Bumper weekend of First XV rugby coming up

While there is the usual host of club rugby action on Saturday, there is also a bumper crop of college rugby on hand with the conclusion of two separate sets of games.

The main event is the Hurricanes First XV competition, which rolls into town after games in Gisborne and Palmerston North over the previous two weekends. This pre-season tournament sees the four Premier 1 semi-finalists from last season take on the four Hurricanes region schools that are aligned to the central North Island Super 8 competition.

The weekend starts early at 5pm on Friday night with a rare curtain-raiser at Westpac Stadium when Wellington College takes on Palmerston North Boys’ High School as the prelude to the Hurricanes vs Highlanders clash. The defending Wellington champions and national semi-finalists have struggled so far in 2014, with losses to Feilding High School, Hastings Boys and Gisborne Boys, before getting past Napier Boys last weekend.

Palmerston North were understrength when they lost to HIBS a few weeks ago, accounted for both Naenae College and Scots College the past two weekends and lost to Francis Douglas Memorial College at home today.

On Saturday the action moves out to Porirua Park with the remaining three games back-to-back-to-back on the #1 field. First up is Naenae against Gisborne Boys at 12pm, and while the Hutt Valley school has struggled in their first two games they’ll look to put the lessons learned into action in front of their supporters.

That is followed by Scots College against Napier Boys at 1.30pm. Like Wellington College the national 7’s runners up have been a bit patchy in their early season 15s form, with a heavy loss to Auckland school Sacred Heart followed by wins over Nelson College, Marlborough Boys College and Hastings Boys before going down to Palmerston North Boys last weekend.? Napier has lost both of their festival matches so far.

The final match-up is at 3pm with Silverstream’s clash with Hastings Boys. The Upper Hutt school is the form Wellington side so far and the only one to have won both their festival matches, with their only blip a loss to Auckland’s St Kentigern’s. Hastings Boys lost to Scots first up before shutting out Naenae last week and appear to have their best side in several years.

Elsewhere, it’s the conclusion of the local Premier grading rounds, with interest on who will fill the remaining four spots in the Premier 1 competition for 2014.

Hutt International Boys’ School are already qualified from Pool D with their two wins, as their opponents this weekend – Wairarapa College – are not a College Sport Wellington member and therefore ineligible for Premier 1 status.? In the other game Paraparaumu College would seem likely to best Mana College and secure the second Premier 2 spot.

In Pool A the Premier 1 berth will be decided in the match between St Patrick’s College and Tawa College at Tawa. St Pat’s simply destroyed Aotea with a cricket score last weekend and would seem odds-on to go through, but Tawa will have hope that they can repeat the effort of their cricket 1st XI who bested Town earlier in the year to win a Premier 1 spot in that sport. The other match sees Aotea host Heretaunga to determine the other Premier 2 place.

In Pool B Rongotai College visits Hutt Valley High School in the meeting of the two two-win teams. The Kilbirnie school has routed their two opponents so far compared to HVHS’ results against the same teams and would seem likely to prevail on Saturday. The second match in this pool pits Kapiti against Newlands with Premier 2 rugby the prize for the winner.

Pool B is the one with some real intrigue. Bishop Viard’s upset win over neighbours and 2013 Premier 1 school Porirua last weekend opened the door for St Bernard's to make a return to the top grade, which the Lower Hutt school will do should they beat Porirua away on Saturday. Should they lose however, then they may be sweating on points difference to top Porirua, and potentially Bishop Viard who themselves could still make it through if St Bernards lose without securing a bonus point and they run up a big score away against Upper Hutt College. The latter school has lost their first two games heavily and can only make Premier 2 if they beat Viard by 47 points.???