Off the Ball for 21 May

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.

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The scenario in the Swindale Shield with two weeks to play is there are four teams already qualified for the Jubilee Cup, six in the middle chasing three spots and four already Hardham Cup bound.

The six teams in the middle bracket – Petone and Tawa (on 37 points), Poneke (34), Ories and the Upper Hutt Rams (both 27) and Wainuiomata (25) - have plenty to play for over the last two weekend for the Swindale Shield. Wainuiomata is probably just a mathematical chance only, while the stars would also have to align for both Ories and Upper Hutt Rams, but they remain alive nonetheless.

Some big games this coming weekend. Poneke versus Petone for the Tilyard Shield is probably the biggest amongst them as far as the ‘top 7’ battle is concerned. Tawa versus the Upper Hutt Rams at Lyndhurst and Marist St Pat’s versus Oriental-Rongotai at Evans Bay Park are also colossal fixtures to look forward to. At the top of the table, Norths versus Old Boys University is another mammoth match on Saturday.

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The Premiership college rugby season starts this coming weekend, and the draw is expected to be out on Tuesday.

Saturday afternoon saw the balance of the field for this season’s Premiership competition found with Rongotai, Kapiti, St Bernard’s, and Hutt International winning their qualifying matches. They’ll join last year’s top four - Silverstream, Wellington College, St Pats Town, and Scots – in the field alongside Porirua and Wairarapa who booked their returns last weekend.

Not a lot of joy for Wellington teams in the just-completed three-week Hurricanes pre-season competition. St Pat’s Silverstream beat Gisborne Boys’ High School on Friday night, but Wellington College, Scots College and St Pat’s Town all lost to Napier BHS, Hastings BHS and Palmerston North BHS respectively.

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The first of the mid-week Traditionals starts this Wednesday when St Pat’s Silverstream hosts another Super 8 school, New Plymouth Boys’ High School. The visitors are coming off an 8-27 loss to Auckland Grammar School last Wednesday at home at the Gully’. Kick-off at Silverstream in the First XV fixture is at 12.30pm.

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Several more players reaching milestones on Saturday.

Perry Hayman (Northern United) and Mike Lealava’a (Wainuiomata) both played their 100th Premier games for their clubs on Saturday.

Alex Hinchcliffe reached 50 games for Paremata-Plimmerton, the first of their players to play that many games solely in Premier rugby.

Viliami Fine made his 50th Premier appearance for Petone and earned his club blazer. He has been a mainstay of Petone’s team since he made his debut for them in 2016.

In women’s rugby, Hutt Old Boys Marist captain Rosie Stirling also received her club blazer, playing her 40th game against Petone Women on Saturday.

More 100 game milestones just around the corner, including Parekura Lalaga (Northern United) and Gina Williamson (Old Boys University).

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The OBU Premiers are down to 27 players. Did Norths at their height eight-ten years ago enjoy such depth?

While OBU are in injury management mode, Tawa appears to be coming out of theirs with some big names and experienced players on the way back such as Saturday’s starting No. 8 Peniasi Tokakece and reserve forward Telea Suemanutafa.

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Great to see James Blackwell back from injury and playing for the Petone Premiers on Saturday against the Axemen.

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Where is Levi Harmon?

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Tupou Sopoaga is running into some fine form at present. The former Wellington College loose forward and brother of Lima has scored seven tries in his last two games for Petone. On Saturday against the Axemen, he scored two tries in the first half and one in the third – all coming directly off the back of a dominant scrum. He also set up Petone’s first try with a clean turnover that set it up.

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Oriental-Rongotai No. 8 Luca Rees continues to get amongst the tries. He scored two on Saturday in his side’s defeat to Northern United to take his 2018 season tally to 11 in as many games played.

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Ories women’s outside back Ayesha Leti-L’iga also scored a hat-trick on Saturday, and she has now scored 15 tries in five games this year. Her record mark of 26 tries in a season that she set last year could be coming under threat soon.

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A Wider Women’s Wellington Pride training squad was officially named last week and is training together early on Tuesday mornings. An internal Pride trial will be held over the weekend between the end of the first and second rounds (Saturday 16 June).

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Thomas Waldrom played his final match in England over the weekend and should be winging his way home soon for not doubt a well-earned break. Here’s hoping he plays some club rugby in Wellington when he returns!

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Josh Robertson-Weepu is back in town following a stint playing overseas and could be playing in Wellington again soon. If so, will he return to Wainuiomata or link up with his uncle Piri at Petone?

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In Mike Buckley watch for MSP supporters, Buckley scored a hat-trick for Napier Old Boys Marist in Hawke’s Bay club rugby on Saturday. NOBM beat Taradale 66-30 in the opening round of the championship Maddison Trophy, their 43rd straight win in 2018.

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Also dominating their competition is Lincoln University in the Christchurch Metro competition. Lincoln beat Canterbury University 47-22 on Saturday in the battle of the students, their eighth straight win.

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In All Blacks watch, there were four current Wellington players picked yesterday: Jeff Toomaga-Allen (Marist St Pat’s), Vaea Fifita (Wellington), Ardie Savea (Oriental-Rongotai) and TJ Perenara (Northern United). Halfback and new selection Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi played three matches at halfback for Johnsonville in 2016.

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The Hurricanes have won 20 of their last 21 matches at Westpac Stadium, closing in on the home record winning streak of 26 by the Crusaders. The Hurricanes have won 14 of their last 16 against the Reds, Ben Lam has scored 14 tries.

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Israel Folou scored his 50th Super Rugby try on Saturday. He is the third fastest to that mark. He took 83 games, behind Joe Roff 67 and Cullen 75.

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It was inevitable the winning ‘streak’ of wins by New Zealand teams over Australian sides would come to an end. Hurricanes supporters were relieved that it was the Highlanders that was the first team to go down to the Australian counterparts!

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The New Zealand U20s have assembled and are training at Mount Maunganui until this Thursday morning when they board a bus for the three-hour trip to Auckland International before boarding their flight to Barcelona via Dubai to take them to the U20 World Cup.

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An in-depth profile story with the Upper Hutt Rams J8s on the WRFU website this morning. Foundation member Bernie Corrigan has been with the team since the start in 1990. Read more here