Swindale Shield and Harper Lock Shield competitions starting tomorrow

Above: Marist St Pat's celebrate winning the Swindale Shield in last season's 'virtual final' match against 2013 champions Tawa. Fourteen clubs will take the field at tomorrow's Gala Day at Trentham Memorial Park in a bid to win the first round Premier title this year.

Tomorrow heralds the start of the 2015 Premier Club rugby season, with the first of 20 weekends of action before the Jubilee Cup winners are crowned in the first weekend in August. Before that however, there is the matter of the 11 rounds of the Swindale Shield to be contested.

As always, there are a host of new faces at the Premier level and both players and coaches in new places as well. There is also a new format for 2015, with last year’s 12 Swindale Shield sides having been joined by Harper Lock Shield winners Avalon (who had gained promotion under the old format anyway at Johnsonville’s expense) and Paremata-Plimmerton in meeting the WRFU’s entry criteria and granted Premier status. Premier Reserve, now comprised solely of the Premier clubs ‘B’ sides, replaces Senior 1; with First Grade, to start in a few weeks, replacing the old Senior 2 competition. The structure also puts an end to promotion-relegation.

There is also a return to the ‘Gala Day’ format to start the season, with all 14 Premier and Premier Reserve matches taking place at Trentham Memorial Park in Upper Hutt. This move has been a necessity, with the season starting a week earlier owing to the elimination of the Friday/Monday double round over Easter, and the unavailability of many grounds until next weekend at the earliest due to still being allocated to summer sports.

The format for the day has four Premier fixtures kicking off at 12.45pm, with the remaining three at 2.30pm. For all of tomorrows starting lineups visit Draws & Results across the top of this page.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starting with those 12.45 games, defending Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys Marist begin their campaign on the #4 ground against Wellington. The Eagles bid for a sixth straight Spillane Cup title in Napier last weekend was ended by Auckland Marist and they will be looking at the Swindale Shield to fill the place in the trophy cabinet. The departures of several players overseas, including Glen Walters and Parataiso Silifai-Leaana, will leave voids to fill; though the returns from injury of both James Kusel and Alexis Time are a boost along with Leo Auva’a from overseas, and Chase Tiatia should get an extended run in the #10 jersey, though Opetera Peleseuma starts there tomorrow. Joe Apikatoa is a sizeable addition to their forward stocks which will be spearheaded by last year’s NZ U20 hooker James O’Reilly.

After a somewhat dispiriting return to the Swindale Shield in 2014 after a decade’s absence the Axemen will be looking for an improved showing in 2015. Building on the experiences learned from last year will be part of that, with last year’s Petone coaching duo of Peter Green and Rodney So’oialo now part of the set up at Hataitai Park. The forward pack has a settled look to it, while the back division has been bolstered with the addition of Green’s son Carne, the return of Ahtun Masun, and Fijian flyer Penjamini Naibanivalu who will be one to watch after lighting up the Heartland Championship for Buller last year. HOBM won the sides’ only meeting in 2014 by 60-14 in Round 11, a result which confirmed their place in the Jubilee Cup.

Next door on #3 will be the clash between the Jubilee Cup runners-up Wainuiomata, and Hardham Cup runners-up Northern United. Continuity is one thing that Wainui’s returning coaches Justin Wilson and Steven Crilly have in their favour, having again retained most of their players as they seek to go one better this year, including 2014 Billy Wallace Best & Fairest winner Ben Tupuola. Retired prop Justin Va’a is the notable absentee, though they will have to wait a few weeks for prized arrival TJ Va’a to return from injury, while Josh Robertson-Weepu is also likely absent tomorrow. One thing they will want is a better start than last year, when it took until Round 5 to register their first win.

Returning Norths coach Steve Haturini will want to restore Norths to the top-flight, having spent the back end of the last two seasons in the Hardham Cup. Wellington 7s rep Inoke Rasabale is amongst those who have also come back to the club, while Eric Sione will return from injury at some point. Former Bishop Viard forward Gerard Faitaitoa starts at No8 after a year playing in Sydney for Parramatta, with Jackson Garden-Bachop given the job of steering the side around the park.

The two sides contest the Alf Keating Memorial Trophy, who played for both clubs. It’s presently held by Wainuiomata after their 33-26 win in Round 8 at Porirua Park last year, though their most famous victory in this matchup is their 30-29 upset of the-then Jubilee Cup holders as a newly promoted side in 2007.

Arguably the biggest clash of the day is on #2, where Oriental-Rongotai and Petone meet. Both sides feature new coaching teams – Ories’ 2011 Jubilee Cup winning coach Phil Proctor returning, assisted by that years captain Donal McNamara and last year’s winning Womens coach Fa’avae Tumai’i, and Petone with club centurion Dan Farani and former British & Irish Lion Riki Flutey. Ories have a host of players returning from injury or overseas, including Sean Hay, Andre Pakau, Tuakana Metuarau, and Jarrod Henry with the latter two starting. Samoan U20 winger Aukuso Tuitama, who will start at centre, has joined younger brother and schoolboy standout Malo at the club although the latter is likely to miss most of the year after a ruptured Achilles, while the Thunder and Lightning duo of Afa Fa’atau and Andrew Ellis start on the wings.

If anything, Petone could feature an even younger back division this season than last, with school leavers Jarrod Adams, Piri Paraone, and Lester Maulolo – who starts at centre - all joining the club alongside last year’s newcomers Aleks Noble-Campbell and Sam McNicol. The forward pack, led by the evergreen Eugene Smith, has remained largely intact and should be a combative unit for any opposition this year, though Josh Hrtisch’s place at the back of the scrum will be taken by James Blackwell tomorrow. It would not be a surprise to see them in contention in several weeks’ time.

At stake between the sides is the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy, donated by Jim’s former employers Dominion Breweries after his death in 2004. A loyal servant of Petone and a Wellington representative from 1965-74, he suffered a broken leg in a match against Upper Hutt that reputedly denied him All Blacks selection. He is also honoured with the Jim Brown Medal, given to the player of the match in the Jubilee Cup Final. Petone are the current holders after their 23-12 win in round 10 last season.

Paremata-Plimmerton’s debut in the Swindale Shield pits them up against Tawa in the remaining game. The newcomers have returned most of the team that made the Hardham Cup last year, but undoubtedly face a steep learning curve at the top-level. The spine of the team, captain Tane McMillan-Parata, Scott Vardey, Blake Neve, and 200-game veteran Ryan McLean will be leaned on heavily to guide them around the park.

Tawa started last season by piling up the points against the two sides that ultimately contested the Jubilee Cup final, but while HOBM and Wainuiomata picked up the pace, the Lyndhurst club fell away and missed the semi-finals. They’ll want a more consistent season, but will be without Lotu Nuku, Tolu Fahamokoia Sam Blair, and Joketani Koroi; all key members of last year’s mobile and physical pack for part or all of the season, while Taniela Koroi will be turning out tomorrow for Fiji B against their Samoan counterparts in his bid to make Fiji’s RWC squad.

Onto the 2.30pm kickoffs Avalon make their return to the Swindale Shield after three seasons in the Harper Lock when they take on Old Boys-University on the #3 ground. Avalon coach Scott Waldrom has much of last year’s squad back and it will be interesting to see how some of their players, like lock/flanker Ata Langilangi, flankers Jonam Segi and Daniel Blake, and fullback Jordan Aquila, perform at this level.

Had one pass stuck in their last Jubilee Cup game OBU would have made the semi-finals ahead of Ories. New coach Jeremy Little has gained the services of returnees Hanipale Galo and Thomas Fleming, but losses include Greg and Matt Mullany, Luke Harvey, Con Williams and Ross Kennedy. They should still possess plenty of depth, and Wes Goosen, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Morgan Poi and Luke Campbell are all in the frame for the U20 Junior World Cup in Italy later in the year. Their lineup tomorrow has stacks of experience, particularly up front with Finbarr Kerr-Newell, Stu Simonsen, and Jonathan Fuimaomo, and at the back with Jesse Johnson. One other thing that they believe is on their side – it’s the Chinese Year of the Goat.

Hardham Cup winners Poneke take on the Upper Hutt Rams with the Alby Makeham Shield interclub trophy at stake. It’s likely to be a very different game plan for the Kilbirnie side, with new coaches in Shane Pihema and Ray MacDonald, and new faces amongst their personnel. Greg Mullany and Ivan Vaisagote have joined from OBU and MSP respectively, start at 10 & 12, and should settle the backline mix despite the departure overseas of outside backs Robert Beattie, James Solomon, and Mike Sage, while there will be a new opening day front row after the retirements of props Judd Baker and Soti Fa’amausili and the absence of hooker Connor Maddix-Wikaira. Greg Foe, when available as he is tomorrow, will be a vital part of their efforts.

The Rams enter their second year since the merger, and after finishing fourth in the Swindale Shield and fifth in the Jubilee Cup expectations are heightened for 2015. They will need to replace retired veteran Ben Aoina and hard-nosed hooker Anaru Rangi, but Matt Luamanu re-joins from overseas and they have had a clutch of talented youngsters from Silverstream join the club. There is also the possibility that another returnee, Hurricane Jason Woodward, may also see game time. Openside Josh Hunt, halfback Hayden Schrijvers, and fullback Jordon Simpson Hefft will be significant contributors for them this season.

The two sides will also contest the Alby Makeham Shield, held by the Rams after their 37-20 Round 9 win last year. Makeham played for both Poneke (1951-59) and Upper Hutt (1960-62), was Wellington’s halfback from 1954-59 where he received the nickname ‘Kick it again Makeham’ and played in several Ranfurly Shield matches including the 1956 success over Canterbury. In retirement he mentored young Poneke halfbacks, including a future All Black in Ofisa Tonu’u.

Finally, current Swindale Shield holders Marist St Pats start their defence against Johnsonville on the #1 pitch. Like HOBM, MSP were beaten last weekend at the Spillane tournament by Auckland Marist, but accounted for Hastings 34-26 in Sunday’s match. There’s a very strong international flavour to their recruitment with players from England, France and Canada, with Arden David returning after missing all of 2014. That said there’s a very settled look about their side tomorrow, with a vastly experienced forward pack, the old master Fa’atonu Fili once again at 10, and counter-attacker Andrew Wells at the back. One area they will need to fill is a replacement for Cardiff Vaega at centre with several alternatives they had last year no longer playing or at the club; Josh Foster moves in from the wing tomorrow.

The change in format was a reprieve for the Hawks, as they would have been relegated to Senior 1 in previous years, and after using 50+ players coach Mason Lawrence will be hoping for some better stability this year. They proved stubborn, especially defensively, in the early going in 2014, upsetting Ories and then nearly toppling Tawa the following week, and could look to follow the same pattern again. New arrivals include ex-Tawa pair Vili Dakunimata and Alfred Pelenise, Axemen prop Tevita Falekakala, and MSP trio, Marcus Sos, Sean Bridge, and Declan Hay - the latter two will start against their old club - but have lost the experience of Campbell Tait and Keeks Prisk. Another new face, NZ Schools lock Anthony Pettett from Newlands College, will combine with blindside Kane Le’aupepe to give them some real tall timber in the lineout; Jack Taulapapa moves out into the 10 jersey while loosies Louis Karl and Corey Lawrence will scrap for everything at the breakdown. MSP won the sides clash last year by 33 to 23.

Around these games will be the new Premier Reserve grade which replaces the old Senior 1 competition, with the Harper Lock Shield up for grabs, along with spots in the Hardham Cup in the later part of the season. All matches mirror the Premier fixtures, with Tawa v Paremata-Plimmerton, Ories v Petone, Wainuiomata v Norths, and Wellington v HOBM all getting the season started at 11am. The Avalon v OBU, Poneke v Upper Hutt Rams, and MSP v Johnsonville clashes will all follow their Premier side’s outings in the late afternoon at 4.15pm. MSP and OBU would seem the frontrunners, having both qualified for the Hardham Cup last year, along with Ed Chaney Cup winners Petone and runners-up Poneke. Contrast that with Johnsonville and Avalon, who will be making the step up from Senior 2, and Paremata-Plimmerton, who last had a second side in the top senior grades in 2010.

The stage is set for 2015.

?