Tough week ahead for title hopefuls

The Wellington club rugby Premier Swindale Shield, Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield and Senior 2 National Mutual Cup competitions all move into top gear from this Saturday with rounds three, four and five played over the course of the next week, including next Wednesday's midweek ANZAC Day round.

It's early in a long season, but the pressure is already on several teams to chalk up wins or they could be gone by the end of April.

The Petone Premiers are one such contender who will find themselves in the gun from as early as next Wednesday's fourth round if they can't earn their first Swindale Shield win this Saturday against unbeaten Upper Hutt.

Petone are none from two having lost to Wainuiomata (13-23) and the Wests Roosters (22-34). The Villagers can ill afford to drop a third consecutive match, or, not only will the 2009 joint first round champions' drive for a 40th championship title almost certainly be over but they'll be severely under the pump when they turn and meet rivals Hutt Old Boys Marist on ANZAC Day's McBain Shield clash. That's not considering the third match in a week they'll play four days later when they host Poneke for the Tilyard shield.

In contrast to Petone, Upper Hutt have had a buoyant, if fortuitous, start to their campaign. They were the surprise package of the opening week, exploding past Norths at Porirua 46-34, before putting in a shaky performance to beat Wainuiomata 25-23 on fulltime. They secured bonus points in both victories and already have a 10-point jump on Petone, who, along with Tawa and newcomers Rimutaka, have yet to trouble the points table administrators.?

The Connelly Cup is also on the line this Saturday between Petone and Upper Hutt - and the last two editions of the Connelly Cup were both decided by a single point. The Connelly Cup is played in honour? of former Upper Hutt coach and Life Member Eric Connelly and Upper Hutt are the current holders having won it off Petone last year 27-26. This match saw the men in maroon grab the lead late in the game and then Petone miss with both a penalty and a dropped goal in the dying moments. This was on the back of their 2010 first round clash in which Upper Hutt out scored Petone four tries to three but Petone won 24-23.

As Well as Petone's Swindale Shield team, 10 other teams across the top three grades will be playing to register their opening wins of the season this Saturday.

Tawa are in a similar situation as Petone. For last year's Hardham Cup champions Tawa, the drive to go one better and make the 2012 Jubilee Cup will become steep if they don't register their first win of the year on Saturday. They play at home at Lyndhurst Park against the team they stunned 25-20 in last year's Premier 2 final, Old Boys University, so the stage is set for them to break their duck.

In a tough start to the season, Tawa have so far had close losses to expected title contenders? Hutt Old Boys Marist (18-29) and Oriental-Rongotai (10-22) and after this they play neighbours Norths on ANZAC Day. OBU started with a 19-15 win over Marist St. Pat's before going down to HOBM 13-24, so will be eager to get their show back on the road as well as avenging the Hardham Cup final defeat.

Rimutaka's quest for competition points doesn't get any easier this Saturday when they return home to take on Ories at Maoribank Park. Ories are two from two in the winner's column and are looking good to get their season off to a flier.

In other round three Swindale Shield matches on Saturday, Wainuiomata host Poneke at William Jones Park, the Wests Roosters host Hutt Old Boys Marist at Ian Galloway Park and Norths play MSP at Porirua Park.

Poneke and Wainuiomata both have a win and a loss so far, and both will be anxious to win this match, which is played for the Hakaraia Trophy. The Hakaraia Trophy brings special significance to players and supporters of both teams, after the tragic death in a diving accident in January 2007 of Peter Hakaraia, the son of Paul who the trophy originally honoured. It is now played for in the memory of both Paul, a lifelong associate of both clubs, and son Peter. Poneke are the current holders, having regained it with a gritty 16-11 win at William Jones Park in April last year.

For Poneke, this is the first of three interclub? trophies on the line for them over the course of the next week. After this they turn to play MSP on Wednesday for the Mick Horan-Ken Millar Trophy and then Petone the following Saturday for the Fred Tilyard Shield.

The Wests Roosters produced the surprise performance of the round last week, roaring back into the match to steamroll Petone 34-22 at the Petone Recreation Ground. The Roosters will have to be on their game to do the same to HOBM at Ian Galloway Park. HOBM quashed the challenges of Tawa and OBU in their first two games and by all reports the Eagles are looking sharp.

However, with two huge matches to come the following Wednesday and Saturday against Petone for the McBain Shield and MSP for the Father Cleary Shield, will complacency be a factor for HOBM in round three? One more big early season scalp for Wests could be the trigger they need to rise again and make the Jubilee Cup.

The Norths-MSP clash at Porirua Park is another battle of the heavyweights, although recent history suggests a second win in three games to start 2012 for Norths is likely. Norths have won their last five straight Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup matches over MSP, including 48-10 and 13-8 wins over them last year. MSP's last win over Norths was their 21-16 Jubilee Cup final victory in August 2009.

For MSP, this is the start of a tough stretch of four games that sees them play Norths, Poneke on Wednesday, HOBM next Saturday and Ories the following Saturday in round six. Their fans will be glad they found form last week in their 13-try 82-3 win over Rimutaka.

In the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield, Avalon will be hopeful of recording their opening victory of the season over Petone's Senior 1 team, who have so far recorded a win and a draw.

Avalon and Petone play for the Morgan Family Trophy, formerly contested at Premier level when Avalon were playing in the Swindale Shield. This trophy was established in 1987 and donated by cousins John and Trevor Morgan on behalf of the family.

To make the Hardham Cup and have a shot at regaining Premier status, Avalon must finish inside the top four of the Harper Lock Shield. So far they've lost to Norths 27-49 and to Wainuiomata 19-20, and can ill afford another heartbreaker this Saturday.

After beating Wainuiomata 35-29, Petone held on for a 29-29 draw against Johnsonville after seeing a last-gasp penalty by Johnsonville that would have won the game sail wide of the uprights. In a see-saw game, Johnsonville were ahead 29-22, before Petone came back with a converted try to level the scores, ahead of Johnsonville's missed kick on fulltime.

On Saturday Johnsonville return to the scene of their first round 24-5 win over Ories at home at Helston Park to take on HOBM.

MSP and Poneke are the two unbeaten teams after two rounds of the Harper Lock Shield. They meet on ANZAC Day at Evans Bay Park, but first on Saturday MSP plays Norths at Porirua Park and Poneke plays Wainuiomata.

In other round 3 Senior 1 matches on Saturday, Tawa and Paremata-Plimmerton will both be searching for their opening wins. Tawa hosts OBU and Paremata-Plimmerton and Ories meet at Ngatitoa Domain.

In round 3 National Mutual Cup Senior 2 matches on Saturday two of the five unbeaten sides after the opening fortnight, Upper Hutt and Wests, play winless teams and could get an early jump on the field.

Upper Hutt and Wests both have the maximum 10 points after two matches, with Upper Hutt playing winless Petone away and Wests hosting HOBM who also missed out in their first two matches.

Poneke also have two wins from two and they play Avalon who with one win, while, going on early season form, the match of the round will be at Hataitai Park between unbeaten Wellington and Old Boys University.

Elsewhere, Stokes Valley are after their second win over winless Ories and MSP and Norths will both be out to open their accounts in the Senior 2 competition when they meet at Porirua Park.

In round 2 of the Fleurs Trophy Women's competition, first round winners OBU and Norths clash at Nairnville Park, Ories host Wainuiomata at the Polo Ground and Eketahuna welcome Stokes Valley on to Eketahuna Field.

The Poneke Dogs of War and the MSP Blues kick-start the U85kg Division 1 JC Bowl at Kilbirnie Park in a replay of last year's final.