Plenty At Stake At The Polo Ground In Round Three

This week's Club Weekly feature match comes from the Polo Ground, where home team Oriental-Rongotai host 2005 Swindale Shield champions Upper Hutt. Ories and Upper Hutt will be hoping for improved seasons in 2008 after both finishing well off the pace in the last two years.

Despite coming off two losses in the opening fortnight, Ories were unlucky not to pull off a major scalp at Porirua Park last week, going down 17-12 to defending champions Northern United.

A penalty try for Norths in the first half made the difference in a close defeat for Ories, with new first five-eighth James Proctor, in his first year our of St. Pat's Town, kicking four penalties in the match for the second week in succession. Upper Hutt are coming off an 11-5 second round defeat to Jubilee Cup champions Hutt Old Boys Marist at home at Maidstone Park. Upper Hutt were leading 5-3 for much of the fixture, before Upper Hutt grabbed the spoils in the second half.?

With current Hurricanes players Alby Mathewson and Cory Jane on board, Upper Hutt won ten straight when they won the Swindale Shield in 2005, only falling to Marist St. Pat's in the last round to prevent an unbeaten run to the title. They carried their strong form into the second half of the season, pipped 26-21 to Norths in that year's Jubilee Cup semi-final.

Ories have failed to fire for five years, not making the Jubilee Cup since 2003 when they finished second to first time winners Norths. But they were the form team in last year's Hardham Cup before being upset by Wainuiomata in the final, and their squad for the new season looks more settled than most.

Head to head, Ories have won three of their last five clashes, with both teams sharing the spoils last year - Ories winning 17-6 in the Swindale Shield round and Upper Hutt ending a five match Ories winning streak and prevailing 17-11 in the Hardham Cup.

In other round three matches, Poneke will be anxious to beat their near-neighbours Marist St. Pat's at Kilbirnie Park and register their first win. For the red and blacks, this is the first of three home fixtures in a row leading up to their 125^th anniversary Jubilee over ANZAC weekend. In two much-anticipated clashes between unbeaten teams, Northern United hosts Petone at Porirua Park and Wainuiomata take on HOBM at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

Meanwhile, there is sure to be plenty of passion at Fraser Park where winless Tawa and Avalon clash, and also at Ian Galloway Park where the Wests Roosters will be searching for something to crow about against unbeaten Old Boys-University.

Look out too for a big early season clash in the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield this week between unbeaten Johnsonville and Rimutaka at Maoribank Park at 3 pm.