First round silverware and top eight teams decided tomorrow

Above: The Upper Hutt Rams will have Poneke's supporters right behind them tomorrow. Should the Rams beat Petone and Poneke beat Paremata-Plimmerton then the latter will leapfrog the Villagers into the last Jubilee Cup place still open.

It’s the final set of matches in the respective Premier and Premier Reserve first rounds tomorrow. From next week the fields split into the respective Jubilee and Hardham Cups at Premier level and the Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups for the Premier Reserve sides, and while Old Boys-University are at short odds to claim both the Swindale and Harper Lock Shields there’s still things to play for, even if it’s some fine-tuning ahead of the weeks to come.

It’s also a somewhat truncated week with several grades having the long weekend off and several Premier players are on representative duty, mainly with the Hurricanes Development side that plays Wanganui on Monday.

Premier Swindale Shield

The task for Old Boys-University tomorrow at Nairnville Park is straightforward – win against Avalon and they will retain the Swindale Shield – and assuming that their Premier Reserves would have also done the same thing then the grazing at the club’s 25th anniversary dinner tomorrow night – coinciding with their Old Timers’ Day – will taste very good.

The Goats have rung the changes, with seven new faces from the side that edged HOBM last Saturday. Tomasi Palu returns from injury to start at #10 for the first time this year, while NZ Schools pair Will Tremain and Naera Tipoki are on the sides of the scrum. They also have perhaps the strongest bench seen in Wellington club rugby named tomorrow; Finbarr Kerr-Newell and Teariki Ben Nicholas are there with an eye on Hurricanes Development duty on Monday, along with Dale Sabbagh, Matt Goosen, and club veteran Alex Taimalietane in line for his first Premier run in over 6 years. Avalon have a handful of changes but will be without two of their better players in recent weeks, prop Hale Nun Yan and midfielder Ben Peni, making their job all the more difficult.

In the event that the Wolves pull off the upset of the year then the first team in line to take advantage will be Wainuiomata. That said they are away at Lyndhurst against a Tawa side they haven’t beaten in their last four meetings, and just like they did last year the home side is starting to hit their stride when it matters.

Pepesana Patafilo starts at centre for Tawa ahead of backing up for the Hurricanes Development side, while you could be excused for seeing double in the front row as Tony Coburn makes his first Premier start at hooker alongside older brother and tighthead James. Faraimo Nofoaiga will make his 50th appearance for the club when he gets on from the bench, and they’ll be watching clubmate Tolu Fahamokoia in the Lions tour opener in Whangarei later on. Teru Time starts in midfield in his 100th game for Wainuiomata in an otherwise much-changed lineup from last weekend with veterans Justin Va’a, Henry Smith, Bevan Clark, Ben Tupuola, and Tau Mamea all on the bench.

The two teams will also contest their interclub Chris Stirling Cup. Stirling is currently the General Manager, High Performance for the Hurricanes, and earlier served as the Club Coaching Co-ordinator (CCO) for both clubs; Wainuiomata from 2005-07 and Tawa in 2008-09. Tawa hold this after their 25-23 win last year courtesy of a last-minute Randall Bishop dropped goal, and repeated the doses winning the Jubilee Cup clash 29-15 at William Jones and then the semi-final 16-10 at Lyndhurst.

For the second successive year the penultimate round seems likely to have been Oriental-Rongotai’s undoing in their hunt for their maiden Swindale Shield. Tomorrow they return to the Polo Ground for their Old Timers’ Day and their clash with Johnsonville for their interclub Ash Pointon Cup.

This year however, it will be a poignant occasion following Pointon’s passing on Monday, aged just 56. Pointon played a then-record 167 Premier matches for the Magpies from 1980-87 (a mark only recently passed), then after moving north over 100 games for Johnsonville from 1988. He later returned to Ories in a coaching capacity and is revered at both clubs.

The Magpies are without both Malo Tuitama and Ambrose Curtis who will start the Hurricanes Development match, while Whetu Henry will start on the bench with Tuakana Metuarau captaining the side. Adam Deck starts at first-five with another Ories veteran in Sean Hay at halfback. The visitors will be looking for a repeat of their shock 19-16 win at Polo three seasons ago, but they’re the most changed side taking the field this weekend. Lock Anthony Pettett – who is another backing up on Monday – is the only forward who started last weekend doing so tomorrow while there are three personnel and two positional changes in the backline.

The final side that has a chance at claiming the Swindale Shield is Northern United, but they require each of the three sides ahead of them to all lose tomorrow which seems only a very remote possibility. In beating Ories last weekend they kept their perfect record at the JCS intact but their record away needs some work; something they can address when they head to the Hutt Rec to take on Hutt Old Boys Marist. The Eagles’ hopes of regaining the Swindale evaporated last Saturday with that loss to OBU, but they have at the very least secured that return to the Jubilee Cup.

Both sides seem to have taken the view that they want to make a statement heading into the Jubilee Cup. HOBM bring back in Izzy Foai, Simon Malaeulu, and Lise Soloa, with Brandyn Laursen switching to fullback. Norths bring in veterans Johnwhite Silva and Ajay Va’alepu, with Rongotai College standout Denny To’o making his Premier debut. Takehiro Nakazawa starts at fullback in his last game before returning to Japan. Eagles pair Ben Power and Lui Okeamoa-Luamanu both start before being on the bench for the Hurricanes Development side.

At the other end of the eight there’s just one place remaining to be found for the Jubilee Cup, and it’s two of Wellington’s oldest clubs fighting over it. Petone – on 30 points – hold their fate in their own hands and a win over the Upper Hutt Rams tomorrow at home will see them through. However, they will have to be on their game, as despite being consigned to the Hardham Cup with last weekend’s home loss the Rams would perhaps like nothing more than to drag their rivals down with them.

The Villagers aren’t taking any chances with evergreen Eugene Smith and Logan Gibbons restored to the front row, Carne Green is back at halfback and Willie Tufui likewise in midfield. The Rams get back Daniel Schrijvers – who was badly missed last weekend – and Josh Brown to accompany Mitchell Markov in the loose trio, with former Wainuiomata and MSP back Tyler Tane making his first start for the Rams in midfield.

The two sides play for the third interclub trophy at stake tomorrow, their Ted Connolly Cup. Along with his two brothers Adrian and Eric, Ted was a prominent member of the Upper Hutt club either side of WWII, and following the war organised a team of ex-servicemen that played an annual match that became known as “Connolly’s All-Stars”. The Rams hold this after last year’s 34-26 win at the Rec, a win that saw them go through to the Jubilee Cup. Undoubtedly that’s what Petone will be after tomorrow.

Should Petone falter that would open the door for Poneke – on 28 points – to go past them on the ladder and with the Kilbirnie side at home against winless Paremata-Plimmerton most would back them to get both the win and the four-try bonus

The home team is largely unchanged, though Hennie Tui starts at hooker tomorrow with Hilton Gibbons and Ivan Vaisagote returning to the backline. Greg Foe and Pakai Turia are named on the bench but may not wind up taking to the field due to injury and Hurricanes Development duties respectively. Pare-Plim have perhaps one eye on their Hardham Cup campaign with forwards James Corcoran and Tane McMillan-Parata not involved tomorrow. Kewa McMillan-Parata seems the most likely to take on the captaincy.

In the event that Petone and Poneke end up on the same competition points, then Poneke will progress to the Jubilee Cup owing to their 23-19 win over the Villagers two weeks ago.

The only match that is an absolute dead-rubber as far as standings and qualification goes is at Hataitai Park where the two clubs whose clubrooms face each other – Wellington and Marist St Pat’s – will square off. The Axemen’s fate for the rest of the season – the Hardham Cup - was sealed two weeks ago, while MSP finally made certain of their Jubilee Cup place when they ran away from Pare-Plim in the second half. Despite this being a Wellington home game, it is MSP’s Past Players and Supporters Day where many will make the walk down from the top of the hill for the matches and return their afterwards.

The Axemen make a raft of changes with only 7 that started last Saturday doing so tomorrow. Midfielder Olly Sapsford and flanker Hone Haewera are on Hurricanes Development and East Coast duty respectively, Chris Toms makes his first Premier start in over 2 years at openside, and they have no fewer than four players in line for the Premier debuts off the bench.

MSP make a handful of moves. James Proctor makes his first start for the club at first-five with younger brother Billy outside him at centre, Ryan Saunders moves to fullback with Andrew Wells on the bench, and Corey Lawrence starts at openside with Isaac O’Connor having the weekend off. Wells and prop Ha’amea Ahio will back up for the Hurricanes Development side on Monday.

As usual all seven matches will kickoff at 2.45pm.

Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield

Like their Premiers, Old Boys-University only need to avoid defeat against Avalon in the early game at Nairnville to take the silverware, though with the changes this season that won’t be accompanied by promotion to contest the Hardham Cup.

If they were to slip up, HOBM are the only team that could beat them, but face the challenge of taking on third-placed Norths at the Hutt Rec who themselves still have an outside hope of a share of the trophy.

The remaining five games have Tawa hosting Wainuiomata at Lyndhurst, Petone and the Upper Hutt Rams take to the Petone Rec, while in the city Poneke face Pare-Plim at Kilbirnie, Ories host Johnsonville at Polo, and winless Wellington will look to front-up at the very least at home at Hataitai against MSP.

All seven Premier Reserve matches kickoff at 1pm.

Colts Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy

With a perfect 30 points from their first six games, Petone have already wrapped up the first-round Colts trophy ahead their last-round clash with second-placed Ories – who are seven points back – at the Polo Ground. Elsewhere there’s a local derby at Porirua Park when Norths take on Tawa, OBU Green and Poneke meet at Kelburn Park, and Marist St Pat’s and the Upper Hutt Rams take to Evans Bay.

In the Division 2 JRD Cup there is a pair of crunch games; second-placed HOBM make the trip over the hill to face third-placed Wainuiomata at William Jones, while Johnsonville head up SH1 to take on unbeaten leaders Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngati Toa Domain.

All Colts games kick off at 1pm.

Women’s, First Grade, and Under 85kg

These three grades all have a scheduled week off, and resume action next Saturday.

College WelTec Premiership

Round 2 of the Premiership sees four games tomorrow. Rongotai hosts fellow first-round winners Wairarapa, while across the airport Scots are at home against Hutt Valley High. Out in the north Porirua will go looking for a repeat of their 2014 side’s upset win over St Pats Town - who will be looking to bounceback from their heavy defeat in Wednesday’s Traditional to Wellington College - and Kapiti and Tawa meet up the coast with both coming off first-round losses, albeit quite contrasting ones. All four matches are 2.30pm kickoffs.

The fifth game of the round is next Wednesday when Wellington College welcome St Pats Silverstream to town for their annual Traditional clash, with kickoff at this stage scheduled for 1.40pm.