Off the Ball for Monday 17 April

Above: Muddy conditions always make for great photos, with Andy McCarthur (photo above of Serge Hollis scoring for Ories) and Dave Brownlie both capturing the action at Hataitai Park on Saturday between Wellington and Ories.

Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this coming week.

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

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The New Zealand Deaf Rugby National Championship was held at Jerry Collins Stadium at Porirua Park this weekend. The tournament was won by Southern Zone, who beat the Northern Marlins 17-10 in the final, after leading 10-0 at halftime. On Friday, Central Zone and the Northern Marlins drew 20-20.

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Remarkably both games at Ngatitoa Domain on Saturday finished not just in draws, but with identical scorelines. Firstly the Paremata-Plimmerton and Avalon Premier Reserve sides played out a 17-all draw in the early match, followed by the respective Premier sides reaching the same conclusion in the main game. Club Rugby reckons you'd get very long odds on this and asks can anyone recall this happening before, not just in Wellington but anywhere?

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The vagaries of Wellington’s wind worked in Poneke’s favour late in the first half against HOBM on Saturday. Trailing 5-12, Poneke had a roll on and were awarded a penalty 40 metres out and kicked into the 22 for an attacking lineout. But a gust of wind blew Hilton Gibbons’ touchfinder back in-field. Poneke won a mad scramble for possession and were able to rip it wide and fullback Michael Sage crossed in the corner to close the gap to 10-12 at halftime. HOBM went on to win the match 17-13.

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In to his 40s, Sammy Saili was a First XV coach at Tawa College. His club was so short of front rowers one week they begged Saili to come out of retirement and play. With his penchant for lifting heavy weights Sammy was still in good shape and agreed, but only if the club could find a pair of size 13 boots. Come game day Sammy showed up with 16 year old Taniela Koroi, who was in the First XV at Tawa College. Both players started the game and several years later Taniela was Tawa's first Jubilee Cup winning captain. Tawa won the Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy match against Norths on Saturday.

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Three OBU players have been selected in the New Zealand Universities squad for their upcoming two-match internal tour. Wing Te Wehi Wright is the team’s vice-captain and is joined by lock/flanker Will Mangos and prop Finbarr Kerr-Newell. The NZU side plays the Bay of Plenty Wasps next Tuesday (ANZAC Day) and a Japanese Kanto XV the following Saturday in Hamilton.

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OBU and Northern United will meet on 6 May for the inaugural Ken Douglas Trophy. Kenneth George Douglas played rugby for many years with WCOB in the 1960’s. He later became a member of Titahi Bay RFC where he was instrumental in setting up the amalgamation between Porirua RFC and Titahi Bay RFC to form Northern United in 1989. He remains a great supporter of both the Norths and OBU clubs. Ken was a well-known trade union leader who eventually went on to be a director on a number of boards including NZRU and NZ Post. He is currently a Porirua City Councillor and was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand (NZ’s highest honour) in 1998. In 1999, Ken was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate in Laws from Victoria University of Wellington. The trophy has been kindly donated by OBU RFC Life Members: D H Catley & M C Copeland.

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This year’s Best & Fairest competition is shaping up as another close race for the Billy Wallace Trophy. With 3 points against Wellington on Saturday, Oriental-Rongotai halfback/first five-eighth Adam Deck has joined Northern United flanker Antony Fox and Wainuiomata No. 8 Ben Tupuola on 6 points at the head of the standings. But a rather large group of 39 players is just behind either on 5, 4 or 3 points.

Big Ben Tupuola didn't score a try for Wainuiomata on Saturday, breaking a run of crossing the whitewash four games in a row to start the season.

Interesting to note that the top three points scorers after five rounds of the Swindale Shield all played for the Wellington Axemen last year. They are Dale Sabbaragh (62, now with OBU), Adam Deck (56, Ories) and James So’oialo (54, Tawa).

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The first instance in the 12-year history of this website’s database of there being two active players with the same name playing Premier rugby in Wellington arose this past weekend. The two players are Ben May, the OBU and Hurricanes prop, and Ben May, the Wellington Axemen halfback. Not knowing this, OBU’s Ben May was transferred to Wellington in name only on this website on Friday. Since he also played for the Hurricanes in Auckland on Saturday night something was clearly amiss and we were duely notified. To avoid confusion, Ben the halfback is now Benjamin on our website. The only other instance of this has been the two Sam Greens at OBU, but the two Sams played at different times.

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Rongotai College’s pre-season continued last Thursday with a hit-out against Nelson College in Nelson. Nelson College have made Crusaders Cup finals eight years out of last 10 and are current Moascar Cup holders. Nelson led 14-3 at halftime, owing to two defensive lapses. Rongotai addressed this at the break and they were able to keep them in check and scored two very good tries and missed a conversion to the right of the posts that would have won it with six minutes to play. Final score: Nelson College 14 - Rongotai College 13.

St Pat’s Silverstream lost to Sydney school Scots College 43-22 on Saturday.

Scots College, Wellington, travels south to play in the annual Presbyterian Cup quadrangular at the end of this week. This also involves St Andrew’s College (who interestingly are fielding two players this season that played for last year’s Fijian Schools side), Lindisfarne College and St Kentigern College. St Kent’s, featuring Petone’s Carlos Price at halfback, won this tournament last year.

St Pat’s Town host Christchurch’s St Bede’s College on Thursday at Evans Bay Park, where they will be defending the Fr. Paul Kane SM Challenge Cup. This match also used to be for the Holley Shield, but that is now a challenge trophy and is held by St Pat’s Silverstream who won if off St Pat’s Town in their Traditional fixture last year.

The annual pre-season Hope Cup involving Hutt Valley schools is this Thursday and Friday at Trentham Memorial Park. Teams competing include the HIBS First XV, Heretaunga College First XV, Naenae College First XV, Upper Hutt College First XV, Taita College First XV and the St Pat’s Silverstream First XV.

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Petone’s Nick Grigg helped his Glasgow Warriors side to a Good Friday 45-10 win over Zebre in the PRO12 competition. Playing at centre, Grigg scored the game’s first try in the 10th minute. Grigg has been getting regular game-time for Glasgow this season and heading into their previous match against Munster he was sitting second in the PRO12 stat charts in terms of defenders beaten this season, with 45 in 12 games played. Glasgow have a fortnight off before their next match against Leinster where they will be pushing hard for a semi-finals spot.

On Sunday, Upper Hutt Rams fullback Jason Woodward scored the first try of the match, a 60 metre intercept, and almost scored another but he and former Rams teammate and halfback Alby Mathewson couldn’t prevent Bristol side losing 21-36 and being relegated from the English Premiership. For Wasps, Northern United centre Alapati Leiua and OBU first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth are helping them to a shot at the title.

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The British and Irish Lions squad is being named this week, so prepare for Lions fever to take hold soon.

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Congratulations to Peter Sciascia (Avalon and MSP) who reached the milestone of 200 overall Premier games on Saturday and to Justin Va’a (Wainuiomata) who ran on to play his 150th Premier match for the green and blacks. Va’a also played 78 matches for Upper Hutt. Both players celebrated with wins.

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The Hurricanes host the Brumbies in Napier this coming Friday night. Last year the horsemen whipped the Hurricanes 52-10 in their season opener and commentator Phil Kearns labelled the Hurricanes fat and unfit. The Hurricanes went on to win their maiden title. Looking at the points table, the Brumbies are fourth on 17 points (three wins) and the Hurricanes are sixth on 28 points (six wins).

Despite beating the Blues on Saturday night, the Hurricanes have slipped a place in the standings because the Chiefs and Crusaders got bonus point wins and the Brumbies and Lions won. The Hurricanes could have been out of the six without Napier Old Boys Marist lock Mark Abbott scoring two tries and helping them win 28-24.

How hot is Beauden Barrett’s engine running? Some of his play this year is becoming Cullen-esque. Or Bert Cooke-like, depending on your vintage. Barrett’s Coastal team has won three straight to start the Taranaki club rugby competition too.

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On the subject of Napier and Hurricanes first-fives, David Holwell’s 30 points for the Hurricanes against the Highlanders in Napier in 2001 remains a franchise individual points scoring record. Holwell scored a try, two conversions and seven penalties in a 35-33 win. The most points by an individual in a Super Rugby match is 50 by Gavin Lawless for the Sharks in 1997, also against the Highlanders.

For the record, the most points in a match by an individual in a game in New Zealand is 87. According to the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby, Roy Nieper scored this many for Caversham Primary School against North East Valley in 1927. Jeff Wilson scored 66 for Cargill High School against James Hargest College in 1992 and Kelly Brazier scored 64 points for Alhambra-Union against Kaikorai in in Otago women’s club rugby in 2009, so all three hauls were set in Otago.

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Canada won the Singapore 7s last night - their first series win in 140 attempts, Kenya won their first tourney there as well. Canada made the semis at the Wellington 7s so they have been building nicely. Canada beat New Zealand in the quarter-finals. It was only their third win in 36 games against New Zealand who were fifth, but managed to snap a seven-game losing streak against South Africa.

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Wellington club rugby is about to enter a busy phase, with rounds this coming Saturday, Tuesday (ANZAC Day) and next Saturday to look forward to.

There are two interclub trophies on the line this coming Saturday – the Jack Lamason Cup (OBU v MSP) and the Spud Lindsay Memorial Trophy (Wellington v Poneke) – but next Tuesday is Derby Day with interclub trophies being contested in all seven matches.

Finally, lower grade draws are out this week, so together with First XV rugby starting to ramp up, the season is in full swing.

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That also means more referees are required. The WRRA is significantly down on referees this year, so to become a referee visit this page here http://www.wrra.org.nz/join-up/

Contributions to Off the Ball to: editor@clubrugby.co.nz