U85 kg club finals, Festival matches and Women?s NPC tomorrow

Above: Close quarter action from the MSP Blues -Tawa Titans clash earlier in the season. These teams meet tomorrow on Evans Bay Park in the final of the Paul Potiki Shield.

UPDATED: Wellington's eastern suburbs will be the place to be for club rugby tomorrow, with two games each at Evans Bay and Hataitai Parks as the curtain is drawn on the local season.

There is also representative action, with the Wellington Pride taking on Otago at the Petone Recreation Ground from 12.30 pm

Under 85kg restricted

The final two club titles will be decided at Evans Bay Park tomorrow, with the Under 85 kg finals - Division 1 for the Paul Potiki Shield and Division 2 for the Moody Cup - being played back-to-back.

The Division 2 final kicks off at 12.30 pm between the MSP Reds and Wellington Axemen. Both sides won tight, low scoring encounters, and away from home as well in last weekend's difficult conditions. Wellington beat top qualifiers HOBM in a 6-3 arm wrestle at the Hutt Rec, while the Reds and Stokes Valley were locked up 3-all at the end of normal time before the Reds prevailed 9-3 in extras. Both sides started the season in the Division 1 JC Bowl, but occupied the bottom two places and were relegated (along with Stokes Valley) to this competition after winning only three games between them. Division 2 proved to be a series of hard-fought games, with Wellington winning five and MSP four of their 8 games, with bonus points (MSP collected no fewer than 7) proving critical. The sides have split their two meetings this year, with Wellington winning the JC Bowl matchup 24-10, while the Reds turned the table in the Moody Cup round-robin 31-20.

At 2.30 pm is the clash of the grade's two heavy-hitters. The MSP Blues will be seeking their fifth straight title (and JC Bowl/Paul Potiki Shield double) on home turf against the Tawa Titans after comfortably handling Waikanae's challenge last weekend by 32-7. The Blues have again gone undefeated, scoring 627 and conceding just 102 in their 17 matches (an average scoreline of 37-6), held their opponents scoreless on five occasions and to just 3 points on two others so defensively are a very tough unit to crack.

Tawa will want to make it third time lucky, having lost the last two finals to the Blues 26-6 at Te Whaea in 2012, and then 16-3 last year on Lyndhurst Park where their hopes were dashed by a late try. They are they only side to have lowered the Blues colours in the past three seasons, winning their round two round-robin match last year 14-11; and their only two losses this year have been at the hands of the MSP side - 27-10 in the JC Bowl decider and 19-18 in the round robin. They come into the match on the back of a 15-3 win over the Poneke Cavs in their semi-final.

Tawa coach David Fa'atafa this week expressed his confidence about the Division1 final following their 54 - 3 win over Waikanae in pool play and then beating? a very good Poneke team 15-3 in last week's semi-final.

Individually, Tawa's top points scorer this year heading into the final is left wing and goal-kicker Joe Denyer with 113 points. Tawa's top try scorer for the second year in a row is blindside flanker Simon Penny with 10 tries. Penny has scored 22 tries in the last two seasons and will want to add to this tally tomorrow. MSP's top points scorer is fullback Mark Houghton with 159 points to his name in 16 games played. Four Blues players go into the final with seven? tries each for the season - Flankers Ryan Bowater and Jamie Clarke along with outside backs Zak Nichols and Will Jurie.

One thing that is certain is that no quarter will be asked for nor given in either of the U85 kg finals. Steve Newson will referee the Moody Cup final, with Vinnie Wylie having the whistle for the Paul Potiki Shield decider.

Paul Potiki Shield teams:

Tawa: 1.??Graeme Horo; 2. Josh Craven; 3. Geoff Botherway; 4.?David Tye (Captain); 5. Rhys Martin; 6. Simon Penny; 7. Johnny Smart; 8. Sam Butters 9. Daniel White; 10. Geno Johnston; 11.?Joe Denyer; 12. Tony Natoli; 13. Heath Crawford; 14. Chris Hopkins; 15.Dan Kubiack

MSP: As per tradition, the MSP Blues team for the final is not named until Saturday.

About the Paul Potiki Shield

The Paul Potiki Shield was presented by the Poneke club for competition in the newly created 85 kg Restricted grade in 1996. Ories stalwart Tony O'Brien was responsible for establishing the grade, with the aim to "to bring enjoyment back into rugby for the skinny, smaller bloke."

Paul Potiki was a Poneke stalwart, a former member of the 22nd Infantry Battalion in WW2, taxi driver and a well-known Wellington identity.

Wellington Pride

The Wellington Pride play first of four home round-robin matches this season against the Otago Spirit at the Petone Recreation Ground, kick-off 12.30 pm

The Pride opened their 2014 Women's NPC competition campaign last Saturday in Palmerston North with a 10-22 loss to the Manawatu Cyclones, so are eager to open their account against first round winners Otago who beat new side the Bay of Plenty Volcanix 38-5.

Of their two current Black Ferns locks, Sanita Levave is out injured, while Jackie Patea should be available for upcoming games. Centre Mary-Ann Collins recently represented Samoa at the Women's World Cup in France and should feature as well, while fullback Katarina Simpkins is in the NZ Women's Sevens training squad preparing for the upcoming Sevens World Cup series and won't be featuring.

Otago will be a well-organised side, led by captain and No. 8 Angie Sisifa who scored four tries in their season opener last week. Otago finished third last year with five wins and seven losses.

WRFU Festival competition

The last round of games in the local representative matches take place at Hataitai Park, with the Suburbs side taking on City at 1.00 pm, followed by the clash between the Maori and Samoans at 2.30 pm.

Suburbs and City have both notched victories over the Samoans, and this match also doubles as a trial match ahead of the naming of the Wellington Development squad.

The Maori will be looking for their third straight win and to take out the series when they take on the winless Samoans, having already accounted for both City and Suburbs. This match will be a passionate encounter and fans won't want to miss the hakas and opening exchanges. The Wellington Samoans won this match last year at Helston Park.

Festival teams are:

Wellington Maori:

1.??Apa Heemi (c)

2.?? Anaru Rangi

3.?? Kenny Anderson

4.?? Mike Cromie

5.?? Richard Wasley

6.?? TJ Fermanis

7.?? Louis Karl

8.?? Dean Brundson

9.?? Jared Kahu

10.? Tamati Samuels

11.? Keanu Moran

12.? Kewa McMillan-Parata

13.? Jason Henry

14.? Ezra Fermanis

15.? Randall Bishop

16.? Anthony Ellis

17.? Ryan Nepia

18.? Mykel Herewini

19.? Steve Aki

20.? Tane McMillan-Parata

21.? Damien Madsen

22.? Deina Morete

23.? Jason Love

24.? Declan Hay

Wellington City:

1. Vince Sakaraia
2. Hunter Prescott
3. Adam Stewart
4. Akuila Alatini
5. Augustine Escolona
6. Nemani Waaka
7. Mark Soloa
8. Matt Peni
9. Peter Fa'atau
10. Hilton Mexted
11. Tony Smith
12. Greg Mullany
13. Nick Grigg (Captain)
14. Andrew Ellis
15. Sam Chamberlain
16. Tevita Falekakala
17. Meto Mata'afa
18. Sefo Setefano
19. Cameron Ross
20.Jason Collins
21. Isaac Marriner
22. Edwin Ainley
23. TBC

Wellington Samoans

1.Soti Faamausili

2. Eli Hunt

3. Ella Fonoti

4.Tamilo Va'a

5. Fala Tuala

6.Murphy Taramai

7.Greg Foe

8.Valentine Meachen

9.Jack Taulapapa

10. Fa'atonu Fili

11. Belgium Tuatagaloa

12. Konelio Feauanati

13. Tomasio Alosio

14. Joyner Key

15. Ryan Setefano

16. Zeke Sopoaga

17. Otto Rasch

18. Lucky Tuiatua

19. Josh Hunt

20. Ken Kapeli

21. Dudley Parsons

22. Kalim Kelemete

23. Steve Fa'atau

24. Faresa Tasele

25. Pago Haini

26. Gavin Roil

27. Junior Makapelu

Wellington Suburbs:

1.?Daley Ena???????????????????????????
2.??Simon Maleulu?????????????????
3.??Marcus Royal
4.??James Wall???????????????????
5.?Ata Langilangi????????????????????????
6.?Glen Angus????????????????????
7.??Greg Lealofi???????????????????????
8.??Ben Tupuola
9.?Frae Wilson
10. Jackson Garden Bachop
11.Karl Uilea
12.?Shannon Bradbrook
13. Marvin Karawana
14. Tupeni Kamakorewa
15. Ryan McLean
16. James Coburn???????????
17. Tony Coburn??????????????
18. Jacob Gooch????????????????
19. Taniela Manu????????????????????
20. Hayden Schijvers
21. Philip Finau

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