Looking at the week ahead

Clamouring for Saturday, and it’s still Monday?

There’s a lot to look forward to this weekend, so here’s an overview. Full previews later in the week.

The bucqui Jubilee Cup is set up for an exciting finish to the round-robin season, with the race to the semi-finals at the end of July set to go down to the wire and the top four contenders anyone’s guess with just three weeks remaining in the regular season.
 
Just eight points separate the eight teams after the opening month of the championship competition.  Leaders Oriental-Rongotai are on 14 points and bottom placed Tawa on 6. No team is safe from missing out on the playoffs and no team is out of contention.
 
The picture should become clearer after this coming Saturday’s fifth round.

A feature game of the fifth round is between joint second placed Wainuiomata and Ories at William Jones Park, where the winner can break free of the logjam.
 
Wainuiomata, Poneke and Old Boys University are all on 11 points with two wins from four, making the OBU-Poneke fixture at the Basin Reserve a key clash for both sides. 
 
Marist St Pat’s and the Upper Hutt Rams are tucked in there on 11 and 10 points respectively,and their clash at Evans Bay Park is massive for both. MSP put the Bll Brien Challenge Shield on the line against the Upper Hutt Rams and will be looking to bounce back after losing to Poneke, while the Rams once more showed that they won’t lie down in their comeback win over Ories.
 
The fourth Jubilee Cup clash is at Hataitai Park between seventh placed Wellington and eighth placed Tawa, but neither will take a back seat as victory will keep the winning side right in the mix for making the top four. The loser could bow out.
 
The Premier 2 Hardham Cup is clearer, but there are still many questions to be answered.
 
Leaders and unbeaten Hutt Old Boys Marist will officially qualify for the semi-finals with a fortnight to spare, and probably book a home semi-final too  if they can overcome OBU B in the early game at the Basin Reserve.
 
Second placed Northern United plays the other B side, Marist St Pat’s B, at Evans Bay Park at 1.00pm and they too will be lining up qualification into the semi-finals.
 
In two crunch matches involving Premier clubs, third placed Petone travel to Ngatitoa to play fifth placed Paremata-Plimmerton, while it’s do or die for Johnsonville and Avalon at Helston Park.
 
It’s the semi-finals of the women’s competition this Saturday.
 
The feature Division 1 Victoria Tavern Trophy playoff is at Mary Crowther Park between top qualifiers Wainuiomata and fourth placed finishers and defending champions Northern United.  Wainuiomata defeated Norths 19-10 on Saturday. Oriental-Rongotai will host OBU in the other semi-final. In Division 2, Hutt Old Boys Marist will play Johnsonville-Tawa in one semi-final while Marist St Pat's will play Poneke in the other.
 
There are two big Premier Reserve Ed Chaney Cup clashes on Saturday in round five of nine. Leaders and unbeaten Northern United host third placed Poneke and second placed Upper Hutt Rams travel to play sixth placed HOBM.

The Colts weekend starts on Friday night with a fixture at Te Whaea between competition leaders Old Boys University Green and Poneke.
Te Whaea welcomes the second placed Wellington Light Axemen and the leaders and unbeaten Tawa Titans on to its surface on Saturday afternoon in the U85kg Paul Potiki Shield feature match.
 
 There are three games played this coming weekend in the seventh round of the WelTec Premiership First XV competition, with the Scots College versus Rongotai College and the Wairarapa College versus Bishop Viard College matches both key clashes looking ahead to the playoff rounds.
 
Of note, the fourth match of the round between St Pat’s Town and St Pat’s Silverstream is being played on Wednesday27 July, after the upcoming school holidays.