Porirua Showdown Top Billing In Key Round For Contenders

Round 4 Preview It is the clash of the titans at Porirua Park this weekend as Jubilee Cup favourites Upper Hutt take on defending champions Northern United in round four action. Both these teams are near certainties to feature in the playoffs, and based on their 2005 form, this game could be an overture for the final on August 14.

This is a virtual replay of the clash between these two sides in round five of the Swindale Shield when both went into that encounter on a collision course as the two unbeaten teams. Upper Hutt went on to win that game 10-5, with their tight-five producing a commanding performance in a scoreless second half to hold off Norths.
The only difference heading into this epic is Norths will have home ground advantage, and buoyed by their home crowd they should lift.

Both teams possess a winning formula based on power and resilience. Both have proven many times this season they can spend long periods on defence and in the blink of an eye strike out and sting the opposition. This was no more evident than for Upper Hutt last week when they turned a shaky 7-18 deficit into a triumphant three-point win with two late tries against previously unbeaten Petone. Similarly, two weeks ago Norths had their backs to the wall against Western Suburbs late in the first half, when a turnover and an 85-metre counterattacking try turned the game in their favour.

Elsewhere, an important fourth round looms for the remaining challengers with the battle to manoeuvre into top four contention wide open. Only three points separate fourth placed Marist St. Pats and seventh placed Avalon, with Western Suburbs the only side without a win. However Wests will fancy their chances to repeat their terrific 25-12 Swindale Shield win over MSP at Rugby League Park.

It will be close at Lyndhurst Park, where both Tawa and Poneke will be seeking their second win of round two. Fifth placed Poneke and sixth placed Tawa both come off tough matches last week, with Tawa?s two key game breakers, halfback Nigel Hunt and second five-eighth Willie Lafaele, playing leading roles in their 21-18 win over Wests, and Poneke pushing Norths close (11-17). A close game up front could be decided out wide, where the season?s leading try scorers, Evan Belford (10 tries) and Junior Togia (8), will be waiting to strike. At Fraser Park Petone will want to get back on the winning wagon when they play Avalon after losing narrowly to Upper Hutt last week.