Sink or swim time for top eight battlers this weekend

Above: Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst on the charge for Rimutaka against Wainuiomata last weekend. Photo courtesy of Nigel Lloyd

Heading into the final month of this year's Swindale Shield, the race for the title and the tussle further down the table to finish inside the top eight and play in the Jubilee Cup are both wide open.

As it stands, there's still five teams still in with a realistic chance of winning this year's Swindale Shield pending their own results and that of others. Frontrunners Hutt Old Boys Marist (on 28 points), Marist St Pat's (26), Wainuiomata (26), Upper Hutt (24) and Oriental-Rongtotai (22) can count themselves in the hunt for the first round trophy. Defending champions Northern United (16) are probably too far back.

Down the table, only one of the remaining seven challengers - Rimutaka - are definitely heading for the Hardham Cup in the second round at this stage, leaving at least six teams who are not in title contention fighting it out from now on to various degrees to finish inside the top eight.

The picture could become a lot clearer by late Saturday afternoon in a round where the outcomes of all six matches could have a direct bearing on the fortunes of others.

None more so that at Kilbirnie Park, where home team and top eight battlers Poneke host outright competition leaders Hutt Old Boys Marist on their Old Timers' Day.

Both teams go into this key game desperate to win for contrasting reasons. For frontrunners HOBM, they will maintain their lead at the top of the table and first round title honours will be within their grasp should they prevail. Should they lose they will be overtaken by either Wainuiomata or Marist St. Pat's who clash at William Jones Park and joined by or overtaken by Upper Hutt if they win against the Wests Roosters at home.

For Poneke, currently three points outside the top eight, a win over the competition leaders will be a much desired outcome for their supporters. If they beat HOBM they will at least join either Petone and Old Boys University who meet on Petone's Old Timers' Day at the Village or Norths who play Ories away. But should they lose, Poneke could be overtaken by both Wests and Tawa and they will face an uphill battle to make the Jubilee Cup round.

With the third best defence of the Swindale Shield so far, Poneke's chief problem thus far has ?been scoring points at the other end of the field. So the stage is set for a game breaking performance from one or more of their players to topple the leaders and steer their season back on course.

Poneke and HOBM play for the Roy John Trophy. Roy John played for Poneke in the 1940s before moving to the Hutt club. He was an outstanding sportsman, representing Wellington at first five-eighth and halfback and at that time the whole Hutt club backline made up the Wellington set of backs. He also played senior cricket in Wellington.

Although HOBM go into this match as favourites, Poneke can take comfort in the fact that they have won the last eight straight and nine of their previous 10 encounters against HOBM. The Eagles' last victory over the red and blacks was in round one of the 2007 Jubilee Cup. Last year Poneke retained the Roy John Trophy with a hard fought 8-5 win, and then prevailed again in the second round 23-0.

In another colossal match, both for the points table and for bragging rights, Ories host Norths in a re-match of last year's Jubilee Cup final and for the To'omaga Alex Iona Memorial Cup.

Not only are Norths keen to get their campaign rolling again in preparation for a big second round, but they're eager to get one back on Ories who powered past them 40-18 in last August's final.

Stung by Petone and lucky to escape with a bonus point last week, Norths need another big performance to consolidate their place inside the top eight against an Ories team that bounced back from the previous week's heavy loss to MSP to put away OBU at the Hawkins Basin Reserve.

Last year Norths and Ories met three times. Norths won the first clash 21-16 at the Polo Ground and Ories won 32-30 in the Jubilee Cup round robin and again in the final.

They play their second annual To'omaga Alex Iona Memorial Cup match. Alex was a life member of Norths but first played for Ories on his arrival from Samoa, then moved to Porirua City to live and joined the then Porirua RFC where he continued to play the game before taking up coaching in the lower grades. Alex then became involved with management roles on the committee and he also had a strong involvement in the Wellington Samoan Rugby Union.

At the Petone Recreation Ground, home team Petone and OBU are set to do battle in another important clash, with the winner likely to break out of the bottom four relegation zone.

Also at stake on Petone's Old Timers' Day is the Marc Verhoeven Memorial Trophy, up for grabs between the two clubs for the first time following the passing of Marc ‘Alby' Verhoeven on 19 August last year. He was a member of the 1978 Wanganui Collegiate first XV led by future All Blacks RWC winning halfback David Kirk and played for Petone and OBU in the 1980s and 1990s and for Wellington between 1986-91.

Petone are currently one point ahead of OBU on the standings and both teams have had three wins from seven. Whilst Petone are coming off three consecutive wins, OBU have had a win, a draw and a loss in their last three matches. To win, not only do OBU have to contain Petone's buoyant backline that sparkled in the first half against Norths last week, but they'll need to score some tries themselves. Having scored 106 points thus far, only minnows Rimutaka have scored fewer points. Petone have scored 214. Additionally, of their previous seven encounters going back to 2007, six have been won by Petone and one was a draw.

Over the hill at William Jones Park, Wainuiomata defend the Bill Brien Challenge Cup against Marist St Pat's. Not only will the winner of this contest win the Bill Brien, but they could also be top of the table by Saturday evening should HOBM lose to Poneke at Kilbirnie.

Both teams enter this match with near identical records after seven matches. Both are on 26 points having won five from seven, while MSP have scored 222 points and conceded 105 and Wainuiomata have scored 215 and conceded 108. For MSP, who outlasted Wests at the Cage last week, this is the second of four games away from home in the back half of the first round. Wainuiomata return home after accounting for Rimutaka away last week. In three matches to date at William Jones Park, they have had narrow wins over Petone and Poneke and a 15-15 draw with OBU.

In their first Premier win over MSP, Wainuiomata beat MSP 44-27 in this corresponding match last year, while MSP prevailed 39-7 in their return match in the Jubilee Cup.

Upper Hutt are the competition's leading attacking side after eight rounds, having scored 248 points at an average of 31 points a game. However they are also coming off a loss to frontrunners HOBM after leading the Eagles right up until the final minutes and they have slipped back into fourth.

Their 22-27 defeat to HOBM was their second in their last three games following three wins and a draw, and they return home to Maidstone Park to host the Wests Roosters.

The Roosters will be smarting after their last-gasp loss to MSP in the previous round, which followed on from a win over Norths and a close loss to Poneke in the previous two weeks. Their last appearance in the Jubilee Cup was back in 2007, and if they want to play there again they will do themselves big favours by winning this match.

If so, they'll be doing it without their star openside flanker Scott Fuglistaller, now with the Highlanders, while Upper Hutt lost first five-eighth Ben Aiona to concussion early against HOBM so a backline reshuffle could be on the cards for them.

In three games at home so far this year, Upper Hutt have beaten Wainuiomata 25-23, Rimutaka 77-0 and Tawa 34-20, while they have beaten Wests in each of their last three fixtures, all at Maidstone Park, including a 69-9 victory there last year.

At Lyndhurst Park, Tawa will be hoping to take the maximum competition points from their clash with Rimutaka and then quite possibly leapfrog both Wests and Poneke and draw level with OBU and end the round in as high as eighth spot.

An upset win for Rimutaka would more than likely spell the end of Tawa's challenge to make the top eight.

Harper Lock Shield

This week's Harper Lock Shield round features a top of the table clash and several key mid-table encounters including a likely do-or-die match between Premier hopefuls Avalon and Johnsonville.

With Senior 1 title honours at stake as well as the top four teams playing in the Premier 2 Hardham Cup over the second half of the season, there's a lot riding on several teams in this week's eighth round.

At the top, just five points separate the leading four sides, while mid-table there are six contenders on either 17, 18 or 20 points and still in the race for the top four - including first XV sides from Johnsonville, Avalon and Paremata-Pimmerton who need to finish inside the top four to have a chance of earning Premier status for 2013.

The Curtain-raiser clash at William Jones Park at 1.15pm is a top of the table clash between leaders MSP (on 28 points) and second placed Wainuiomata (26). If not a title deciding match just yet, the winner of this game will likely book their passage into the Hardham Cup for the second round. For Wainuiomata, this would likely mean their top two teams playing in the Jubilee and Hardham Cups for for the first time.

Third placed OBU (24 points) will be right in the mix and will move to second if they can overcome Petone (17) in the curtain raiser at the Petone Recreation Ground on Petone's Old Timers' Day.

Similarly, fourth placed Norths (23) will expect to advance their cause if they can beat winless Ories (3) at the Polo Ground at 1.15pm.

At Kilbirnie Park at 1.15pm, HOBM (18) and Poneke (17) square off in another key match for both teams.

In a significant match for both clubs at Fraser Park, Avalon (20) hosts Johnsonville (18) on to Fraser Park at 3.00pm on their Old Timers' Day in what could be a sink or swim clash for both in terms of finishing inside the top four. In such as tight race, the winner will keep in touch of the lead but the loser could fall behind with just three rounds to go after this.

Similarly, Paremata-Plimmerton (17) can stay in contention if they beat strugglers Tawa (3) at Lyndhurst Park at 1.15pm.

National Mutual Cup

The top teams in the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup, Wellington and Upper Hutt, will be expected to win their eighth round matches on form.

Unbeaten Wellington (on 34 points) play 10^th placed Stokes Valley (11) point at Hataitai Park at 3.00pm and Upper Hutt (29) host 11^th placed Wests (11) at Maidstone Park at 1.15pm.

Wellington and Upper Hutt are in the box seat to be the two teams from this grade to earn promotion to the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup for the second round.

Elsewhere, third placed Poneke (24) play seventh placed HOBM (17) at Kilbirnie Park, fourth placed OBU (20) meet winless Petone (5) at the Petone Rec, fifth placed Norths (20) play ninth placed Ories (12) at the Polo Ground and sixth placed Avalon (19) meet eighth placed MSP (13) at Fraser Park.

Victoria Tavern Trophy

In first round Victoria Tavern Trophy Premier Women's games this week,? Norths host OBU at Porirua Park, Wainuiomata entertain Ories at Mary Crowther Park and defending second round champions Eketahuna travel to Delany Park to play Stokes Valley. All matches kick-off at 11.30am.

Williment Trophy

Wellington College?will look to complete a sweep of the?round-robin matches in their third and ?final set of Williment Trophy pre-season matches against Rongotai College at Rongotai at 2.30pm.

In the other match, St. Pat's Silverstream host St. Pat's Town at 2.30pm.

The Premier competition proper starts the following week, involving these four teams and four qualifiers from the other grading games that wrap up this weekend.