Quick turnaround for Easter Monday rugby

Club rugby makes a quick return with a second set of games tomorrow following those that took place on Thursday night and Friday as part of the Easter double round.

Premier Swindale Shield

Round 4 produced some interesting results, with stirring comebacks and thrilling finishes the order of the day, with the hope that Monday produces more of the same.

Results elsewhere mean that Tawa stretched their lead with their fourth consecutive bonus point win, this one over Wellington, on Friday. However they didn't have it all their own way, as they were level at the break with the Axemen dominating much of the first half before pulling away in the second. Monday's visitors to Lyndhurst Park are Poneke, who were bitterly disappointed with the way they coughed up an 11-point lead to lose to OBU, and will go into this game knowing that another loss here will put their Jubilee Cup aspirations in jeopardy.

Mid-table sides Old Boys-University and Norths meet at Porirua Park, with OBU having again requested a shift from Ian Galloway Park. The Fighting Billy Goats left it to the last couple of minutes to get their noses in front at Kilbirnie Park, before some resolute defence on their goal-line saw them keep Poneke's last-ditch efforts out. Norths left it even later, with Perry Hayman running on to a Konelio Feuanati pass and tip-toeing into the right-hand corner to snatch victory from Petone with the last play of the game. Whoever wins this one will grab themselves some much needed breathing space on the ladder.

The Upper Hutt Rams produced Friday's comeback of the day when they ran in three tries in 10 minutes and turned around a 6-22 halftime deficit to topple previously unbeaten Oriental-Rongotai 39-29 at home. On Monday they make the trip into the city to take on the Wellington Axemen at Hataitai Park. The Rams' win saw them climb to third on the table, and while their hosts sit bottom they took the fight to Tawa only for a lack of finishing to cost them.

The other three Premier matches all have interclub trophies at stake.

At the Polo Ground Ories take on Johnsonville for the Ash Pointon Cup. The Magpies will be scratching their heads at what happened in the second half at Maidstone and will look to make amends on Monday. The Helston men may face a similar backlash to that experienced by Wellington after Ories muddling first-up draw with Wainuiomata, but Johnsonville have proven stubborn opponents so far this year and have picked up bonus-points in each of their games. Ories are the current holders of the Ash Pointon Cup, having won it in a Senior 2 fixture by 33-8 last year.

Petone welcome another one of their near-neighbours to the Rec on Monday, with Wainuiomata making the short trip over the hill. Wainui remain winless, but picked up three valuable competition points in their second draw of the year Thursday night against MSP. Petone went from the highs of reclaiming the McBain Shield last Saturday to Friday's loss at the death against Norths. The two sides will contest the Darren Larsen Cup, won last year by Wainui 36-29, and this could be another close one.

The last game in our preview sees the two Marist clubs, Marist St Pat's and Hutt Old Boys Marist fittingly face off on Easter Monday with the Father Cleary Shield at stake on Kilbirnie Park. MSP will see the draw against Wainuiomata as two points lost in their chase of Tawa, while fifth-placed HOBM will want a better start than what they produced against Johnsonville where they trailed by 13 points after as many minutes. Expect plenty of passion in this one. HOBM currently hold the Father Cleary Shield, having won last years game 28-13.

All Premier matches are back at the usual 3.00 pm kickoff time.

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Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield

There are five early kick-offs tomorrow in the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield competition

In the only 1.00 pm kickoff its 3^rd v 4^th as Tawa and Paremata-Plimmerton reprise last years Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup final at Lyndhurst Park. Three of the 1.15pm games act as curtain-raisers to the corresponding Premier matches that follow with Petone facing Wainuiomata, OBU against Norths, and MSP and HOBM squaring off. The fourth 1.15 pm game has Ories taking on the winless Wests Roosters with the interclub Keith Mettrick Memorial Cup up for grabs, currently held by Ories after their 65-21 win at Premier-level in 2013.

The headline clash however is the 3.00 pm match at Fraser Park. Unbeaten Avalon ended Tawa's winning start to the season on Friday and tomorrow take on the only other remaining undefeated side in the Upper Hutt Rams. Both sides are level at the head of the table on 19 competition points and a win tomorrow will go a long way towards securing a Hardham Cup berth. The match, which will have experienced Premier referee Richard Gordon in charge, also sees the interclub Harper Vine Trophy up for grabs, with Avalon the current holders after their 39-18 win last year.

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Senior 2 National Mutual Cup

In the Senior 2 grade there is one 1.00 pm kickoff with MSP facing HOBM at Martin Luckie Park. In 1.15 pm kickoffs OBU take on Norths at Porirua Park, Johnsonville make the trip out to Fraser Park to face Avalon, while Petone welcomes frontrunners Wellington to the Rec. Poneke are also scheduled to play Wests at Kilbirnie Park.

The final match of the round is at Delaney Park at 3.00 pm where Stokes Valley take on the Upper Hutt Rams with the Snow Buchanan Memorial Trophy at stake. Originally played for in senior contests between Stokes Valley and Rimutaka, it has not been contested since 2011 when Rimutaka won a Senior 1 contest 31-12 owing to the two clubs being in different grades since. At the conclusion of that season Stokes Valley were relegated to Senior 2, while Rimutaka contested the Hardham Cup and secured promotion to Premier. Snow Buchanan was the founder of the Rimutaka club in 1982, and with the merger of Rimutaka and Upper Hutt over the summer it will now played for in matches between Stokes Valley and the Rams.

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