Off the Ball for 15 May

Above: Nick Murdoch crashes over to score one of Johnsonville's four tries on Saturday against the Avalon Wolves and 23 for the season so far. Photo by Hugh Pretorius.

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

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.

Another busy weekend of rugby for Wellington’s teams, home and away, started on Friday night at Alex Moore Park with the HOBM Howlers beating the OBU Bunnies 12-5 in a typically torrid U85kg JC Bowl encounter.

The second slated game under lights on Friday at Te Whaea was called off minutes before kick-off, with four blown lights forcing the Oriental-Rongotai and Marist St Pat’s Colts sides home for the evening. Ories and MSP will play this catch-up match this Wednesday night at Te Whaea.

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All five Wellington teams lost on the road on Saturday. All four of Wellington’s First XV teams lost in Napier in the Tranzit Coachlines series. Notable amongst these defeats was St Pat’s Town’s 7-106 loss to Hastings Boys’ High School. Kini Naholo, younger brother of Waisake, scored six first half tries. It is not known if he added to this tally in the second spell.

Wellington schools are 1-7 in the Tranzit series this year heading into this coming weekend’s third and final round at Porirua Park and Westpac Stadium. Rongotai College and Hastings and then St Pat’s Town Napier Boys’ High School play Jerry Collins Stadium and Wairarapa College and Gisborne Boys’ High School meet on Porirua 2. Wellington College and Palmerston North Boys’ High School play the Hurricanes curtain-raiser at Westpac Stadium.

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The King of Evans Bay, Fa’atonu Fili, played his 200th Premier match for Marist St Pat’s on Saturday. Who are the active Premier players with more than 200 games under their belts? By our reckoning they are Fili, Wainuiomata prop Justin Va’a and Hutt Old Boys Marist lock/flanker Polonga ‘Peaches’ Pedro, MSP halfback Peter Sciascia and Avalon utility Cameron Cross (including Senior 1) . Peato ‘Crash’ Lafaele came off the bench in the season opener for Norths and is a regular Premier Reserve player this season, while HOBM halfback Nick Risdon is playing lower grade rugby. If he plays the rest of the season, Petone hooker Eugene Smith will join the 200-game club.

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During Fili’s 200th match against Ories, MSP lock Sean Bridge broke his leg, causing a long injury delay and a change in field to Polo 2. Club Rugby wishes Sean all the best for his recovery.

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Through the cutting, referee Marius du Toit was called in as a late replacement for Vincent Ringrose to make his Swindale Shield debut in the Poneke versus Tawa encounter.

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Wainuiomata had three former Samoa internationals in their team on Saturday Justin Va'a Daniel Farani and Uale Mai. Andrew Mamea on the bench is a former Samoa U20s player. Tomasi Palu (Tonga) played his 100th match for Old Boys University. 

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Dion Lealofi will celebrate his 100th game for Wainuiomata this coming Saturday when the green and blacks take on Johnsonville at William Jones Park.

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Reserves scored five of Norths nine tries on Saturday, including braces to substitutes Esi Komaisavai and Jordan Mellars-Rose.

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After 10 rounds of the Swindale Shield, 517 tries have been scored and 3,738 points scored. That’s an average of 7.3 tries and 53.4 points per game.

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Tawa lock Hemi Fermanis is the new Best & Fairest leader. Fermanis grabbed his second Player of the Match accolade in his team’s 18-15 win over Poneke on Saturday to climb to 12 points in the Billy Wallace Trophy standings. Norths flanker Antony Fox and Wainuiomata No. 8 Ben Tupuola remain joint second on 11 points.

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Oriental-Rongotai halfback/flyhalf Adam Deck is the leading points scorer in the Swindale Shield with 120 points after 10 rounds. OBU flyhalf Dale Sabbargh is second with 112 and Upper Hutt Rams 100-game wing Joyner Key is third with 111. Four players have scored 8 tries, these being Aukuso Tuitama (Ories), Fereti Soloa (HOBM), Michael Sage (Poneke) and Mitchell Markov (Upper Hutt Rams).

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A real highlight of the recent Old Timers’ Day at Wellington Football Club last week was the announcement of our new Patron to replace the late Ian (Mac) McCarrison. Wellington are pleased to announce that Mattie Blackburn has agreed to take on the role and we are delighted that this is the case. Mattie's achievements and contribution to WFC (and WRFU/NZRFU) are too long to cover here but in brief he started with the Axemen on the field in 1962, has fulfilled every known administrative or club position, has served on and off the field for WRFU and NZRFU and has been a lifelong supporter and advocate for Maori rugby in Wellington and NZ. Mattie is still active with the WRFU and sits on the appointments committee. We are delighted to have someone of Mattie's calibre and stature in the role. In accepting Mattie made particular mention of what WFC has given him and acknowledged the longstanding and ongoing support of his dear wife Helen, which WFC all wholeheartedly agreed with.

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As noted late last week, Petone second five-eighth Nick Grigg is set to make his full Scotland debut next month. Scotland will play Italy in Singapore, Australia in Sydney and Fiji in Suva in June. Grigg won two Man of the Match awards over the season, was the Glasgow Warrior of the month in April and was awarded the Players’ Player of the Season.

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Former Petone/Old Boys University/Wellington/Hurricanes first five-eighth Jimmy Goperth won a trifecta of awards last week. Gopperth was awarded the Wasps Players’ Player of the Year, Wasps’ Player of the Year and the Rugby Players’ Association Player of the Year! The 33-year old was the Premiership’s top points scorer this season with 266 points.

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Hutt Old Boys Marist lock Jeremy Thrush has been selected to play for the Barbarians against England at Twickenham on 28 May.

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Could Nelson Asofa-Solomona be returning to rugby union in 2018? The giant Melbourne Rebels front-rower is off contract at the end of this year and could be heading back our way. Asofa-Solomona last played rugby union for the Wellington College First XV in 2013.

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Hats off to the Crusaders tight five for snuffing out the Hurricanes in Christchurch on Saturday, their set-piece and in particular their superior lineout ultimately proving the difference between the sides. An intense Super Rugby fixture was marked by titanic defence. Just one try was scored from a lineout drive and if the All Blacks can produce that against the Lions it will be a beautiful thing.

The Hurricanes now have blockbuster clashes against the Chiefs and Crusaders in Wellington to come, but first they will need to overcome the Cheetahs who were run down by the Blues in Auckland on Friday.

Like the Hurricanes, the Cheetahs have always played with a colourful style so this could be another cracker.

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