Derby Day for Wellington club rugby on Thursday

ANZAC Day rugby hits Wellington tomorrow, with the fifth round of Swindale Shield matches being played around the region from 3.00 pm.

The midweek round of matches, also including a full round of Senior 1 and Senior 2 games, doubles as Derby Day with several mouthwatering match-ups predicted as teams not only chase valuable competition points but bragging rights against some of their closest rivals.

In five of six Swindale Shield matches on Thursday the home team hosts its nearest neighbour, while the other match on show is the battle for Wellington Marist supremacy. As such, there is an interclub trophy on the line in all six Premier matches and two more being contested in the lower grades. Starting XVs will be named on Thursday morning on the Draws & Results section (above).

Unbeaten ?so far in 2013, Poneke can keep their 13-match winning run alive if they overcome Oriental-Rongotai in this week's battle for eastern suburbs supremacy at Kilbirnie Park.

Ories are the last side that beat Poneke, in this corresponding at the end of the first round last year, as they play to win their fourth win in five matches and also defend the Jim Grbich Memorial Shield against the in-form red and black contenders.

Former Poneke player Jim Grbich was a seven-year Wellington and three-year Maori representative who died in a car accident in 1962. Together with Moray Bevan, Grbich formed a solid midfield combination for Poneke, Wellington and New Zealand Maori.

The ground will rumble when home team Tawa and visitors Northern United run on to Lyndhurst Park to do battle for the Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy.

Tawa, who suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday to Poneke, will be eager to get back on the winner's wagon against a Norths side that may finally be hitting its straps. After an indifferent start, Norths won their second consecutive victory on Saturday, reining in a 15-point deficit to beat defending first round champions Hutt Old Boys Marist 23-20.

Look out for former Hurricane Api Naikatini's forwards battle with his boisterous Tawa opposites, which should be worth the price of a car parking ticket alone.

Norths will be defending the Sammy Saili Trophy for the fourth consecutive season after winning this match 26-13 last year. Supporters of both sides will well recall their classic return encounter in the Jubilee Cup when Tawa raced to a 17-3 halftime lead and held on in the second half to win 20-13.

Sammy Saili passed away suddenly in 2009. He ?played over 200 Premier games for Norths between 1992-1995 and for Tawa from 1996-2008. He coached junior rugby for Tawa RFC and Tawa College. He was church and Samoan community leader and recruited many Pacific Islanders (from Porirua) to the Tawa club.

Considering they haven't had a home game yet, the Hutt Old Boys Marist Eagles are travelling well. They've won three from four and ?met their first loss of the season to Norths on Saturday, missing out 20-23, in an away game at Porirua Park.

On Thursday they turn the Hutt Recreation Ground into hostile territory for the first time in 2013,in the first of four consecutive home matches,

The Eagles host Marist St. Pat's, who have also won three of their first four matches and are coming off a win at home on Saturday against the Wests Roosters.

The Father Cleary Shield that they play for commemorates the late Father Tom Cleary, a sportsmaster and well known St Pat's Town First XV coach and one of the founders of the St. Pat's College Old Boys RC. It was first played for between MSP and Hutt Valley Marist in 1974.

Last year HOBM won the Shield off MSP for the first time in five years. HOBM came back from a halftime deficit to win 19-14, one of several close clashes in recent seasons. Others include HOBM's 29-28 win in 2006 and MSP 32-29,? 22-20 and 18-13 wins in 2009, 2010? and 2011 respectively.

The three winless teams - the Wests Roosters, Wainuiomata and Rimutaka - realistically must win their ANZAC Day matches or they'll be gone from the top eight and playing in the Hardham Cup for the second half of the season.

Neither can afford to start their seasons with a record of none from five, but for a record of what can be done they can look at the 2006 Old Boys University side and the 2008 Ories team.

In 2006, OBU, who had finished dead last the previous year, lost or drew four of their first five matches and then won six on the trot and finished third in the Swindale Shield. In 2008 Ories lost their first four matches, but recovered to win five of their next six to sneak into the Jubilee Cup round.

The Wests Roosters host Old Boys University at Ian Galloway Park for the Omar Cup, in an important clash for both sides. Both are coming off round four losses. The Roosters missed out 10-28 to MSP on Saturday, while OBU were undone 23-30 by Upper Hutt.

Despite the loss to MSP, there were enough encouraging signs for the Roosters to suggest they could be a threat to the students if they play with more patience and control. They've got several game breakers such as prop Chris Eaves and wing Tupeni Kamakorewa, who was the leading try scorer in last year's Swindale Shield for HOBM with 11, while their Japanese quintet offer zest and energy.? OBU will also be missing five frontline players who are currently with the NZ Universities side in Japan.

The Wests Roosters will need to break an 11-match duck against OBU at Premier level if they are to reclaim the Omar Cup. OBU prevailed 10-6 in this match last year.

Apart from a 10-10 draw in 2009, OBU have won all their clashes going back to 2005 when Wests beat them 19-9, although Wests went close in 2010 when Wests scored a late try to close to 35-36 but couldn't land the winning conversion.

The Gregg brothers donated the Omar Cup. Dave Gregg was a fullback for WCOB for many years while Jim Gregg played for Onslow. It is called the Omar Cup as they both lived in Omar Street in Khandallah.

Wainuiomata's fans will be hoping for something special from their team when they host Petone at William Jones Park for the Darren Larsen Cup.

In a hotly contested match, they went close to beating Ories at home on Saturday, while Petone strolled to an easy win over minnows Rimutaka.

Wainuiomata will be eager to defend the Darren Larsen Cup, which they have won for each of the past two years.? In this match last season, they beat Petone 23-13, while in 2011 they beat Petone 36-33 in a thriller. Wainuiomata raced to a 20-point lead and then held off a rollicking Petone comeback.

Wainuiomata have also won their last two Jubilee Cup clashes (including 50-20 last year) which means Petone haven't beaten them in five matches when they prevailed 24-20 at William Jones Park in 2010.

Upper Hutt enjoyed a timely first-up win on Saturday against OBU and their supporters will be hoping for more of the same at Maoribank Park against Rimutaka for the Daryl Amies Cup.

The top of the table clash between Avalon and Old Boys Marist and the match? between Poneke and the Wellington Axemen for the Spud Lindsay Memorial Trophy are the two feature clashes of Thursday's fifth round set of Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield battles.

The Avalon - Old Boys University match at 3.00 pm at Fraser Park is the clash of the two unbeaten teams. The winner could open up a decisive lead at the top of the table, pending other games, while the loser could be swallowed up by the chasing pack.

The Wellington Axemen, along with Johnsonville and Tawa, are part of that chasing pack? and will be backed to win their fourth win in five matches against winless Poneke at Hataitai Park at 3.00 pm. Wellington are the holders of the Spud Lindsay Trophy after beating Poneke 38-21 at Senior 2 level last year.

Johnsonville will cement their place near the top of the table when if they beat winless Upper Hutt at Helston Park at 3.00 pm.

Fourth placed Tawa host sixth placed Northern United in the 1.15 pm game at Lyndhurst Park.

Wainuiomata (two wins) entertain Petone (one win) in the early encounter at William Jones Park, and Paremata-Plimmerton (one win) host Marist St Pat's (one win) at Ngatitoa Domain.

On early season form, Avalon and Hutt Old Boys Marist should continue to set the pace in round five of the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup. Both are unbeaten after four rounds and both play winless sides on Thursday.

Avalon play Stokes Valley for the Roger Mildenhall Cup at 1.15 pm at Fraser Park and Hutt Old Boys host MSP in the curtain-raiser at the Hutt Recreation Ground.

Avalon are the holders of the the Roger Mildenhall Cup, having won this clash 32-10 in 2012. Donated by his family in 1995, Roger Mildenhall was a Life member of the Avalon Rugby club and a long-term resident of Stokes Valley.

In other Senior 2 clashes on Thursday, the Wests Roosters (two wins) host OBU?? (three) at Ian Galloway Park at 1.15 pm, Poneke (winless) host Ories (three) at Kilbirnie Park at 1.15 pm, Johnsonville (three) square off with Norths (two) at Helston Park at 1.15 pm, and Wainuiomata (one) welcome Petone (two) on to Mary Crowther Park for a 1.15 pm kick-off.

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