Key third round of Jubilee and Hardham Cup matches tomorrow

The third week of the Jubilee and Hardham Cups often proves to be a pivotal one and this year shapes as to be no different. Come the end of play tomorrow teams will be that much clearer on just what their chances are and what work they need to do over the remaining weeks. Conditions are likely to be much better than they were for the corresponding round last year, which was played in the aftermath of a significant southerly storm and saw only a handful of games go ahead.

Jubilee Cup

There's perhaps no better indication of how important this set of matches is to the Jubilee Cup contenders with nearly three-quarters of teams that win going onto the semi-finals over the past 10 years. For the sides going into this week with one-win emerging with the victory does greatly enhance their chances of making the semi-finals, but three times over that same span a team in that position (Norths 2007, MSP 2009 and Petone 2010) has dropped its third game to fall to one-win and two-losses yet still made the last-four, though only MSP going on to claim the title.

The two clubs at the opposite ends of the table clash at Maidstone Park, with home side the Upper Hutt Rams taking on Hutt Old Boys Marist. The Eagles find themselves as the only side with two wins after this time coming out on the right side of another tight tussle with Petone, and their young backline continues to impress with teenaged wingers Chase Tiatia and Fereti Soloa scoring two of their three tries. There is also a considerable incentive to make it 3-from-3, as no side as missed the playoffs from that position in the last 10 years. History over that same period doesn't favour the Rams chances with no team having made the semi-finals after dropping its opening two games. The table is tightly bunched though and a win in front of their supporters could drag them back into the race, but they will need a better defensive effort than what they showed at Evans Bay. The side's last meeting was hugely memorable, featuring HOBM's breathtaking comeback from 17-40 down with only 12 minutes to play to snatch a 41-40 win.

Wainuiomata sit second as the only other unbeaten side, but will be wondering how they gave up an early 16-0 lead to draw 19-all with Tawa. They are actually the away team for this game at William Jones Park against Old Boys-University, with the anomaly coming about as a result of the clubs agreeing to move their last-round Swindale match to the Basin (won 47-22 by the Goats) after the death of OBU identity Richard Newsome. OBU overcame Ories in an arm wrestle at the Polo Ground, having the satisfaction of scoring the only tries of the game and keeping Ories from crossing their line with a strong defensive effort. They will gladly take a repeat performance this weekend while Wainui will look to recapture the form of their midseason six-game win streak.

Back over in the Hutt Valley, Petone face defending champs Tawa on the Petone Rec. Kicking woes probably cost the Villagers the match against HOBM and with it top spot on the log, but their mix of experience and youth is clicking well. They were also the side that started Tawa's winless streak when they toppled them at Lyndhurst 31-27 and claimed the Bill Brien Challenge Cup, which will be at stake in this match. While less-than-ideal, Tawa's predicament isn't dire as there is a precedent for a side making the semis from their position; Petone in 2006 started with a draw and a loss and still qualified, but should they go down on Saturday a season that started so brightly may be rendered lost.

The final clash is at Evans Bay between eastern suburbs neighbours Marist St Pats and Oriental-Rongotai. Both sides turned in vastly different performances to what they produced the previous week; MSP atoning for a flat outing against Petone by running in nine tries against the Rams in their return to their home patch, while Ories, minus their professionals who ran riot over Tawa, struggled unsuccessfully to break down OBU's defence. With both sides having one-win one-loss records the stakes are high in this match, which will have international referee Mike Fraser in charge.

All Jubilee Cup matches are at 3.00 pm

Hardham Cup

Two sides have opened their Hardham Cup campaigns with a pair of wins, but both face tricky assignments tomorrow.

Poneke have started with reasonably comfortable wins over promoted sides MSP and Paremata-Plimmerton, but this weekend face Swindale opposition in the form of Wellington, on the Axemen's turf at Hataitai Park. The Axemen have also beaten the Ngatitoa side, but suffered the backlash to Norths first-up loss last weekend. When the two sides met in the Swindale Shield it was a narrow one-point win to Poneke, a result that effectively ended the Axemen's hopes of a late run at a Jubilee Cup place and something they will be looking to reverse this time around.

At Fraser Park Avalon takes on OBU. The home side has toppled Johnsonville, safely saw off MSP last weekend, and tomorrow takes on the only side to have beaten them so far in 2014 looking to reverse that 16-20 scoreline from the Harper Lock Shield. The Goats 2nd XV is proving as stubborn as their namesake suggests and after shocking Norths, they all but did the same to Johnsonville and are showing themselves to be genuine contenders and not just spoilers.

Paremata-Plimmerton has had two credible though unrewarded outings so far against Swindale opposition. Tomorrow they face a third with Johnsonville the visitors to Ngatitoa Domain, and with injuries a major and ongoing concern for the Helston side the home team may see this as their best chance to nab a Premier scalp. Johnsonville only got up at the death against OBU and will probably want to make certain of things much earlier this time out. All three of the above matches are at 3.00 pm.

The sole 1.15 pm kickoff is at Kilbirnie Park where MSP play for the third week in succession, this time taking on Norths. The Scarlet's seconds need a win to get back into the hunt, but Norths responded to their upset loss to OBU with a six-try performance against Wellington and will be looking for a repeat of the latter rather than the former.

Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup

Four sides are unbeaten through two rounds, with two of those - Petone and Tawa - clashing in the early game at the Petone Rec.

Leaders - on points difference - Poneke play two-loss Wellington in the early game at Hataitai in a battle of the two sides promoted from Senior 2, with Poneke looking to avenge their only loss so far this season; while at Maidstone Park the Upper Hutt Rams take on mid-table HOBM, also at 1.15 pm.

The other matches see Wainuiomata take on Norths at Mary Crowther at 1.00 pm, while winless sides Wests and Ories clash at Ian Galloway at 3pm, with the hosts coming off securing their first competition point for the whole season last weekend.

College Premier

The College Premier grades enter their fifth round, with a number of schools backing up after midweek games. In Premier 1 there is a top-four clash at Trentham Racecourse with home side Hutt International, who suffered their first loss when upset by Rongotai, up against neighbours St Pats Silverstream with the local leaders having added to their strong record by defeating Christchurch school St Bede's 31-19 in their annual traditional on Tuesday. At Scots College the home side will be looking to add to Wellington College's difficult season, after the visitors came from behind to draw their annual match with Christchurch Boys High 19-all, also on Tuesday. St Pats Town, the third side with three wins, faces St Bernard's on Kilbirnie #2, while strugglers Naenae College visit Rongotai College. All four matches are 2.30 pm kickoffs.

In the Premier 2 grade Wairarapa College assumed the lead after Porirua defaulted to them last Saturday, and they make the trip to Raumati to take on mid-table Kapiti College at 1.00 pm and at the same time the Wellington College and Silverstream 2nd XV's meet at Wellington College. In 2.30pm kickoffs Upper Hutt hosts Paraparaumu in matchup of one-win sides and winless Aotea host Hutt Valley HS, while the highlight match of the round is at Porirua College where Tawa College are the visitors. This will be the second of now at least three meetings this year between the sides with Tawa winning the Beard Trophy match 10 days ago, and the two sides will also now contest the Co-ed Cup final after progressing in contrasting fashion at Porirua Park on Wednesday night.

Other grades

After a three-week break local competition resumes in the Women's grade for the second-round Victoria Tavern Trophy. Defending champions Norths start their campaign against minnows Tawa at Lyndhurst Park, while Fleur's Trophy winners Oriental-Rongotai are up against neighbours Poneke at Kilbirnie Park. The other two matches have Stokes Valley at home to Old Boys-University at Delaney Park, while Wainuiomata will look to avenge their narrow Fleur's loss to Avalon when the two sides clash at Mary Crowther. All four matches are 11.30 am kickoffs.

Two teams are unbeaten after two weeks of the Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Cup. OBU Green face the Wellington Axemen at Te Whaea at 1,00 pm looking to keep their long unbeaten run intact, while Petone Blue take on HOBM at the Hutt Rec at 1.15pm. Also at 1.15 Norths host OBU Black at Porirua Park, with the two winless sides, MSP and Ories, clashing on the St Pats artificial at 1.30 pm.?

Avalon heads the Senior 2 HD Morgan Cup after two rounds, and this week take on OBU in the early game at Fraser Park. In 3 pm games HOBM and Stokes Valley, who are the other undefeated sides, take on the Upper Hutt Rams at Maidstone and Petone at the Petone Rec respectively, while winless MSP face Norths at Martin Luckie Park. Johnsonville has the bye.

Finally, the second round of the Under 85kg grade starts this week. There have been some late changes to the format of the competition, details of which Club Rugby is trying to obtain. However what we do know is that the defending champion MSP Blues start their quest for yet another trophy double tonight at Te Whaea at 6.30 pm against the Poneke Cavs, while the Tawa Titans take on the OBU Spartans at Redwood at 1.15 pm. The top two sides from the first-round Division 2, Avalon and Waikanae, clash again up the coast at 3.00 pm.