Multiple Champs Petone And MSP To Square Off.

Round 2 Preview Round two?s feature match sees multiple Jubilee Cup winners Petone and Marist St. Pats meet. Petone beat Poneke 24-7 and MSP held off Tawa 29-22 last week, to see both gain maximum points from the first round. With MSP and Petone winning the Cup six and four times respectively since 1990, each of these sides will know more than anyone that two wins from two will put them in good stead to be challenging six weeks later.

Petone are in top form at the moment. They have won their last six games, including a 25-20 victory over MSP just three weeks ago and they haven?t lost at home since round one, when they were pipped by Upper Hutt. Petone?s outside backs have been on fire recently and they could be the difference in this game as well. In the last four weeks Tu Umaga-Marshall (4), Willie Moala (4), Willie Collins (3), Alex Telea (1) and Jeremy Pigou (1) have scored 13 of Petone?s 16 tries between them. Right wing Moala has also scored a brace of tries on the last two occasions he?s played MSP.

In contrast, MSP have struggled for attacking options out wide this year, but they do have strong inside backs in Sam Rasch, Toese Lealamanua and Joe Wright to complement a well organised forward unit. So look out for a cracker of a game at the Petone Recreation Ground.

In other round two matches Tawa will have the chance to repeat their 35-22 victory over Northern United when these two sides clashed a fortnight ago in the Swindale Shield. That game was up the road at Porirua, this time they are at home at leafy Lyndhurst Park. Norths will be keen to flex their muscles however, after struggling to a 16-14 win over Western Suburbs last week. Wests will have to be at the top of their game when they host Upper Hutt at Ian Galloway Park. The Roosters could cause an upset if they can eliminate the mistakes that cost them the game when they went down 22-13 to Upper Hutt in the Swindale Shield. Elsewhere Poneke and Avalon will both be looking for their opening wins when they clash at Kilbirnie Park.