Busy home stretch coming up for Swindale Shield teams

As usual at this time of the season we take a look at what the Premier sides have left, and the race not just for the Swindale Shield, but also just to make the cut for the Jubilee Cup. In the past two years with the full 13-round Swindale that’s fallen around 40 points, but with the reduction to seven-teams  and against the improved showings this year by Avalon, Paremata-Plimmerton, and to a lesser extent Wellington, it would seem that number will fall around the same this term.

Just to add to matters tomorrows weather looks inclement at best which will demand accuracy and probably a more conservative game plan. And additionally it’s another of the WRRA’s interchange weekends and tomorrow five of the seven Premier matches will be controlled by visiting referees.
 
Old Boys-University: 1st on 43 points
To play: Pare-Plim (A), Norths (A), Petone (H)

It’s taken 10 weeks, but the defending champions have made it back into the box seat after mowing down previous leaders HOBM in the second half last Saturday, and at 16 points ahead of eighth-placed Ories are the only side to have locked-in their Jubilee Cup place. Their remaining tasks aren’t necessarily straight-forward though with Norths next weekend in what could be another top-of-the-table clash, and then a Petone side who might need a result in the last round. Tomorrow however it's out to Ngati Toa and a Pare-Plim side that’s won two on the bounce and while they thrashed them 86-8 last year, it was far closer run-thing two years ago when the Goats eked out a 17-6 win.

OBU have something of a front-row injury crisis at present; Mark Franklin’s return is extended by another week, Junior Makapelu starts at tighthead rather than hooker and Stu Simonsen has been coaxed out of retirement to take a place on the bench. Outside of that it’s a strong looking side with both Will Mangos and Teariki Ben Nicholas named to start.
 
Norths: 2nd on 40 points
To play: Ories (A), OBU (H), MSP (H)

You can say this, if Norths get up to win the Swindale Shield they’ll have earned it. Their run-in starts with a trip to the Polo Ground tomorrow, followed by home tilts against OBU and MSP to round things out. That match with the Goats looms largest given the potential it has towards determining matters, but getting past Ories tomorrow is the first order of business with the Magpies needing a win themselves given their own precarious place on the table. Plus Ories will feel that they owe Norths some payback for scuppering their own Swindale hopes last year.

Perry Hayman starts at centre tomorrow in his 100th Premier game for the side, with lock Chris Middleton making his first start for the year as well. The versatile Esi Komaisavai is at halfback this week and will face a few of his old Rongotai College teammates while there’s some experience and punch on the bench.
 
Hutt Old Boys Marist: 3rd on 39 points
To play: Avalon (H), J’ville (H), Wainui (H)

Despite Saturday’s loss the Eagles aren’t out of contention for the crown but now need have to get some help to get there, needing both OBU and Norths to drop points somewhere in the last three rounds while needing to win all three of theirs, likely with bonus points as well. That would seem likely against Johnsonville, while their last round clash with Wainuiomata could be dependent on where they stand in terms of their own qualification, but tomorrow they have to deal with an Avalon side that have their tails up after pulling off the upset of the season last weekend.

The big news for the Eagles is the return of Sheridan Rangihuna and he’ll be behind an unchanged forward pack. There’s also Mr TBC at #12, with the possibility that could be Chase Tiatia.
 
Marist St Pat’s: 4th on 35 points
Poneke (A), Ories (H), Norths (A)

Poneke: 5th on 33 points
MSP (H), Petone (H), Avalon (A)

Before last Saturday you’d have said both were not only contenders, but dead-certs to make the Jubilee Cup. But following their respective upset losses the title is likely out of reach and making the top-seven cut isn’t a sure thing either. Add in the fact that the two face each other in the “Battle of Kilbirnie” for their Horan-Millar Trophy tomorrow – on Poneke’s side of the road – and the stakes could scarcely be higher for this time of the season. The winner would likely be safe, while the loser might find themselves in a dogfight they’d much rather not be part of, and each face a pair of difficult matches to close things out.

Poneke restore several players to their XV from last weekend’s side including returns for Cole Stewart and Galu Taufale who forms a strong loose trio with Api McMillan-Parata and Greg Foe. There’s also the notable inclusion of Hurricanes halfback Finlay Christie where he’ll partner Pakai Turia. MSP also bring back Vincent Sakaria, Matt Peni, Ken Kapeli, and Kerrod Foaese amongst others, with those displaced by their returns reverting the bench.

The Horan-Millar Trophy honours two great club men; former Marist player and later MSP coach Mick Horan, and Poneke legend and later life member Ken Millar. They locked horns many times in their careers on the field, but were also good friends off of it before both passing away in 1982. The trophy that bears their names was first played for in 2009, with Poneke defending it have edged a 29-27 result at Evans Bay last year.
 
Petone: 6th on 32 points
Wellington (H), Poneke (A), OBU (A)

Tawa: 7th on 31 points
Wainuiomata (A), Upper Hutt (H), Pare-Plim (H)

It’s not unusual to find these two hovering around the cut-off for the Jubilee Cup in recent years, and more often than not they make it. Tawa faced a must-win at Norths two years ago and did it, while the Villagers did the same last year against the Rams. They do have something of a buffer back to Ories, but that can vanish just as quickly if they lose and Ories win, and aside from helping their own causes tomorrow they’ll also be hoping that Norths do them one as well by knocking over the Magpies. Otherwise, things could get interesting.

Petone have a few changes with Carlos Price, Pasi Uluilakepa and Murray Douglas absent with their places taken by Logan Henry, Alapati Soke, and Jack Ross respectively, while James Blackwell is named on the bench as he returns from injury. Outside back Viliami Fine plays his blazer (50th) game.

Tawa get a trio of heavy-hitters back from injury; Peniasi Tokakece starts with Telea Seumanutafa and Elijah Va’a-Brooking to both come off the bench. Otherwise it’s an unchanged starting XV bar Tavita Logovae starting at openside in place of Lorenzo Lolesio who was sent off last weekend against Wellington.
 
Oriental-Rongotai: 8th on 27 points
Norths (H), MSP (A), J’ville (A)

Wainuiomata: 9th on 24 points
Tawa (H), Wellington (H), HOBM (A)

For the best part of a decade these two have been staples of the Jubilee Cup - owning the longest current streaks after MSP’s – but those are in some jeopardy. Their clash last Saturday improved Ories’ chances and weakened Wainuiomata’s, but both find themselves on the outside looking in and probably need to win out to make it this year. You’d venture that they’d bank five points from their match against the sides that currently occupy the bottom two places, but the others would appear to be more difficult assignments against sides that currently sit above them.

Ories side tomorrow has a couple of new names in forwards Manase Sului and Viliamu Fa’aea, while it’s a much-changed backline with Declan Hay, Alex Ropeti, Hayden Whelan, and Trent Renata all returning.

Wainuiomata have again rattled off some changes. Veterans Uale Mai and Michael Lealava’a start at fullback and second-five respectively with Sam Aliva’a continuing to deputise for Ben Tupuola, and there’s a host of experience on the bench with old-stagers Justin Va’a, Henry Smith, and Dan Cherry all there.
 
For the remaining five sides it’s the Hardham Cup that beckons once again. While each of them have at least one of their matches against a side they’ll meet in the next round, they also have an opportunity to influence where the trophy ends up and who’ll they’ll take with them into the Premier 2 competition.

Coming off their wins last weekend Avalon (17 points) and Paremata-Plimmerton (16) both get cracks at contenders; the Wolves head south to face neighbours HOBM at the Hutt Rec while Pare-Plim have the visit of OBU. Wellington (12) venture to the Petone Rec to face the Villagers, while Johnsonville (0) hosts the Upper Hutt Rams (22) at Helston.

In team news for these five Laman Ah Wong returns to the forwards for Avalon after last weekend’s cameo on the wing, with the Wolves also getting the two Jordan’s – King and Aquila – back. Pare-Plim again has the services of Richard Judd and Blake Neve returns to the side at fullback while hooker Alex Hinchliffe starts in his 50th Premier match. The Axemen should have Alex Dalzell back after he missed last weekend with the flu, and Johnsonville have Kane Thompson starting at lock alongside Api Naikatini. The Rams give a start to hooker Eli Hunt and fullback Tafa Tafa returns to the run-on XV.

In addition to the Horan-Millar Trophy for the Battle of Kilbirnie, there are four other interclub trophies in play tomorrow:

• HOBM and Avalon will contest their Billy Herbert Memorial Trophy, named for the former HOBM prop who shifted clubs to Avalon, but suffered a heart attack prior to the season starting. HOBM hold it after a 53-0 romp last season.
• Petone and Wellington have their Bill Francis/Jack Taylor Trophy. Both Francis and Taylor are names of the Axemen’s lengthy past and former All Blacks who faced the Villagers many times. It was inaugurated last year and won by Petone 22-6.
• Wainuiomata and Tawa play for their Chris Stirling Cup, with the link being that Stirling – currently the Hurricanes High Performance Manager – served both clubs in the-then Club Coaching Coordinator role. Tawa are the holders after last year’s 24-12 result.
• Finally, Oriental-Rongotai and Norths will play for their To’omaga Alex Iona Memorial Cup. Iona first played for the Magpies after arriving from Samoa before later moving north and turning out for the Norths’ predecessor club Porirua. Norths won this match 23-19 last year at the JCS which – as mentioned above – ended Ories’ hopes of a maiden Swindale title.
• All seven matches kickoff at the normal 2.45pm.