Avalon Wolves and Upper Hutt Rams set for U85kg Division 1 final

Last year’s beaten finalists and the top qualifiers against the first time finalists. Neighbouring clubs and friends off the field but keen rivals on it. This Saturday’s Paul Potiki Memorial Shield Division 1 2018 decider has all the hallmarks of a cracking final.

And there has been a few in this grade. Few will forget the MSP Blues beating the Tawa Titans 6-3 on penalties in 2014 or the Titans beating the Poneke Cavs 8-3 in 2015. Just last year, it was the Wellington Axemen beating the Avalon Wolves 20-17 at Hataitai Park.

Last year the Wellington Axemen’s supporters had to endure a tense last several minutes of play after the tenacious Wolves had cut into a 10-point deficit by scoring a late converted try. Brett Hodgetts sliced clean through and then converted his own try for the Wolves to set up a blockbuster finish.

Both teams in this year’s final will empty their tanks at Fraser Park on Saturday and both will be eager to bring some silverware back to their respective clubrooms for the summer after their top teams missed out on making either the Hardham Cup, Colts or Women’s finals a fortnight ago.

Both are coming off hard-earned Paul Potiki Shield semi-final victories. The Wolves quelled the challenge of fourth-placed Tawa 16-0 and the Rams edged past Eastbourne 20-17 at Maidstone Park.

These two sides have played each other twice in 2018 and both have gone down to the wire. Their first meeting was on 16 June at Maidstone Park in the JC Bowl with Avalon prevailing 12-10. Then just a fortnight ago, while the Jubilee Cup final was being decided at Petone, Avalon were fighting for an 18-17 win over the Rams that sealed their spot as top qualifiers.

The Wolves won the JC Bowl undefeated for the first time, while the Rams finished second in the first round competition with eight wins and two defeats.

The core of Avalon’s players have been with the team for about six seasons, during which time the Wolves have built a side that has risen from a [then] Division 3 team to a top four Division 1 contender. They made the final for the first time last season.

The majority of the Wolves squad will be involved in their second ever Division 1 final, including Jeffery Lauina in his 16th season of U85kgs rugby and Bill Drummond in his 13th season who are both without a championship win.

Wolves captain Arthur Flux and Head Coach Makea Pokere say speed and accuracy has been their slogan this year.” If we can get that right it will be very difficult for any team to keep up,” says Flux.

With a leadership group of six players we have a belief and calm demeanour that has won us games in the last minutes this year,” says Pokere. ”When we get all the aspects of this working and we are unstoppable. Our key components in this team are our new structure of play, the way we use our bench and the professional approach we take. We are one of the tightest units I’ve been a part of in my entire rugby playing days.”

Avalon’s top try scorer is Julio Amesti with 8 tries, while the leading points scorer is centre Brett Hodgetts with 91 points – in his first full season as a centre after converting from a hooker.

The Upper Hutt Rams is mostly made up St Pat’s Silverstream old boys, with only Liam Archibald (HIBS), Eugene Grant (Hutt High) and Zac Nelson (Heretaunga) not from Silverstream. The youngest in the team is 18 and the oldest is 34. There are also a few sets of brothers playing – The Hunters, Barretts, Knights, Ryans and the Mainwarings.

The leading try scorer is Tynan Barrett with 15 tries.

Former Upper Hutt Premiers and Colts coaches Mike Robinson, Brett Archibald & Rosco Remnant have helped the team a lot with set-piece this year. Advance Electrical are our team sponsors.

The Rams captain is lock Michael “Woody” Wood, who says they have to remain steady and composed in the final.

“We have strength all over the paddock,” says Woody. “Our backline is clinical and fast, our forwards are strong and aggressive, but our main strength is our ability to put the man in the gap. We have worked a lot on drawing and passing this year and we can credit our success to that. 

“Avalon is an organised team, they rarely make mistakes and their defence is impeccable. We know that they love to run the ball from anywhere so our defence has to be solid.”

The Rams will also be playing for their previous skipper. “Our previous captain Patrick Carson, unfortunately, suffered a serious head injury during a horrible round of golf, he is very much a part of our team and is struggling to watch on the sidelines.”

The Wolves want to farewell outgoing assistant coach and former head coach Bruce Chase on a high.

“He has been coaching this team for a number of years and has helped individual players struggle through personal issues in their lives. He is a very big people person who cares for every single player,” says Pokere.

Both teams expect rousing support on Saturday.

Says Woody: “Our supporters have been outstanding for us this year, win or lose we know that they will be there for us. There were over 200 people watching our semi-final against Eastbourne last weekend at Maidstone so we are hoping for a similar turnout down at Fraser Park.”

Says Flux: Our supporters have been with us every season which makes the successes achieved so far that much more rewarding. Our club has been very supportive with a lot of top senior players running opposition for us at training and the bottles for us on game day. There is no doubt the sidelines will be packed with some of our favourite people this weekend.”

Both sides will celebrate long into the evening if they prevail.

The Paul Potiki Shield final kicks off on Fraser Park 3 at 2.30pm on Saturday.

About the Paul Potiki Shield

The Paul Potiki Shield was presented by the Poneke club in 1996 in the then new 85kg Restricted grade. Ories stalwart Tony O'Brien was responsible for establishing the grade, with the aim to "to bring enjoyment back into rugby for the skinny, smaller bloke." Paul Potiki was a Poneke stalwart, a former member of the 22nd Infantry Battalion in WW2, taxi driver and a well-known Wellington identity.

Last five finals:
2013: MSP Blues 16 – Tawa Titans 3
2014: MSP Blues 6 – Tawa Titans 3
2015: Tawa Titans 8 – Poneke Cavs 3
2016: Tawa Titans 16 – Johnsonville Terrahawks 5
2017: Wellington Axemen 20- Avalon Wolves 17

The Avalon and Upper Hutt Rams team/squads contesting the Paul Potiki Shield final (all names subject to change)

Avalon Wolves

Watch the team naming and meet the players here 

1. Gareth Stokes
2. Facundo Amesti
3. Arthur Flux C
4. Gano Perez
5. Graham Cherry
6. Jeffrey Lauina
7. Sam Tuala
8. Matthew Edmonds
9. Mark Austin
10. Manu Oliver
11. Alex Newton
12. Bobby Daly
13. Brett Hodgetts
14. Cody Turley
15. Site Timu
RESERVES
16. Roderick Russell
17. Geoffrey Ah Wong
18. Bill Drummond
19. Dave Roche
20. Damian Austin
21. Julio Amesti
22. Makea Pokere

Head Coach: Makea Pokere
Assistant Coach: Bruce Chase
Forwards Coach: Alberton Morrone
Manager: Hadleigh De Reus
Hydration: Schalk, Des, Ben and Fred

Upper Hutt Rams

1. Paddy Crombie
2. Jake O’Connor
3. Tommy Hunter
4. Michael Wood - C
5. Alex Barrett
6. Jackson Ryan
7. Liam Archibald
8. James Mainwaring
9. Caleb Ladbrook - VC
10. Tynan Barrett
11. Mitch Knight
12. Pete O’Reilly
13. Nate Moen
14. Eugene Grant
15. Jono Ryan
RESERVES
16. Sean Quinn
17. Andy Knight
18. Mitch Taylor
19. Lucas Bateup
20. Zac Nelson
21. Liam Hunter
22. Tom Mainwaring

Injured: Joe Perez, Aiden Martin, Josh Svenson, Jayden Walsh, Declan O’Connor, Matt Henderson, Luke Coulston, Ashley Archibald

Coaches/Selectors: Hayden Schrijvers, Luke Wood, Patrick Carson