Swindale Shield To Be Decided In Final Round

This weekend's final Swindale Shield round is set to go down to the wire, with Northern United and Poneke both chasing the first round title honours.

Norths remain in the box seat, the defending champions just needing to beat Wests Roosters at Ian Galloway Park to claim their third Swindale Shield in five years. But waiting in the wings will be Poneke, just three points further back and with an easier assignment against Upper Hutt at home at Kilbirnie Park.

Poneke will be heavily favoured to win with a bonus point against the wooden spoon-bound Upper Hutt, putting the pressure firmly on Norths to hold off the Roosters to claim the title. But handling pressure is something Norths have shown in abundance over recent seasons and it will take a momentous effort for Wests to deny them their third?premier club rugby title in a row.

Time and again Norths have shown their best form of defence is all out attack - such as three weeks ago against Poneke at Kilbirnie Park when they turned a 5-7 halftime deficit into a 25-point lead midway through the second half. Wests have proved a tough nut to crack all season and have troubled Norths in the past, losing to the Porirua supremos in two close games in 2005, 16-14 and 17-5, and beating them 28-5 in their one 2004 clash. Wests fans won't be disheartened either by last year's injury-ravaged 58-10 loss at Porirua Park, so it could be all on in this week's Club Weekly feature match.

For all other sides this week it?will be about establishing momentum heading into the second round and the business end of the season. This will be particularly so in the Marist clash between Marist St. Pats and Hutt Old Boys Marist for the Father Cleary Shield. Both are safely through to the Jubilee Cup and neither can finish lower than sixth, but both have also gone off the boil recently. In the past fortnight MSP have had two?close wins over Tawa and Upper Hutt, while HOBM were comfortably beaten by Petone last week for the McBain Shield.

The remaining three final round matches are between Jubilee Cup-bound sides and bottom four contenders, with the greater likelihood of an upset in the clash between Avalon and Old Boys-University at Fraser Park. Ninth placed Avalon gave Norths a fright last week and will trouble OBU more than Oriental-Rongotai did last start, particularly out wide, where they will offer more on attack. Petone should see off Wainuiomata at home at the Petone Recreation Ground in their first defence of the Bill Brien Challenge Cup, while Tawa squares off against Ories at the Polo Ground.

All games are at the earlier time of 2.15 pm this week due?to the All Blacks - France second test at Westpac Stadium.