Last round humdinger in store for Wellington rugby fans

Wellington rugby fans, near and far, will be glued to their earpieces and communications devices for the outcome of this week's last round humdinger at the Hawkins Basin Reserve between Old Boys-University and Marist St. Pat's.

At stake is a secure spot in the Jubilee Cup, with the loser likely to face the cold steel door of relegation that leads to the second tier Hardham Cup for the rest of the season. For super-club MSP, who were formed in 1971 and last played in the Hardham Cup in 1975, it's not an inviting prospect. But, assuming the other relegation contender in the mix, Upper Hutt, beats strugglers the Wests Roosters at home at Maidstone Park, the scarlet contenders will have to beat OBU in the last round to make the Jubilee Cup.

If two teams finish this weekend's Swindale Shield on the same amount of points, the one that progresses is the one that won their round-robin match. This means that there is still a possibility that MSP could lose to OBU and make the top-eight if Upper Hutt are also beaten by Wests. Losses to both Marist and Upper Hutt and both teams taking the same amount of points out of the game, be it one or two, will see Marist go through by virtue of their victory. Losses for both teams and results that see them not collecting the same number of bonus points will see the team that took more out their respective Round 11 clashes go through. In the wash-up MSPs round five match that saw departing MSP first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili kick the match winning penalty on fulltime for a 16-15 could yet have wider consequences.

The same goes for OBU's dramatic 23-27 loss to Upper Hutt that saw the students squander a 20-point lead and the men in maroon come storming back when they met a week later in round six. This means that OBU will need to beat MSP and also rely on Upper Hutt losing to Wests to get through.

It is possible, albeit slim, that MSP, OBU and Upper Hutt could all finish on the same amount of points and thus the ‘circular tie' ruling would take effect. This means that the order of finishing would come down to points differential (points for minus points against). As it stands, Upper Hutt's is +22, OBU's is -42 and MSP's is -57.

The MSP - OBU clash, also for the Jack Lamason Trophy, has all the makings of an epic clash. As befits their equal position on the standings, both have near identical records. After 10 rounds, OBU have won five and MSP six, but MSP have just two bonus points to their name, which is the statistic that will haunt them if they fail to progress. MSP have won one more game than third placed Hutt Old Boys Marist, fifth placed Petone and seventh placed Upper Hutt, but HOBM have 10 bonus points, Petone 9 and Upper Hutt 6. MSP have scored just 24 tries in 10 matches.

The trophy MSP and OBU are playing for is in recognition of Jack Lamason who was a legendary figure in Wellington sport before and after the Second World War. He played senior cricket for WCOB for 20 years, represented Wellington and toured England with the New Zealand team in 1937.

He also played senior rugby for WCOB, being captain and later coach. He represented Wellington from 1929-36 and was part of the 1930 Ranfurly Shield winning team coached by the renowned Norman Millard. Also of note, Lamason was never in the 1st XV or 1st XI whilst at Wellington College. This trophy was originally established for competition between St Patrick's College Old Boys and Wellington College Old Boys. Following amalgamations, the contest is now between MSP and OBU. MSP are the holders, having won 33-11 last year.

Upper Hutt beating Wests is also far from a foregone conclusion - particularly given Upper Hutt's volatile form in 2011. They've lost three home games out of four by the narrowest of margins already this year and have been involved in two other close ones.

The Wests Roosters will be going all out to play the spoiler role so are sure to bring extra intensity to this clash.

With so much at stake at the Basin Reserve and Maidstone Park, fair-weather supporters could be forgiven for pushing the other last round games to the recesses of their consciousness. But not for those teams involved where it's all about creating or maintaining winning momentum into the second round. Not forgetting either the fierce competition still raging in the lower grades.

Wainuiomata were the story of last week's penultimate round of the Swindale Shield, beating MSP 44-27 and qualifying for the Jubilee Cup for the first and only time since 1988. Wainuiomata (on 29) are only three points ahead of MSP and OBU (26) but can't be beaten into the top eight by either by virtue of MSP and OBU meeting and cancelling each other out. Wainuiomata also beat OBU (23-20) when they met so the who beat who rule favours them if two of them were to finish on 29,30 or 31 points.

Wainuiomata host neighbours from over the hill Hutt Old Boys Marist in the last round on their Old Timers' Day at William Jones Park. A win for Wainuiomata over HOBM and other results going their way could see them finish as high as third, so there should be a big home crowd cheering their charges on.

There should also be much interest at the ground for the curtain-raiser between Wainuiomata's Senior 2 and Hutt Old Boys Marist's Senior 2 in what is a last round top of the table shoot off for the National Mutual Cup title.

The green and blacks (on 40 points) should just need to win, draw or lose within seven points and score four tries with HOBM (on 36) to take the Senior 2 title. HOBM will need to win and deny Wainuiomata points first and foremost or win with a bonus point to claim the title.

But both will be sweating on the results of a third team, Avalon (on 36), could yet come steaming up through the middle and take the title if Wainuiomata and HOBM finish on 40 and they beat eleventh placed Johnsonville with a bonus point. In the ‘who beat who' countback, Avalon beat Wainuiomata 25-20 and HOBM beat Avalon 7-0, while a fourth team Upper Hutt (35) are still mathematically in with a chance of winning this title as they beat Wainuiomata 21-20? back in week one. Additionally, the top two teams from the National Mutual Cup progress to Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup in the second round and a fifth team, Old Boys-University (35) are still alive to finish second.

Back in the Swindale Shield, Petone host Northern United, Poneke host Oriental-Rongotai and Tawa host Avalon in three big matches ahead of the Jubilee and Hardham Cup rounds.

Norths can finish their second consecutive Swindale Shield season unbeaten if they overcome Petone away at the Village. They are 56 points shy of 500 points for the season and a bonus point win would equal the 53 points out of a possible 55 they scored in last year's first round. Norths beat Petone twice last year, 13-8 in the first round and 34-20 in the second. Norths have now won seven, Petone four and with one draw from their last 12 matches.

Poneke and Ories meet at Kilbirnie Park for the Jim Grbich Memorial Shield, after the former Poneke player and seven-year Wellington and three-year Maori representative who died in a car accident in 1962. Together with Moray Bevan, Grbich formed a lethal combination in the midfield for Poneke, Wellington and New Zealand Maori.

Poneke are the current holders, winning 20-18 in the opening round of last year. Previous, Ories won this match in 2008 (24-14) for the first time in seven years and then retained it in 2009 (35-9). Poneke also won their Jubilee Cup clash last year (22-10).

Hardham Cup bound Tawa and Avalon meet at Lyndhurst Park in the other match and both will want to end their first rounds on a high and secure the edge of the other ahead of their impending Premier 2 round-robin clash. Tawa kicked a last-gasp penalty and grabbed their second win of the year last week against Petone while Avalon's solitary win was back in round two (31-3).

Meanwhile, Hutt Old Boys Marist won the Harper Lock Shield with a round to spare last weekend when they edged out Johnsonville 24-22, and they will have a chance to further ahead when they play 10^th placed Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngatitoa Domain. But the battle is all on this weekend for the remaining three spots for the Hardham Cup, possibly headlined by MSP.

Second placed Petone (on 37 points) are in the box seat to make the Hardham Cup for the first time since 2005 and will do so if they win, draw or score four or more tries and lose narrowly in their last round match against Northern United.

Below Petone, Norths, Poneke and Rimutaka are all on 34 points, so at least one of these teams will be disappointed late on Saturday afternoon.

Poneke and Rimutaka both have potentially tricky clashes to end their first rounds, Poneke playing rivals and ninth placed Ories and Rimutaka meeting eighth placed Johnsonville who have missed out but will be fired up to finish higher.

Sixth placed MSP (on 32 points) can still make it if any two of Norths, Poneke and Rimutaka lose and they beat seventh placed OBU at Nairnville Park. OBU (on 30) still have an outside chance of finishing inside the top four if results go their way and the sea parts for them. However, OBU and MSP could qualify and then miss out if their top teams miss out on a berth in the Jubilee Cup.

In the other last round Harper Lock Shield fixture Tawa and Stokes Valley clash in the battle for the wooden spoon.

Down the grades, there's a massive meeting of the lightweights at Kilbirnie Park 2 at 2.15pm when perennial combatants the MSP Blues and the Poneke Dogs of War meet in a top of the table JC Bowl Division One U85kg match.

With two rounds to go, the winner of the first round will likely come from this match. Key will be big defence. In six matches so far, MSP have conceded a miserly 14 points and Poneke 57.

The loser will likely be leapfrogged into second by the Tawa Titans who travel to Delaney Park to play the bottom placed and winless Stokes Valley.

Poneke's Senior 2 team plays Wellington at Kilbirnie Park for the Ray "Spud" Lindsay Memorial Shield. During the 1930s Lindsay played for Poneke's lower grade teams. In the 1940s he played for their senior side. For three years he was on the management committee as well as well as a player. Once he stopped playing he remained on the management committee for eight more years and also coached lower grade sides.

In 1956 he was appointed joint coach of the senior side after Vic Calcanai retired but in August 1958 Vic Calcanai replaced him, as the club's management was concerned about being relegated. After this, Ray Lindsay joined the Wellington club where he was involved until he died in 1973. The Lindsay family donated this trophy the year he died.