Teams gearing up for three matches in a week

The Swindale Shield rolls on with Round 6 tomorrow, kicking off a busy week for the top two men’s grades with Anzac Day’s round coming up in a few short days’ time, and less than 72 hours after that is the annual Derby Day round of matches. With that in mind some teams appear to have chosen which of those games they’re targeting as they manage the most congested part of the season.

Elsewhere it’s still early stages in the remaining club grades, with the first-round in the last two remaining competitions – the Under 85s and Reserve Grade – getting started tomorrow on what promises to be a fine but blustery day in the capital.

Premier Swindale Shield

Fresh off reclaiming the McBain Shield and retaining their unbeaten record, Hutt Old Boys Marist finally return to the home surrounds of the Nest following the Hutt Rec’s annual maintenance period. The first visitors for the year are Paremata-Plimmerton, who will be smarting somewhat from having missed a chance to double their win total against an otherwise out-of-sorts Upper Hutt Rams but equally know they face a big ask here.

The Eagles appear to have taken the opportunity to rest some of their players with Glen Walters, Fereti Soloa, and Tasi Fidow all on the bench. Pare-Plim’s side also has a handful of changes, with first starts on the season for both hooker Alex Hinchliffe and outside back Matt de Terte.

The titanic clash of the round however is at Evans Bay, where Marist St Pat’s take on Old Boys-University. The pair sit joint-second on the table having rebounded from early losses, and know that even at this stage that a loss here might make it difficult to win – or in OBU’s case retain – the Swindale Shield.

Unsurprisingly both teams have named strong sides, but NZ U20’s duty means that there’s no Billy Proctor for MSP with Jayden McCarthy taking his place at centre, while after being a late scratch last week Naitoa Ah Kuoi will hopefully make his debut this time. The Goats will roll out a massive forward pack that includes Will Mangos for the first time this year and the returning Jonathan Fuimaono, with Jared Verney slotting into fullback.

As well as the competition points, there’s also their interclub Jack Lamason Cup at stake. Lamason was a gifted sportsman who played his rugby for Wellington College Old Boys, played representatively in both rugby and cricket and toured England with the national cricket side in 1937. Originally played for in matches between WCOB and St Patrick’s Old Boys it’s now contested between their successors. OBU hold it after their 28-20 win at Nairnville, but MSP won their last meeting 22-21 in the last match of the Jubilee Cup round-robin.

Across the road at Kilbirnie Park Poneke continue to roll on and will look to continue that against Johnsonville, while also hoping to have put their off-field dramas behind them and continue club legend Misipaluni Moananu’s winning start as Premier coach. They’ve made a host of changes with eyes perhaps on their next two games with HOBM and Ories, though Greg Foe again lines up at No.8 as he searches for his fourth Man of the Match gong, and Michael Sage becomes the latest person to start at first-five. The Hawks are still searching for their first win of the campaign, but will take some heart for putting up some spirited resistance against MSP. Api Naikatini returns from concussion and will pack down at No.8, with Matt Mullany also back at hooker in amongst a number of changes.

Just how tight it is on the table is best evidenced by Petone, who with one loss have fallen from second to fifth. They make the short trip up the road to Fraser Park to take on Avalon, with the Wolves looking to ensure that the bright light of their good early start isn’t dimmed. One difference tomorrow is that with the artificial turf unavailable, the match will be played on the other side of the construction site on the grass #3 field. The pair will also contest their interclub Morgan Family Trophy, with the Morgan’s having considerable ties to both clubs.

Both teams have rattled off changes, enforced and otherwise, for this game. The Wolves have changed up half their forward pack, Jordan Aquila moves back to the #10 jersey where he’ll partner Damian Madsen in their backline changes. The Villagers injury list lengthened with Mateaki Kafatolu a casualty of the McBain defeat while Carlos Price and Pasi Uluilakepa are with the NZ U20s; Bruce Kauika-Petersen moves to openside to cover for the skipper with Jordan Gago returning to the front row, and Jarrod Adams will captain the side for the first time. Petone hold the Morgan Family Trophy after their 41-15 win last year, but two years ago Avalon produced a massive defensive effort to grind out an 8-6 win.

Northern United and Tawa occupy the last two Jubilee Cup places, and having both grabbed wins last weekend meet each other on Saturday at Porirua Park. At stake is the Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy and in recent years this particular fixture has been noted for ramping up the physicality.

Predictably both teams have loaded up for it, though Norths will be without Jackson Garden-Bachop after his starring role in the win over Wainuiomata with Luke Bowden taking his place. In their other changes Johnwhite Silva and Ethan Robinson-Mate return to the front-row as does Perry Hayman in midfield, and Mike Teofilo starts at halfback. Tawa have an unchanged backline from their win over Avalon, with Peniasi Tokakece starting for the first time this year at No. 8, and Tony Coburn joining his brother James in the front-row with the versatile Sitiveni Paongo sliding over to prop.

Sammy Saili played over 200 Premier games across the two clubs (Norths 1992-95, Tawa 1996-2008), coached both Tawa club juniors and at Tawa College, and was a respected church and community leader until his sudden passing in 2009. The trophy was presented by his family the following year, and is currently held by Tawa after their 24-17 win last year, following that up with their 30-26 win in the Jubilee Cup rounds.

The remaining two matches both feature sides that have been staples in the Jubilee Cup for recent years, but are currently on the outside looking in and both looking to rebound from losses last Saturday. At the Polo Ground Oriental-Rongotai host Wellington with their interclub Alby Jack Memorial Cup up for grabs. Jack played for Oriental from before WWII until 1950 when he moved to the Axemen where he played for another decade and held several other positions. The Cup was donated following his passing in 2000 and played for across several grades depending on Wellington’s fortunes. Ories hold it after their 24-3 win last season.

In team news there’s a debut for Ories prop Noah Ironside, one of six changes to the Magpies forwards. Another debutant, James Kulitapa, is on the right wing with only Adam Deck and Alex Ropeti starting in the same jerseys they wore last week. There’s plenty of firepower on the bench as well including notably Alex Fidow on the comeback from injury. Alex Dalzell lines up at No8 this week for the Axemen with Callum Harkin and Tearanga Hakiwai as the halves combination, and a debut for Ben Butler at tighthead.

Lastly Wainuiomata make the journey out to Maidstone to take on the Upper Hutt Rams. The home side will be buoyed somewhat be having finally gotten off the mark last weekend and while their Jubilee Cup hopes are likely already gone they’ll be looking to make things difficult for others across the run in. After his hat-trick Josh Houston-Tupou remains at the back of the scrum partnering veteran Josh Hunt and youngster Jack Wright. Wainuiomata know that they need a win to remain in touch with the top-seven and return Marvin Karawana, Greg Lealofi, and Tanara Haenga to their starting side with veteran Henry Smith named on the bench.

There’s an interclub trophy in play here with the two contesting their Peter Jones/Dave Ritchie Cup which is named for former managers of the two sides. It’s held by Wainuiomata after their narrow 27-24 win last year.

All seven matches get underway at 2.45pm

Premier Reserve Harper Lock Shield

Norths continued at the head of the table, having run away from Wainuiomata in the second-half of their clash last weekend. They take on Tawa, also big winners last round, in the curtain-raiser tomorrow at the JCS. MSP are a point behind in second after thumping Johnsonville, but face a tougher test against defending champions OBU in the game of the round, while the other top four side – Petone – are at Fraser Park to face Avalon.

Elsewhere Poneke take on Johnsonville at Kilbirnie, Ories host Wellington at Polo, Upper Hutt and Wainuiomata clash at Maidstone, and third-bottom HOBM face winless Paremata-Plimmerton in the early game on the Hutt Rec.

All seven matches are at the usual 1 pm start.

Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy

After having the week one bye, defending champions Oriental-Rongotai take their season bow tomorrow when they head out to take on Petone at the Rec. There’s one match between first-week winners when Avalon head back to Ngati Toa Domain to face Paremata-Plimmerton, while Hutt Old Boys Marist welcome their Marist counterparts Marist St Pat's to the Hutt Rec. The fourth match has Norths heading to Te Whaea to take on Old Boys-University, and perhaps looking for a measure of revenge after the Impala’s upset them in last year’s semi-final. Poneke has this weekend’s bye.

All four matches kick-off at 11.30am.

Colts

There are matches tonight in each Colts grade, with the remainder tomorrow. In the Division 1 Paris Memorial both Ories and HOBM will be looking for their first wins when they take to Te Whaea at 7.30pm tonight, while tomorrow first-up winners MSP and OBU Green clash on the St Pats College artificial as do the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone at Maidstone. The fourth match in the division has neighbours Norths and Tawa facing off on the #2 field at Porirua Park with each also looking for their first wins.

In the Division 2 JRD Cup there are two matches under lights tonight. OBU Black and Poneke take to Boyd Wilson Field on the university campus at 7pm in what appears to be the first official WRFU game at that venue, while Wellington and Johnsonville are at Hataitai at 7.30pm. Tomorrow’s two matches have OBU White at Nairnville against Avalon, and Paremata-Plimmerton head over to William Jones to face Wainuiomata.

All matches tomorrow are scheduled for 1pm kickoffs.

Under 85kg Restricted JC Bowl and First Grade Thompson Memorial

The lightweights kick into full competition mode tomorrow with the first round of the JC Bowl, with the field appearing to have been whittled down to 12 with the two MSP sides now rolled into one. There’s a pair of early kick-offs in the northern suburbs with Tawa hosting HOBM at Lyndhurst and Johnsonville at Helston against MSP. The 2.45pm kickoffs have defending champions Wellington heading up the coast to face Paraparaumu, valley rivals Wainuiomata and Avalon clash at Mary Crowther, the Upper Hutt Rams head to the seaside to meet Eastbourne at HW Shortt, and Wests welcome the OBU Bunnies to the confines of the Ian Galloway Park cage.

Fingers are again crossed for a complete round in the First Grade. Four teams are unbeaten but that somewhat misleading as one of those sides, the Stokes Valley Chiefs, have yet to take the field owing to defaults. The Chiefs should have a game tomorrow when they face HOBM on the Hutt Rec while there’s an early season doozy at Nairnville with OBU – fresh off a cricket score against Poneke – taking on MSP who squeezed past Petone. In the other matches Petone and Tawa have the Rec to themselves, Poneke and Norths are scheduled to take to Kilbirnie #3, and the Stokes Valley Rhinos line up against neighbours Avalon at Delaney Park. All five matches are at 2.45pm.