Wainuiomata Hoping To Press Premier Claims

Newcomers Wainuiomata were impressive opening round Hardham Cup winners last week, beating a strong Northern United B team 38-3 and reversing a 5-30 scoreline from the first round.

The club that turns 60 this year last appeared in the Hardham Cup most recently in 1999 and 2000, but failed to make the Swindale Shield round on both occasions, which it last contested in 1990. With current All Black halfback Piri Weepu signed up, former Samoan International and last year's Jubilee Cup final player of the match Earl Va'a at first five-eighth as player/coach and a hotbed of support, the potential for them to rise again is encouraging.

But to do that this season Wainuiomata will need to knock over at least one of the current premier teams, and going by this season's form they have the best chance of achieving that this week when they meet Johnsonville at Helston Park. Johnsonville's 26-27 loss to Western Suburbs last week was their eleventh loss in twelve games in 2006, with their 20-17 win over Oriental-Rongotai back in round three their only taste of success so far.

Rimutaka, the last non-premier club team in the Hardham Cup found two years ago it's a big step up from senior one rugby. In 2004 Rimutaka competed well and only missed the top four by a whisker. They beat Ories and only lost narrowly to Western Suburbs and Johnsonville, and were looking likely for a semi-final spot before being shut out by other surprise results out of their control.

The other three premier teams will all want to win well when they line up against the B sides in this week's other fixtures. In this week's Club Weekly feature match, Ories meet a well-performed Poneke side at Kilbirnie Park at 1.15 pm, who in beating Hutt Old Boys Marist 27-16 in round one in difficult underfoot conditions, are unbeaten in 12 matches in 2006 after winning the Harper Lock Shield.

Western Suburbs will be out to erase memories of their last visit to Porirua Park in round three of the Swindale Shield when they were dispatched 58-10 by the top Norths team. This time around they shouldn't have much trouble in registering back-to-back wins in the second of the early games.

Meanwhile Upper Hutt should be able to bounce back from their narrow first round defeat to Ories, where they were pipped by a late dropped goal, when they host Hutt Old Boys Marist at home at Maidstone Park.