Off the Ball for 28 May

Above: The winning MSP Colts side that won the first round Paris Memorial Trophy on Saturday.

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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Five days until the 2018 Swindale Shield is decided, with either Old Boys University, Northern United or Hutt Old Boys Marist set to celebrate this coming Saturday evening.

There are no shared titles anymore, so if two teams end up on the same points on Saturday afternoon then it will come down to the who beat who scenario and If three finish all square it will come down to who has the most wins out of the three teams in the first instance and points differential thereafter.

Petone just needs a point to join the above trio plus Tawa, Marist St Pat’s and Poneke in the new ‘seven team’ Jubilee Cup.

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The rugby resumes this coming Wednesday with two notable college matches and a midweek Women’s competition club rugby game.

Wellington College and St Pat’s Town kick proceedings off with their annual Traditional for the Williment Cup. Both are coming off opening round Premiership bonus point wins, Wellington College beating Hutt International Boys’ School 24-7 and St Pat’s Town overcoming Kapiti College 62-0. Wellington College won this game last year. Kick-off is at 1.15pm.

On Wednesday night at Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua College and Mana College square off in the opening round of the Beard Trophy and Co-Ed Cup competition. Kick-off is at 7.00pm.

On Wednesday night at the Evans Bay Park Artificial, the Marist St Pat’s Women’s team and the Petone Women’s team meet in their eighth round Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy encounter. Petone are coming off a 94-0 win over Poneke while MSP met a 22-36 defeat to Ories on Saturday.

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A high scoring round of Swindale Shield matches on Saturday, 491 points and 75 tries scored across the seven games.

Ories No. 8 Luca Rees (13 tries) and Norths utility back Esi Komaisaivai and Poneke outside back Nick Robertson (both 10 tries) are the competition’s leading try scorers.

HOBM first five-eighth Glen Walters is the first player this season to reach 150 points. He has scored 158 points, with Tawa's James So'oialo 139 and OBU's Dale Sabagh 138. 

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OBU conceded 50 points for the first time since Round 7 of the 2011 Swindale Shield when they lost 55-14 to Norths. They also lost 54-7 and 51-33 to Norths in 2010.

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Congratulations to the Marist St Pat’s Colts for winning the first round Paris Memorial Trophy Les Mills Colts competition title on Saturday.

A model of consistency, MSP won all seven matches, but only had the fourth best points for (182 points) record of the eighth teams. Paremata-Plimmerton were a convincing first round JRD Cup winner, and have earned promotion to the top flight for the second half of the season. There is a break this weekend before the second round of Colts games starts up on 9 June.

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A lively afternoon on the phone for Ron Wood doing ‘around the grounds updates on the Saturday Rugby Club on Radio Sport. Generally, the crosses to the reporters are for updates only, with the occasional live play to call. But every time they crossed to Ron it was all happening! He ended up calling about four tries live, including Esi Komaisaivai’s 95-metre intercept and runaway that brought the house down.

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Welcome back to the officiating ranks Scott Kennedy, following a two-season hiatus for the former Premier referee. Kennedy refereed the Premier Reserve game at Porirua Park on Saturday after running touch there the previous week.

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Two tries for wing Elijah Vaa Brooking in his blazer match for the Tawa Premiers on Saturday, helping them to a 55-24 win over the Upper Hutt Rams.

Tawa prop Taniela Koroi is playing up in Northland at the moment, in an attempt to make their Mitre 10 Cup side.

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In this week’s Mike Buckley news for MSP supporters, Buckley scored 5 tries for Napier Old Boys Marist on Saturday. NOBM continue to crush all comers in the Hawke’s Bay Premier competition and they beat MAC 87-7. Elsewhere, HOBM lock Lui Luamanu crossed the chalk in Taradale’s 21-15 win over Tamatea.

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World Rugby is poised to trial rule changes at under-20 competitions that lower the height of tackles to reduce the risk of head injury, particularly concussion. The law defining what constitutes a high tackle will be altered, lowering the acceptable height from the line of the shoulders to "below the nipple line", the governing body said. Safety is paramount, but this could be considered too low for some people. Read more here

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The U20 World Championship in France starts later this week, with the Junior All Blacks taking on Japan in their tournament opener at 7.00am on Thursday. Their second match is against Wales at 2.30am Monday and their third at 7.00am next Friday against Australia. 

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Rugby language survey. An online survey to ascertain the linguistic needs of rugby players or coaches in New Zealand has been launched at: https://vuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bCP72hbHkz4YXKl Stuart Benson, a Ph.D. student in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University, is looking for any player or coach (over 18 years of age) to complete the survey. The results of the study will help in understanding what areas of language are crucial in the rugby context. In turn, this will assist in designing a curriculum specifically for foreign rugby players. 

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Despite losing to the Crusaders on Saturday, the Hurricanes remain second on the local Super Rugby ladder and this coming Friday play the Highlanders in Dunedin. This is the last match for both teams before the international window, when the All Blacks will play June internationals against France.

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Thomas Waldrom brought the curtain down on a stellar overseas career over the weekend for the Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership final. Waldrom came off the bench in the 10-27 defeat. 

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All 419 living British and Irish Lions, and the next of kin for the 416 who have died have received their individual hand-made cap with their own individual Lions number. These have been awarded to every Lion so as to recognise the contribution of all those who have crossed the Touchline in a Lions jersey since 1888.

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News overnight from Twickenham that Marist St Pat’s No. 8 Victor Vito scored two tries in helping the Barbarians beat England 63-48, England’s fourth straight loss ahead of their tour to South Africa.

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This column takes a break next Monday (Queen’s Birthday Monday) owing to second round draw releases and the Wellington XV versus Horowhenua-Kapiti match in Levin on the same day.