Off the Ball for 19 March

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

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 week.

A successful Gala Day opening in Upper Hutt on Saturday, with large crowds ringing the sidelines supporting their team and plenty for the neutral observer to get excited about.

Lots of questions thrown up about the relative strengths of the various teams, so that will be a talking point after round two around the clubrooms this coming Saturday afternoon. At a glance, second round games are (home team first): Avalon v Johnsonville, Marist St Pat’s v Wellington, Northern United v Hutt Old Boys Marist, Paremata-Plimmerton v Petone, Tawa v Oriental-Rongotai, Upper Hutt Rams v Poneke and Wainuiomata v Old Boys University.

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The Hurricanes are also back in action at Westpac Stadium on Saturday, hosting the Highlanders who beat the Crusaders 25-17 on Saturday in Dunedin. This was the Highlanders’ third straight win to start the season.

In other Super Rugby matches, the Brumbies beat the Sharks 24-17, the Stormers beat the Blues 37-20, the Lions edged the Sunwolves 40-38, the Reds overcame the Jaguares 18-7 and the Waratahs ran through the Rebels 51-27.

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Northern United halfback TJ Perenara is set to play his 100th match for the Hurricanes, and will look to add to his career Super Rugby try tally of 45 tries in 99 games.

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Small wonder that Avalon were all smiles after their 33-32 win over Wainuiomata over at Maoribank Park. Not only did that reverse the result from last year and by the same margin, but it was the Wolves' first win in the Swindale Shield since April 30 2016 where they beat Johnsonville 36-18.

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A fast-starting Tawa held on to beat Marist St Pat’s 35-29. In this match, new captain and halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara played his blazer game, while Tito Ioane and Tavita Logovae made their 60th starts for the club. Tawa also had four debutants, two straight out of college, and two sets of brothers, Adam, Kyle (debuts) and Ryan and Tony and James Coburn.

One of Tawa’s sponsors Gary Hathaway (Clockwork Gold) screens all Tawa Premier games live on the big screen (pictures and commentary provided by Tawa Rugby TV) and runs a picking competition and puts up $100 cash every week. To enter pop in there during the week, buy a drink and you can enter the score on Tawa Premiers games. This was not struck on Saturday so it jackpots to $200 for next match at home to Ories.

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Spectators watching new Petone fullback Adam Simpson in action from afar would have been forgiven for thinking they were watching Nick Grigg. Simpson is a dead-ringer for the former Petone midfielder, now playing in Scotland, and if he has radar for the tryline like Grigg then he will go well for his new team.

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All three Sopoaga brothers could be in action this coming Saturday in Wellington at different venues. Zeke Sopoaga will likely be playing hooker for Old Boys University at William Jones Park, Tupou Sopoaga will likely be making his debut at flanker for Petone at Ngatitoa Domain and Lima Sopoaga will likely be at first five-eighth for the Highlanders at Westpac Stadium.

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There were 56 tries and 375 points scored in the seven Premier round one matches played on Saturday. OBU notched nine of those and Ories eight, with Paremata-Plimmerton the only side that couldn't cross the whitewash. Nine players notched doubles with Vincent Sosefo doing so on debut for his new team (HOBM) against his old one (Upper Hutt Rams), along with OBU teammates Gavin Parker and Teariki Ben Nicholas, and Ories duo Whetu Henry and Malachai Unasa. Axemen fullback Henry Hocking and Tawa midfielder Kalim Kelemete helped their sides to opening wins, while Wainuiomata's Ben Tupuola nd MSP's Ryan Saunders efforts came in losses.

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HOBM prop Brett Manaia scored a try on Saturday. During the week he is writing a Master’s in chemistry. 

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From the Happenings section in the Rugby Almanack. Asafo Aumua is the eighth All Black selected in the Super Rugby era not to have played Super Rugby before becoming an All Black. The first was Todd Miller from Waikato in 1997.

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Happy Birthday to MSP front rower Ivan Fepuleai.

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A 45-point win for the defending champions Old Boys University Premiers on Saturday against Poneke. In the previous 10 years there were four instances of a team losing their first match of the season and going on to win the Jubilee Cup in August, these being:

2017 - Old Boys University 27-14 Poneke
2016 – Tawa LOST 19-32 to Wellington
2015 – OBU 31-14 over Avalon
2014 – Hutt Old Boys Marist LOST 14-50 to Tawa
2013 – Tawa 32-0 over Upper Hutt
2012 – Marist St Pat’s LOST 15-19 to Old Boys University
2011 – Oriental 63-6 over Avalon
2010 – Northern United 54-26 over Marist St Pat’s
2009 – Marist St Pat’s 27-12 over Old Boys University
2008 – Marist St Pat’s LOST 10-20 to OId Boys University and Northern United28-12 over Poneke

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What has been the biggest opening round win in the 10 years? The ‘top 10’ from the past decade is (sorted by most points scored by the winning team):

• Petone 86 – Avalon 9 (2009)
• Tawa 70 – Paremata-Plimmerton 15 (2015)
• Hutt Old Boys Marist 64 – Johnsonville 7 (2016)
• Oriental-Rongotai 63 – Avalon 6 (2011)
• Petone 58 –Wests Roosters 20 (2013)
• Old Boys University 55 – Poneke 10 (2018)
• Northern United 54 – Marist St Pat’s 26 (2010)
• Marist St Pat’s 52 – Johnsonville 8 (2015) 
• Oriental-Rongotai 50 – Rimutaka 7 (2013) 
• Tawa 50 – Hutt Old Boys Marist 14 (2014)

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The Wellington Axemen’s second XV got up to beat Johnsonville 27-22 on Saturday. Last season this team didn’t win a game in the first round Harper Lock Shield, with 12 losses and a draw and the concession of 545 points. It was a similar story in the second round HD Morgan Memorial competition, losing nine and drawing one of their 10 games.

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The Hurricanes Development XV took a well-deserved 40-19 win over their Blues counterparts at Evans Bay Park on Saturday. The game was a good contest with the Hurricanes dominating at set-piece in the first half but not clinical enough to capitalise on several opportunities, also on the wrong side of the penalty count. The Hurricanes side led 14-7 at halftime. The Hurricanes held field position after halftime and found space in the Blues defensive line leading to several more tries. This was reported as a a positive result for the contracted players, some returning from injury and others getting game time.

The try scorers for the Hurricanes Development side were: First five-eighth Ihaia West, second five-eighth Jackson Garden-Bachop, centre Billy Proctor, right wing Te Rangatira Waitokia, fullback Chase Tiatia and replacement forward Will Mangos. West kicked five conversions.

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The Wellington College First XV and Old Boys University Colts squads met in an early pre-season match on Saturday, with Wellington College prevailing 17-15. This match was for the Letica Trophy, after 1960s Wellington College Old Boy Steven Letica who was a Junior All Black (today’s equivalent to the U20s) but sadly passed away from leukaemia.

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As well as Wellington, club rugby has started up in other regions. Closer to home, Manawatu Senior Rugby started on Saturday, while the opening round of the Hawke’s Bay Nash Cup is this coming weekend.

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Former Test referee Bryce Lawrence has been appointed to a new role with New Zealand Rugby, that will see community refereeing and High-Performance refereeing merged into one team. Currently New Zealand Rugby’s High-Performance Referee Coach, Lawrence will oversee all amateur and professional refereeing in New Zealand.

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In international rugby, Ireland beat England over the weekend and they have won 12 tests in a row under Joe Schmidt whose record is an impressive 40 wins from 55 tests. The last team to win the Grand Slam on St Patrick ’s Day was Scotland, also against England, in 1990.

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Neil Sorenson announced recently that he is stepping down at the end of this month from his New Zealand Rugby (NZR) role as General Manager Rugby after 17 years. Sorenson is a former Marist St Pat’s and Wellington halfback. Former New Zealand Colts halfback Sorensen moved from Manawatu to Wellington at the start 1982 and was the joint Best & Fairest winner in 1982 and outright Billy Wallace winner in 1983. He played 106 matches for Wellington between 1982-89.

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This week in history:

2003: The club rugby season kicks off amidst carnival-like conditions under a blazing sun and at a rock hard Trentham Memorial Park where all first round games are played. Close matches are the order of the day, with defending champions MSP’s 22-8 win over Upper Hutt being the widest winning margin. Lock Ross Filipo stars In Petone’s 19-15 win over Norths, while Tim Collins (Avalon), Andrew Smith (Poneke) and Nu’u Ropati (Ories) all score braces in their team's wins.

2011: Jason Woodward scores two tries and 25 points in Upper Hutt’s season-opening 40-12 win over Wainuiomata on Gala Day at Trentham Memorial Park. Ories will win the Jubilee Cup later in the season, and they open their account by beating Avalon 63-6 with first five-eighth Trevor Marama scoring 33 points. Hutt Old Boys Marist will capture the first round Swindale Shield, but they lose 17-34 to defending Jubilee Cup champions Norths with Alaptati Leiua scoring two tries.

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The 2018 Men’s NPC and Heartland Championship draws were release last week, featuring 130 matches and 26 Unions across the two competitions. The Men’s NPC kicks off on 16 August. Premiership newcomers Wellington host Otago on opening weekend. If they still hold it, the Lions challenge Taranaki for the Ranfurly Shield in the last round.

The Women’s NPC Farah Palmer Cup draw is expected to be announced in April, following the closure of entries.

Wellington’s home round-robin games are:

• Sunday 19 August: Wellington v Otago, Westpac Stadium 2.05pm.
• Friday 31 August: Wellington v Southland, Westpac Stadium 7.35pm
• Sunday 9 September: Wellington v North Harbour, Westpac Stadium, 7.35pm
• Saturday 29 September: Wellington v Tasman Makos, Westpac Stadium, 7.35pm
• Thursday 4 October: Wellington v Auckland, Westpac Stadium, 7.35pm

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Entertainment Books for sale as a fundraiser for  the Johnsonville and Newlands Junior Rugby teams. For more visit: https://www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/9b27767