernard’s College player had worked hard in the off-season to make the team for his first game.

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Great to see former professional players returning to the club game and leading from the front. Last year, Roy Kinikinilau returned to Ories and slotted in like a glove. On Saturday former Wests Rooster, and Chiefs, Highlanders and Samoa player Kane Thompson came off the bench with about 20 to play and helped win the game for his new side Johnsonville over Paremata-Plimmerton. As well as scoring two tries, Thompson showed his class with a couple of big defensive plays and a couple of nice offloads. At William Jones Park, former Petone player and coach and now Wainuiomata coach Dan Farani has also made his debut off the bench for his new club.

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On the subject of offloads, recent Wellington College First XV lock/flanker Nelson Asafo-Solomona helped spark his Melbourne Storm side’s comeback against the Wests Tigers yesterday in their NRL clash. Down 0-14, big Nelson helped affect a three-man tackle and turnover near the Tigers’ line and was then on hand to score a try from the next play to make it 6-14 on the stroke of halftime. Melbourne went on to win 22-14. On Friday night, Petone’s Jordan Kahu stepped up to slot a last-gasp field goal to help Brisbane hold out Canberra 13-12 at Suncorp Stadium.

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The current Wellington College First XV has its first hit-out of 2017 this coming weekend, travelling to New Plymouth to take on Francis Douglas Memorial College.

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Good to also see a group of props who have been around a while plying their trade in Wellington club rugby. Last week we featured Henry Smith and Justin Va’a at Wainuiomata.Others include former decade-long Poneke bookend Soti Faamausili playing a full game for Johnsonville and Upper Hutt Rams’ Callum Sua who has shed 40kg in the off-season and has played 140 minutes in the first two rounds, and of course Whetu Henry who again shapes as a key player for Ories this year.

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Its early days, but the leading points scorers in the Swindale Shield after two rounds are Joyner Key (Upper Hutt Rams) 36, Tiwi Davies (Johnsonville) 32 and Blake Neve (Paremata-Plimmerton) 27. Fereti Soloa (HOBM) has scored three tries in two matches.

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For long-suffering Wellington and lower North Island sports fans, any win over a team based in Canterbury is a good thing. On Saturday, the Hurricanes development side hosted the Crusaders Development side (the Knights) in Levin and won 36-24. Tries were scored by the home side to Poneke flanker Toa Halafihi (2), Avalon hooker Asafo Aumua (2), Ories wing Malo Tuitama and Hawke’s Bay’s Clive wing Jonah Lowe.

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Last, the coverage by others of Wellington club rugby is second to none.

As well as a small army of photographers around the grounds, there’s Tawa TV live filming all their games - home and away (and there to watch during the week), MSP presenting highlights clips, with their Trytime Tuesday social media segment a great feature, Fairfax’s community newspapers, the Kapi Mana News, Hutt News and Upper Hutt Leader, the Dom Post’s match reports, the WRFU stoking up its website and social media accounts and the two radio shows.

Look out for the WRFU’s communications midweek about the confirmation of lower club rugby grade formats this year, and for their fortnightly community rugby update on Thursday.

This coming weekend, Te Upoko on 1161am will be broadcasting the Wainuiomata v Poneke Premier match, while the Saturday Rugby Club, hosted this year by Damien Collins, will be commentating Petone v Avalon on 1503am.

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Contributions to this new Monday column to: editor@clubrugby.co.nz