Upper Hutt Rams J8s and MSP Internationals primed for final

Then there was one.

The last club rugby final of the year is at Maidstone Park this Saturday, where the Upper Hutt Rams J8s take on the MSP Internationals in the 2018 Reserve Grade decider.

A competitive eight-team grade will see both teams arrive at the final hoping to reap the fruits of a hard-fought and spirited season. Both clubs have already won one championship trophy each this year and both want another to sit beside it in the cabinet.

The silverware they are playing for is the John Davies Cup.

In last weekend’s semi-finals, top qualifier the Upper Hutt Rams J8s beat the Wests Roosters Mixed Veges 32-10 and second placed MSP Internationals defeated first round winners Paremata-Plimmerton 27-15.

Other teams that contested the second round in this grade were the OBU 69ers, the OBU Pink Ginners, the OBU Teddy Bears and the OBU Righteous Brothers.

Both Saturday’s finalists, the Upper Hutt Rams J8s and the MSP Internationals, have timed their runs to the final well.

MSP (fourth) and the J8s (fifth) finished the first half of the season well below the first round Mike Copeland Trophy winners Paremata-Plimmerton. In fact, both only won one three games of seven, with MSP sustaining four defeats and the J8s three losses and a draw – which was to champions Paremata-Plimmerton 31-31. Of those three wins by the J8s, just one was on the field owing to defaults.

Saturday’s final pits the best second round defence against the best second round attack.

In the John Davies Cup seven-match round robin series, the J8s won six and lost one, scoring 164 points and conceding just 85 – an average of a converted try less per match than the next most stingy defensive team, Paremata-Plimmerton. The Internationals conceded 143 points but laid on 252 points or 35 points per match on average.

The J8s’ only second round defeat was to the OBU Pink Ginners (19-24), whom they also lost to in the first round. MSP’s two second round losses were to the J8s (19-26) and to Paremata-Plimmerton (26-31 – the week before they beat them in the semi-final).

Head to head, the J8s and the MSP Internationals have split their meetings one apiece this year. MSP won their first round clash 24-17 on 26 May at Maidstone Park #2, while the J8s prevailed 26-19 on 14 July at Kilbirnie Park #3.

Upper Hutt Rams J8s spokesperson and founding member Bernie Corigan says the grade has been competitive this season. “The grade has been really good this year. I think the WRFU have found the right balance for the teams and have done a good job,” says Corigan who was part of the original J8s team in 1990. “These eight teams are all competitive and on the day everyone can beat everyone and you know you are not going to have an easy game, which is what you want.”

Corigan says that the J8s are just happy to make the final. “At the beginning of the season we didn’t look like we would be in the semi-finals. We were just looking at putting a team out on the field every week. A few of the old boys have come back to help out, which makes a difference and we have been playing week together.”

Corigan says that home ground advantage will mean a lot to his team as well, with plenty of sideline support expected.

The J8s are the defending John Davies Cup champions, having won last year’s competition that was a straight round-robin with no semi-finals. The MSP Internationals won last year’s Mike Copeland Trophy. The J8s and the Internationals also split their two meetings last year one apiece, continuing a long, healthy rivalry.

MSP team spokesperson and first five-eighth David Isaia says they will need to defend well and attack with intent.  “It’s always tough playing in front of the vocal J8s home town supporters, it’s something the Internationals will have to embrace.” 

Isaia says the Internationals’ back three has been strong up to this point. “They have counter-attacked intelligently and with purpose. They will look to replicate their good form in the final.
“Our strengths have been our set plays and line-outs.  Due to injuries and suspension we have had to replace our front row. Our new front row have been tasked with repeating what the foundation their predecessors have done.

“We see their forwards as their strength. They have provided a stable platform for their backline to operate off all year. Their big ball runners have bent a few of the defensive lines in the reserve grade competition. We’ve struggled against that in the past two encounters.” 

Saturday’s final kicks off at Maidstone Park 1 at 2.30pm.