Time for Strugglers To Sink Or Swim In Round Four

The 2008 Swindale Shield is just three weeks old, but already the pressure is on the four winless teams to register wins or risk falling further behind the pack and outside of top eight contention. While it's too early to discard the second round prospects of Poneke, Oriental-Rongotai, Avalon and the Wests Roosters, losses for these teams this weekend will make their Jubilee Cup chances appear slim.

But barring a draw, either Wests or Avalon will be ensured of climbing off the bottom tier after this round as they play each other at Ian Galloway Park in this week's Club Weekly feature game. Both of these teams will see improved defences as key in kick starting their 2008 seasons. So far in 2008 this pair has conceded over 100 points each in three games, with Avalon conceding 15 tries and the Roosters 17.

But both are well capable of raising their performances and know how to win the tight games. Indeed, it was these two teams who fought out one of the most thrilling finishes in Premier rugby last season, the Roosters stealing a 20-17 victory with a last second dropped goal after Avalon had been leading 17-7 quite late into the match.

Other important fourth round fixtures see Poneke host Wainuiomata at Kilbirnie Park and Ories meet Petone at the Petone Recreation Ground. Wainui will bring all their passion to Kilbirnie to face Poneke, after losing their first game last week to HOBM. They will also have the added incentive of trying to win the recently created Hakaraia Trophy, named after former Wainui and Poneke stalwart Paul Hakaraia and his son Peter who died in a diving accident in January 2007.

Petone will know not to take Ories lightly after some fiery contests between these teams in recent times, Petone edging ahead 26-20 when they met last year and 30-22 in 2006.

The feature clash of the round will be at Evans Bay Park between Marist St. Pat's and Norths, where Norths will be hoping to reverse their 10-12 loss to them at the same venue in July last year. Old Boys-University will get to test out their pace attack on Upper Hutt in their first home match at the Basin Reserve and leaders HOBM will look to maintain their lead when they meet Tawa at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

In other grades, the Poneke Dogs of War team will be gunning for two bonus point wins from two when they play HOBM in the second round of the 85kg Restricted Division 1 JC Bowl. Elsewhere, first round winners MSP Blues and MSP Reds meet, Wellington play Petone and OBU Onslow Green tackle Johnsonville.

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