Jubilee Cup Dream Still Alive For Wainuiomata

Wainuiomata's hopes of playing themselves into the Jubilee Cup in just their first season back in Premier grade could become reality as the final fortnight of the Swindale Shield unravels. Wainuiomata host the Wests Roosters this weekend at William Jones Park, where a fourth win for them would elevate them past Wests into the top eight and a likely place in the Jubilee Cup.

Wainui's dream edged a step closer to reality last week when they beat Avalon 27-11 and the Roosters lost 23-9 to Petone, bringing them to within four points of the eighth placed Wests and giving them the chance to equal or overtake the Roosters on the points table. A position they would be favoured to maintain despite a date with Petone in the last round, as Wests' last round assignment is against Northern United.

Wainui's task won't be easy without inspirational playmaker Piri Weepu, on All Blacks duty in Auckland, and against a Wests side that are a lot tougher than their position on the table suggests. Last week Petone were the latest team to find that out, only winning late in the match after earlier soaking up all sorts of pressure.

From Wests' perspective, victory in this match could elevate them ahead of seventh placed Tawa, whom they defeated 13-10 back in round two. Tawa meet a Poneke side at Lyndhurst Park still gunning to win the title should Norths slip up in the remaining two weeks. Regardless of this outcome, Tawa will be ultimately thankful for the late 21-21 draw they grabbed with Petone in round three, edging them clear of the Hardham Cup zone.

A win for Tawa could see Norths potentially wrap up the defence of the Swindale Shield against Avalon at Porirua Park this week. Avalon supporters will struggle to see a way for their team to get past Norths, who have enjoyed a two-week sojourn playing in Kilbirnie and Miramar that has yielded them 95 points. Nevertheless an upset win for tenth placed Avalon could yet give them an outside chance of leapfrogging Wainui and Wests into the Jubilee Cup.

Mathematically Hutt Old Boys Marist still have a chance to win the Swindale Shield - should Norths and Poneke lose their last two matches. HOBM's remaining encounters are both derby clashes of sorts. The first this week against neighbours Petone at home at the Hutt Recreation Ground, where both the Bill Brien Challenge Cup and the McBain Shield will be on the line, to be followed by the Marist clash against MSP in their final game.

Elsewhere, fourth placed Old Boys-University continue their preparation for the Cup round when they take on struggling Oriental-Rongotai in this week's Club Weekly feature match. Meanwhile MSP will be looking to re-establish their momentum at Maidstone Park against Upper Hutt following their faltering 7-3 win over Tawa last week.