Rollercoaster rugby set to continue into third round

An opening fortnight of topsy-turvy results in the both the Jubilee and Hardham Cups makes for another exciting afternoon of Premier and Premier 2 rugby this Saturday.

After two rounds of the Jubilee Cup, only unbeaten Poneke and Ories can bring any recent consistent form to the table this week while winless Petone are in must-win territory if they want to make this year's playoffs. It's a similar story in the Hardham Cup, where two out the three unbeaten sides after two matches are ‘B' teams and Premier side Tawa are yet to get off the mark.

With a month of regular season rugby to play after this Saturday, the third round of the Jubilee and Hardham Cup is thus a massive one for those teams yet to register a win after the opening fortnight, a chance to break free from the pack for those unbeaten teams and an afternoon spent on edge for supporters of those teams in between with a win and a loss so far.

The spotlight this weekend is also in the Hutt Valley with Hutt clubs hosting seven of the eight Jubilee and Hardham Cup games.

Starting in Petone, the home side hosts Poneke in what is a key clash for both sides, but for the opposite reasons. Petone, who have suffered back-to-back defeats to Wainuiomata (20-22) and Oriental-Rongotai (23-49), must win to keep their playoff chances alive. A third win for Poneke, following wins against Hutt Old Boys Marist (23-0) and Wainuiomata (33-18), will put them in on the home straight towards qualifying for the semi-finals for the eighth season out of the past nine.

Petone will need to break a seven-season record from this point on to make the semi-finals for the third consecutive year. In the previous seven years between 2004-2010 at least, no side has qualified for the semi-finals after losing their first two round-robin games.

The closest in recent seasons that one team has come to stuttering at the start of the Jubilee Cup round and then recovering to make the playoffs is Norths in 2004 - and they went all the way to win the title after a rocky opening fortnight. In the first round in 2004 Norths beat Poneke 6-3 (guess where that game was played). They then lost to MSP 20-27 the following week, edged out Tawa 11-9 in round three, before going on to win their next six games including the final for their first Jubilee Cup.

After a less than salubrious start to the season, Poneke have suddenly come alive to win their first two games. Their win last week against Wainuiomata was their first bonus point victory of the season, with their experienced pack members such as Misipalauni Moananu and Masefau Leuleniu combining well with their representative stars Dane Coles and Reggie Goodies and with their up and comers such as Joe Latta and Presley Tufaga.

One thing that is probable is that this game will be close. The widest winning margin from the last five games between these two teams has been just seven points, these results being Poneke winning 13-10 in 2009, Petone 28-21 and 25-21 in 2010, and Poneke 13-6 (2010 semi-final) and then Petone 24-20 (round one this year).

Across the river, a good gauge of the fortunes of both Ories and HOBM will likely be found at the end of another hugely anticipated round three clash at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

Ories are on a roll having won their last three games straight, against Poneke, Upper Hutt and Petone, and won them all convincingly, scoring 115 points and conceding 38 in the process. Their hard nosed forwards and powerful backs are hitting their straps nicely and if they beat the Eagles this week then surely they'll be pressed not to make the semi-finals.

HOBM, are coming off a sound defeat in round one at the hands of Poneke, followed by a 20-19 slaying of Norths away at Porirua Park, so their fans will be hoping they bring the form from the latter game not the former to this clash against Ories.

Ories pipped HOBM 14-10 when they met in the first round at the Polo Ground, but HOBM won both their last two matches at the Hutt Recreation Ground last year - 46-5 (seven tries to one) in the Swindale Shield and 14-8 in the Jubilee Cup.

Over the hill at William Jones Park, Wainuiomata will be eager to jump back into the victor's circle against Marist St. Pat's in yet another potentially explosive clash for the fortunes of both teams - particularly after Wainuiomata crushed MSP 44-27 in round one when they met at Evans Bay Park to record their first win over them in Premier rugby.

Wainuiomata have a three win - three loss record at home this season, but every game there has been close and decided by the margin of five points or fewer. Wainuiomata's three wins at home so far have been against Tawa 35-32, OBU 23-20 and Petone 22-20, while HOBM only beat them there by a point. Other close away wins for them closer to home have been against Avalon 30-28 and Petone 36-33.

In MSP, they meet a side that has seemingly turned the corner having pushed Norths close in the first round and ran through Upper Hutt last weekend.

Up the valley at Maidstone Park, home side Upper Hutt could be a dangerous proposition for a Norths team that needs to get back on track and re-assert its credentials. Having lost their first two matches to Ories and MSP, Upper Hutt could throw caution to the wind and play all out attacking rugby to try and unseat the champions.

Norths need to get their campaign back on track following their loss to HOBM and last week, narrow win the week before against a previously struggling MSP and draw before that against a hot and cold Petone side. Already missing some key players such as both the Palu brothers, both to injury*, Norths will bleed more of its stars when the first Vodafone Wellington Lions squad is named just around the corner.

The situation is just as tense in the Hardham Cup, particularly for Tawa supporters. Tawa have opened their second round campaign with two straight defeats, to OBU (8-21) and Avalon (3-32) and this week's assignment might not get much easier when they host Poneke B at home at Lyndhurst Park. Poneke B edged out HOBM B 9-0 in pouring rain in their opener and then upset Avalon 13-10 in a mud fest last week. Poneke B are a hugely committed defensive side with a goal kicking first five-eighth in Chris Thomson, so Tawa will need to play with their attacking spirit to get the five points they need from this game.

The Hardham Cup statistics from recent years are against Tawa. Out of 28 semi-finalists in the previous seven Hardham Cups between 2004-2010, just three (Johnsonville in 2006,? Wainuiomata in 2009 and Avalon last year) have lost or drawn both their first two round-robin matches and gone on to make the playoffs five weeks later.

Similarly, the last time a ‘B' side made the Hardham Cup playoffs was in 2002, when Marist St. Pat's B reached that year's semi-finals in the same year that their First XV won of their many Jubilee Cup titles.

Norths ‘B' are another side also hoping to make the semi-finals at the expense of the current premier sides, plus 2012 Swindale Shield hopefuls Rimutaka. Having disposed of the Wests Roosters 19-3 and accounted for first round Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield champions Hutt Old Boys Marist 51-12, Norths turn to face Rimutaka at Maoribank Park. Rimutaka will be desperate for victory, knowing that their semi-final chances would truly be in peril if they were to lose to Norths B whom they lost to 9-21 in the first round at Porirua Park.

In this week's feature clash between two established Premier sides, Avalon hosts the Wests Roosters at Fraser Park. This is another match that could go either way, with both so far losing to ‘B' sides, but both also earning wins in their other matches. The Roosters will also be out for revenge against the side that beat them 31-3 back in round two of the Swindale Shield.

In the round's other clash, HOBM B host Old Boys-University in the early game at the Hutt Recreation Ground. With wins under their belt against Rimutaka (33-17) and Tawa (21-8), the students will be eyeing up a bonus point victory that would put them out to a handy advantage with just a short sprint to the finish line after this week.

In other grades, Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup favourites Petone will be wary of Stokes Valley after the latter gained their first win of the season last week over Avalon when they meet at the Petone Recreation Ground in the Jubilee Cup curtain-raiser at 1.15pm.

Johnsonville will also be out to make it three from three against Avalon at Helston Park, as will Paremata-Plimmerton over defending Ed Chaney Cup champions Old Boys-University at Nairnville Park.

In the Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial, unbeaten Wellington host Poneke at Hataitai Park at 3.00pm and Hutt Old Boys Marist will also be vying for their third consecutive win when they take on OBU at the Hutt Rec.

At the other end of the table, Johnsonville and Upper Hutt will be anxious for their first wins in home games against MSP and Norths respectively.

In the Victoria Tavern Women's competition, Eketahuna have the bye, giving the other teams the chance to close up their 10-point lead on the points table after five rounds. In this week's matches, Wainuiomata host OBU, Stokes Valley host Norths and Petone entertain MSP.