Key ninth round matches in club rugby

With just five rounds remaining the last month of matches and the final run-in towards the end of the Swindale Shield and on to either the Jubilee or Hardham Cup. Some teams will be looking to maintain their position, others to make a late move into contention.

There are also significant games across all other grades, and college rugby gets underway as well marking the first weekend that fields across the region are full.

Old Timers’ Day festivities also continuing, with both Poneke and Oriental-Rongotai holding theirs this weekend.

Premier Swindale Shield

Last weekend’s results did two things. It tightened up the top of the ladder while a small break has opened up between the all-important seventh and eighth places; however that could all change again tomorrow.

At the top, Hutt Old Boys Marist’s first loss of the year saw their lead cut from six points to just two. They return to the Hutt Rec (from where they’ll venture from just once in the remaining rounds) for the visit of Tawa who will have their tails up after knocking off OBU and then running riot over Johnsonville last Saturday, with this the only match of sides currently both in the Jubilee places.

Tawa will be looking to open up the gap from them to the sides below them and have named an unchanged forward pack including Hemi Fermanis in his 50th Premier start, with James So’oialo returning at fullback as Kemara Hauiti-Parapara continues in the #10 jersey. There’s still no relief for the Eagles from their injury woes as they make a single change to the XV that started in the narrow loss to MSP last weekend with Jayden Treviranus onto the wing in place of Jack Talapa, but despite that they’ll be looking to maintain their place at the head of the table.

For cellar-dwellers Johnsonville their job doesn’t get any easier. They may be back in the Helston cutting after last weekend’s shellacking, but they’ll be facing the Goats of Old Boys-University. The Hawks have a couple of interesting additions in former Canterbury NPC hooker Nathan Vella and first-five Varani Komaisavai who has made the move from Norths in search of game time, while Api Naikatini reverts to lock with Kane Thompson at the back of the scrum, but a win here would rank as a massive upset. The Goats aren’t taking too many chances in avoiding this particular banana skin starting almost the same lineup that beat Wellington, but include Daven Candy for the first time this year at openside and the hulking Izzy Foai alongside Greg Mullany in midfield.

Marist St Pats' win over their Marist cousins held them steady in the top-four, but also greatly improved their own chances of claiming the Swindale for the first time in four years. They make the long jaunt out to Maidstone Park to face the Upper Hutt Rams with the home side having won four on the bounce to drag themselves back onto the fringe of Jubilee Cup contention, but stretching that to five will mean ending a streak of futility against the men in red that goes back more than a decade and well over 20 contests between the two.

The Rams make a swag of changes with Josh Hunt, Jack Wright, Nev Apineru, Nua Fono-Hunt, and Kono Feaunati all restored to the starting lineup with Josh Houston-Tupou starting back at hooker. At the very least MSP will looking to keep pace amongst the leaders and have largely stuck with the side that lowered HOBM last weekend with Ryan Setefano, Kerrod Foaese, and Isaia Petelo returning to their backline, while on their bench Anthony Pettett is in line for his MSP debut after three seasons and over 50 appearances for Johnsonville.

Also in that top-four mix are Northern United who after a fruitful if hard-fought day out in their local derby return to Jerry Collins Stadium to take on Avalon. The Wolves will probably look back at last weekend’s loss to Upper Hutt as one that got away, leading 23-14 at one point before conceding three tries to ultimately wind up with just a bonus point from the afternoon. The loss of one of their big-boppers in Ben Peni is also a blow, with Jordan Aquila pushing up from fullback to fill the void in midfield and probably puts more pressure on Daley Ena, Akuila Alatini, and Sefo Aumua to get them going forward. Norths have both Duplessis Kirifi and Jackson Garden-Bachop for another week with Leni Apisai also in their squad, though he’ll come off the bench with regular hooker Ethan Robinson-Mate starting in his 50th Premier game.

Poneke head up the three games out in the Eastern Suburbs, having consolidated their position ahead of their clash with Wainuiomata have having hung-up the Jim Grbich Memorial Shield in their clubrooms for the first time since 2010 after their win over Ories. The visitors will be somewhat buoyed as well having stolen a draw against Petone, but will also know that a loss here will be a serious dent in their Jubilee hopes, while the home side will be looking to repeat Saturday’s performance on their Old Timers' Day.

Poneke make just one change to their starting side with Mitchell Gough swapping in for Andrew Jones at hooker, and undoubtedly will again to play the high-tempo style that’s served them so well this year and look to run their opposition around. However they’ll be wary that Wainuiomata got good value from their bench against Petone. The visitors have the services of Peter Umaga-Jensen this week and he’s named on the left wing, while Teru Time starts at No8 with Ben Tupuola on the bench.

Through the cutting it’s also Old Timers Day at the Polo Ground, but in contrast it’s verging on desperate times for Oriental-Rongotai. Saturday’s loss combined with Upper Hutt’s win dropped them to 10th, and seven points out of seventh. They can help their own cause when they host Petone, with the Villagers lamenting the fact that they coughed up a lead in the dying moments for the second time this season; those missed five competition points would have them in outright third.

The Magpies have put faith in youngster Hinckley Siaosi to run the show at first-five, and he’ll look to keep the ball in front of a typically large Ories pack that has both personnel and positional changes with captain Tuakana Metuarau joining Luke Tau’alupe and the competition’s top tryscorer Luca Rees in the loose trio. There’s also a notable addition on their bench with Xavier Numia appearing for the first time this year, while Malo Tuitama is also there. Petone are bolstered by the inclusion Hurricanes lock Murray Douglas and there’s some relief with the return of Mateaki Kafatolu; their backline has one Willie (Fine) returning in place of another (Tufui) with Losi Filipo moving from the wing into the middle.

Finally, back towards the Mt Victoria tunnel its 12th versus 13th as Wellington and Paremata-Plimmerton meet at Hataitai. Although Jubilee Cup qualification is out the door for both they gave good accounts of themselves on Saturday against top-four opposition, will be looking to add their wins tally for the year.

The Axemen bring back veterans Tala Kitekei’aho and Simon Shearer along with Mikey Smith and Jonnie Te Ruki-Chambers, with co-captains Alex Dalzell and Olly Sapsford remaining at No. 8 and centre respectively. Pare-Plim has just two changes from the side that started against Norths with Hurricanes halfback Richard Judd included and Junior Davey in the front row in place of the injured Danny Herewini. Kewa McMillan-Parata starts on the wing in his 50th Premier match.

After Derby Day’s bumper crop of interclub trophies just two are at stake tomorrow. Poneke and Wainuiomata will contest the Hakaraia Trophy; originally honouring Paul Hakaraia who played for both clubs, it also now commemorates Paul’s son Peter who was killed in a diving accident in early 2007. A trophy of special significance to both clubs it’s held by Wainuiomata after they won this clash 39-28 last year. Petone and Ories will likewise play for their Jim Brown Memorial Trophy, donated by Brown’s former employer Dominion Breweries after the passing in 2004 of the long-term Petone servant and Wellington representative who was reputedly denied an All Blacks selection after breaking his leg playing for the Villagers. That trophy is held by Petone after their 6-3 win two years ago, after last year’s match finished 25-all.

All matches at the normal 2.45pm kick-off time.

With Norths and MSP continuing their Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield winning ways, at this stage it would appear that their last-round clash in a months’ time will settle the destination of the Harper Lock Shield. Both face mid-table opposition tomorrow with Norths at home against Avalon and MSP making the trip to Maidstone to take on Upper Hutt.

Poneke, Petone, and OBU form the chasing pack but need both the leading pair to stumble on the run in. Poneke hosts Wainuiomata at Kilbirnie, Petone are not too far away against Ories at Polo, and OBU line out against Johnsonville at Helston. The remaining two matches have HOBM hosting Tawa at the Hutt Rec, and bottom pair Wellington and Pare-Plim face-off at Hataitai with each looking for their second wins on the season.

All seven matches are at the usual 1pm kick-off time.

Women's Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy

After running riot last weekend, Oriental-Rongotai should face a tougher assignment when they take on Hutt Old Boys Marist at the Polo Ground (a late shift from PoW), with the Magpies Amanda Rasch lining up for her 50th match in the back and white hoops. Second and third meet at MacAlister Park where MSP hosts Paremata-Plimmerton with both looking to rebound after suffering their first losses last weekend, there’s a Hutt Valley derby at Fraser Park between Avalon and Petone, and OBU and Poneke go looking for their first win when they meet at Te Whaea. Leaders Norths have this week’s bye.

All four Women’s matches kick-off at 11.30am.

Colts

All four Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy matches are 1pm starts tomorrow. Leaders MSP held on to their unbeaten record, but only just, in edging Ories last Saturday and like their senior sides head out to Maidstone and the Upper Hutt Rams. Norths and Petone clash at Porirua Park, OBU Green are at Polo to face the only winless team in Ories, and HOBM and Tawa meet at the Hutt Rec.

There’s two clashes tonight at 7.30pm in the Division 2 JRD Cup both involving the OBU sides; the Black side are at Fraser Park against Avalon, with the White team at Alex Moore against Johnsonville. The two unbeaten leaders are both in action tomorrow with Poneke at home on Kilbirnie, while at Te Whaea Paremata-Plimmerton and Wellington meet in the inaugural playing of the Daniel Baldwin Memorial Cup, in honour of the young Axeman who tragically passed away after a match between the two teams last season.

Under 85kg JC Bowl

Four teams are unbeaten through two rounds of the lightweight competition, and three of those have the maximum points. Two of those clash tomorrow when Avalon and Johnsonville meet at Fraser Park, while the third, Eastbourne, are at home at HW Shortt against HOBM. MSP head up the coast to take on Paraparaumu, Wests and Tawa meet at Ian Galloway, and Wellington and the Upper Hutt Rams take to Te Whaea. The OBU Bunnies have the bye after Wainuiomata withdrew last weekend, and all five matches kick-off at 2.45pm.

First Grade

There’s a crunch first-round clash in the third tier with unbeaten pair HOBM and OBU meeting at the Hutt Rec and even at this stage it could decide where the trophy will wind up. The two Stokes Valley teams lined up against each other at Delaney Park, Tawa and MSP take to Lyndhurst Park, and Poneke and Avalon are scheduled to meet at Kilbirnie. All four matches are 2.45pm kickoffs.

College

As covered yesterday, the College rugby season kicks off tomorrow. Last year’s Premiership semi-finalists are all over the Remutaka’s in Masterton for the first weekend of the Tranzit Festival, while locally qualifying for the remaining Premiership places and grading across other grades also gets underway.