Off the Ball for 18 June

Above: The Upper Hutt Rams Thirsty Rams took out the first round of the JRD Cup Reserve Grade competition on Saturday, beating the Poneke Ruffnuts 22-19 on Saturday. Photo credit: Upper Hutt Rams Facebook

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.

A rugby breather early this week, before a burst of action on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

On Wednesday afternoon, the St Bernard’s College First XV and U15 sides take on visiting Hato Paora College at the school. Kick-off times are 11.30am and 1.00pm respectively. There is then a full round of Girls Secondary School competition matches in the afternoon and evening.

On Wednesday night at Jerry Collins Stadium, Northern United and Poneke meet in their ‘catch-up’ first-round Premier Reserve and Premier clashes. The Premier Reserve Ed Chaney Cup fixture kicks off at 6.00pm, followed by the Premier Jubilee Cup match at 8.00pm.

Norths are coming off a 35-22 win over Marist St Pat’s on Saturday, while Poneke went down 27-41 to Ories. This coming Saturday, Norths have their bye, while Poneke meet Tawa at Kilbirnie Park.

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The Women’s second round competition kicks off on Saturday, with the nine teams split into two divisions for the remainder of their season. The draw is expected to be out there later today.

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The Jubilee Cup is all about momentum. The start to this year’s competition is a bit convoluted with the catch-up game (above) to be played and the new concept of the bye this season. But – with the exception of Tawa two years ago who dropped their first three games and ended up winning – early wins are key in the Jubilee Cup. To that end, Ories will arrive at training on Tuesday with a spring in their step having opened with two bonus point wins, while MSP will need to work hard having lost their first two encounters.

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The First XV Premiership competition appears to be shaping up as a battle for top spot between defending champions St Pat’s Silverstream and Scots College. Both are unbeaten after four matches on the maximum 20 points each. Silverstream defeated Rongotai College 65-0 last Wednesday and Scots College beat St Pat’s Town 36-15 on Saturday. The two schools meet on Saturday 7 July at Silverstream.

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This week, from 17 - 23 June, it's 2018 National Volunteer Week, with NZ Rugby celebrating the 20,000 rugby volunteers around the country.

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Former St Pat's Silverstream prop Joel Hintz has returned from Canterbury and has joined Old Boys University. He made his Premier debut off the bench in OBU's 40-202 win over HOBM. Left wing Te Wehi Wright has scored 40 tries in 80 games for OBU, scoring two tries for OBU on Saturday after recently working for an indigenous rights group for the UN.

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The Northern United Premiers have now won 10 in a row. Ories have won six of their past seven and MSP have lost four of their past five.

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Two notable players playing Premier Reserves on Saturday in the two eastern suburbs clashes.Last year’s captain Isaac O’Connor, aka the Red Mist, was back playing for Marist St Pat’s and helped his side to a 52-5 win over Northern United. Roy Kinikinilau packed down at No. 8 in the first half for Oriental-Rongotai against Poneke. Kinikinilau scored a try off the back of an attacking scrum in the 19-17 win against the club he was coaching at the start of the season.

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On Saturday, the Northern United U9s won the inaugural Misiluni ‘Luni’ Moananu Junior Memorial Shield, hosted by Poneke.

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Lots of comings and goings in the referee ranks at present. The WRRA farewelled Kenta Mitsui and Yuta Yagi yesterday after completing their week’s interchange in Wellington. Both were involved in the Wellington College – Christchurch Boys’ HS fixture last Tuesday and must have wondered what they were getting themselves in for with the wild weather.

The conditions had calmed down by the weekend for visiting Queensland referees Nick Joseph and John Carroll. Carroll refereed a college match on Saturday, while Joseph refereed a lively Premier Reserve fixture complete with a partisan crowd of both sets of supporters between Ories and Poneke. Ories won 19-17.

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A big weekend for Paremata-Plimmerton’s Petarea Maeihana. On Saturday the outside back made his Premier debut off the bench in their 13-13 draw with the Wellington Axemen, and yesterday was named in the Deaf Blacks team for later in the year.

Other Wellington players include Ben Webb, Brandon Pye, Caleb Nicholle, Erich Krogmann, Kamau Wise, Paul Rautao and Theo Waterhouse.

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Where are the tallest rugby posts in New Zealand? North Harbour Stadium’s posts are up there. What about in Wellington?

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In Hawke’s Bay club rugby, the best team, Napier Old Boys Marist bounced back from their shock defeat last week at the hands of Hastings to overcome Clive 84-12. Former MSP wing Mike Buckley scored two tries, taking this tally to 28 for the season. HOBM’s Lui Luamanu and Joe ‘Apikotoa each scored tries in Taradale’s 69-5 win over Napier Tech.

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Staying in Hawke’s Bay, Napier Boys’ High School beat Hastings Boys’ High School 27-7 in their big local Super 8 match on Saturday.

The Hastings BHS starting line up had six year 14s (two of which were U19 players),two overseas players and two boys new to the school. 

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Congratulations to Grant Nisbett for calling his 300th Test match on Saturday night.

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The USA beat Scotland 30-29 in their Test match in Houston over the weekend. Former OBU prop Eric Fry was playing for the Eagles and former Petone midfielder Nick Grigg was in Scotland's team.

Russia beat Canada 43-20 in another notable result. Anton Rudoi scored a hat-trick and Aleksei Mikhaltsov bagged a brace in this win. Ireland beat  Australia 26-21 on Saturday, their first win away against Australia since 1979. 

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In the Pacific Nations Cup, Fiji beat Georgia 37-15 and Tonga defeated Samoan 28-18. Former Poneke, Wellington and Hurricanes openside flanker Nili Latu, aged 36, still leading from the front for Tonga.

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Julian Savea appears poised to confirm a move to France. The All Blacks wing has been linked to a deal with glamour club Toulon, commencing at the end of the Super Rugby season. Savea recently committed to play provincial rugby for Wellington this year, but it's understood a compromise has been reached and that an announcement could come as soon as today. Read more here