Off the Ball for 23 April

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

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.

Part two of three of the current busy stretch of Premier Swindale Shield and Harper Lock Shield matches is on Anzac Day this coming Wednesday.

A full round of Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield and Premier Swindale Shield fixtures at 1.00pm and 2.45.pm respectively are scheduled. Look out for previews here and on the WRFU website as soon as tomorrow and visit Draws & Results across the top of this page for more.

As the Swindale Shield moves past its halfway mark, it’s all guns blazing over the next two matches for some sides, where positive or negative results could make or break seasons.

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Also on Thursday, the Hurricanes Development side takes on the Japanese Sunwolves Development team in Levin. This game promises to be fast and furious, as it the style of the Japanese teams. A similar match between these two sides was played in Levin a few years ago and the home team won a high-scoring, entertaining game.

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The annual Hope Cup is being played at the Hutt Rec for the first three days of this week, from late morning to early afternoon. This is the annual pre-season First XV tournament between Hutt Valley schools. Schools involved are Upper Hutt College, Hutt Valley High School and Naenae College.

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Hutt Old Boys Marist and the Upper Hutt Rams are holding their Old Timers’ Days on Wednesday, followed by Paremata-Plimmerton and Marist St Pat’s on Saturday.

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Seventh is the cut off for the Jubilee Cup this year.

In the last five years the seventh place teams have finished on the following number of points. In 2016 the competition was expanded from 11 to 14 teams.

2017: Tawa (43 points) 2016: Poneke (38 points) 2015: OBU (32 points) 2014: HOBM (32 points) 2013: OBU (30 points).

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Injuries galore in Round 6, with key players Tai Neli (OBU), Sheridan Rangihuna (HOBM) and Alex Fidow (Ories) all going down. Rangihuna’s loss to a broken cheek-jaw – as he posted himself on Instagram on Sunday - for Hutt Old Boys Marist could be the biggest blow. As the above shows, the Eagles (on 29 points) could be just a win away from qualifying for the Jubilee Cup but will want to maintain their momentum and have his services for the championship rounds.

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OBU used 56 players to win the Jubilee Cup last year. How many will be required this season?

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Poneke’s Nick Roberston has scored 20 tries in his last 26 Premier games.

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Roberston and OBU’s Maile Koloto are the joint leading Swindale Shield try-scorers with six each after as many games. Koloto, Will Mangos and Teariki Ben-Nicholas have been selected for the upcoming NZ Universities tour to Japan and Singapore.

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Northern United’s Brenda Collins has scored 28 tries in her last 20 Women’s games - nine of those appearances have been at flanker or No. 8.

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Oriental-Rongotai’s Ayesha Leti-I'iga has scored 36 tries in her last 20 games, and her Wellington club rugby career record stands at 53 tries in 32 games played.

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Nine of MSP’s 22 players listed in their Premier team on Saturday had first names starting with ‘J’. These were: Joe Walding-Karaitiana, Jacob Dunn, Jake Goodger, Josh To’omaga, James Proctor, Jayden McCarthy, Jason Hoffman, Jay Hawkins and Jay Cameron.

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In this week’s Mike Buckley news for MSP supporters, Buckley scored two tries on Saturday for Napier Old Boys Marist in their 67-18 win over Taradale. Former Tawa first five-eighth Paul Bickle also found the chalk, while HOBM’s Joe ‘Apikotoa scored a try for Taradale.

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A stirring – and potentially very important for their season - second half from the Upper Hutt Rams on Saturday. They were down 12-22 to Wainuiomata at the break and then came back to win 26-22. This was their second win and lifts them to 10th equal. If they beat Ories at home this Wednesday they will join them on 16 points.

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Despite losing on Saturday, Wainuiomata could be the big movers on Wednesday. If they beat Paremata-Plimmerton and other results go their way (such as Upper Hutt ousting Ories, see above) they could climb from ninth to sixth.

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Welcome back to Wellington club rugby Bernadette Robertson. The 2016 Wellington Pride player transferred to Counties Manukau last season and played a full Women’s NPC season with the Heat. Returning to Ories, she made several damaging runs and scored a try, while her defence was of the jarring variety. Petone and Pride first five-eighth Acacia Te Iwimate felt the full force of a Robertson hit early on, leading directly to a try. Te Iwimate got back up and helped set up a try for her side down the other end a few minutes later.

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There were two other one-sided wins in the Hawke’s Bay Nash Cup fifth round on Saturday, Napier Technical beat Central 87-0, Hastings Rugby and Sports beat Tamatea 73-7. Havelock North defeated Napier Pirate 35-20 and in the closest match of the day Clive overcame MAC 39- 32. NOBM and Hastings jointly lead the competition on 25 points, ahead of first round quarter-finals next weekend.

There was also a procession of one-sided victories in Canterbury club rugby on Saturday, where defending champions Lincoln and Christchurch are joint leaders on maximum points after three rounds.

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The Horowhenua-Kapiti competition is shaping up as being very competitive this year. On Saturday, Foxton beat Paraparaumu 23-17 and all four games were close. Some recent Wellington club rugby players involved as well, such as Antony Fox (Waikanae), the Fermanis and Bishop brothers (Toa) and Levi Kemp (Rahui).

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That’s 15 defeats on the trot for the Blues against New Zealand teams. Who will be the first local side to lose to them and break the streak?

That’s 35 losses on the bounce for Australian teams against New Zealand teams.

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The New Zealand U20 team start its Oceania U20 Rugby Championship this weekend on the Gold Coast. The games at Bond University are on Friday 27 April against Tonga; Tuesday 1 May against Fiji and Saturday 5 May against Australia.

Have a story or some news or information? Email editor@clubrugby.co.nz