So it ends with a whimper, not a bang. Face-palming into the high veldt. There are plenty of theories about why - personally I'm sticking with with two, the altitude factor and that yellow card. The Canes' certainly shot their bolt early on, and as you kind of felt at halftime, that Lions' try late in the half was a potential killer. And when they scored after the half, you could just feel the momentum  switch. As I mentioned last week, momentum is one key thing you can't give to South African teams, and especially at altitude...More

Samoan and Poneke openside Greg Foe will captain an experienced Wellington XV against Manawatu at the Otaki Domain on Sunday. Foe leads a team that features a selection of form players from the Wellington club competition this season, but excludes players involved in Saturday’s Jubilee Cup final between Old Boys University and Hutt Old Boys Marist. Foe, who has played five tests for Samoa, leads a team that features the return of three former Wellington representatives in Dan Kirkpatrick (Petone), Kane Thompson (Johnsonville) and Taniela Koroi (Tawa)...More

“We’ve had trouble fielding our strongest team this season which has created chances for others to step up. Now the coaches have a tough job selecting our best 22,” Dale Sabbagh acclaims when reflecting on Old Boys University’s (OBU) season. Despite employing the services of 56 players and 23 debutants in 2017, the Billygoats head into this Saturday’s Jubilee Cup final against Hutt Old Boys Marist riding the crest of a wave. In addition to holding the Swindale Shield and Andy Leslie Trophy, OBU destroyed Tawa 50-22 in their semi-final on Saturday to become just the second team since 2005 to amass a half century in a finals fixture...More

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max , Lovelocks Sports Bar  and Harcourts Johnsonville  Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this week. It’s the calm before the storm before finals weekend, and let’s hope the current erratic weather swings favourably for players and supporters of the 12 teams and seven clubs involved at the Petone Rec on Saturday. Finals day on Saturday sees Colts (Division 1 and 2), Women’s (Division 1 and 2), Premier Reserve and the championship Jubilee Cup final between Old Boys University and Hutt Old Boys Marist...More

Above: Kaliopasi Uluilakepa makes a break for the Petone Colts in this afternoon’s semi-final win over Tawa. Petone and OBU Green will contest next week’s final. Next week’s six finals at the Petone Rec are: Jubilee Cup: Old Boy University v Hutt Old Boys Marist John E Kelly Colts Division1: Petone v Old Boys University Women’s Victoria Tavern Trophy Division 1: Oriental-Rongotai v Old Boys University Ed Chaney Cup Premier Reserve: Old Boys University v Petone Vic Calcinai Trophy Colts Division 2: Upper Hutt Rams v Kapiti Women’s Division 2: Petone v Paremata-Plimmerton Old Boys University and Hutt Old Boys Marist will meet in next Saturday’s 2017 Jubilee Cup final at the Petone Rec after winning contrasting semi-finals this afternoon...More

Above: Dane Coles, Beuaden Barrett, Nehe Milner-Scudder and TJ Perenara are all in the starting XV to play the Lions in their semi-final, kick-off at 12.30am Sunday NZT.  I've got a feeling it could be desperately close on Saturday morning. Mainly because I'm not buying three common strands of thinking. The first is that the Lions haven't played a New Zealand side this season. Sure, they may not be battle-hardened, but they sure as heck won't be as battle-worn. And the Canes won't have any experience of the 2017 Lions to draw on...More

Above: Marist St Pat’s halfback Regan Sword gets a pass away in his side’s 22-21 win over Old Boys University last Saturday. Both MSP and OBU will be hoping to slay their opposition tomorrow and qualify for the final next weekend. It’s a massive Saturday across the grounds as several grades hit the semi-finals, and all 24 teams involved will be looking for the result that puts them into next Saturday’s Finals Day at Petone; and it can be expected that no quarter will be asked for nor given...More

This Saturday’s home women’s competition division 2 semi-final for Poneke against Paremata-Plimmerton will be a special occasion for both the team and the captain and front-rower Trisha Kalolo-Apolinario. As well as it being the first playoff appearance for this Poneke side, and with it the chance to play on finals day at Petone next weekend, Kalolo-Apolinario will become the first player to be recognised for reaching 50 caps for the side and be presented with her blazer on Saturday evening...More

Above: Telea Seumanutafa in action last Saturday for Tawa against Hutt Old Boys Marist. This Saturday he returns to Jerry Collins Stadium for the first time since 2014 after playing 98 Premier games for Northern United, only this time to play Old Boys University in the Jubilee Cup semi-final. Photo by Jun Tanylaco Sports  July 25, 2015, Tawa and Marist St. Pats are embroiled in a tight Jubilee Cup semi-final at Evans Bay Park. No quarter is given until something spectacular happens. Visiting lock Telea Seumanutafa explodes through the host's defence...More

“No matter what competition you’re in you’ve got to stamp your mark on it,” Simon Malaeulu explains. The veteran prop has played 184 games for Hutt Old Boys Marist but wasn’t pleased to be contesting the Hardham Cup in 2016. “I can’t put a finger on what went wrong last year. No premier team wants to be in the Hardham Cup.” HOBM went from Jubilee Cup champions in 2014, Swindale Shield winners in 2015, to Premier 2 in the space of three years. At one stage the Eagles were on a run of 17 wins in 18 games with their only defeat in that sequence a single point failure against Wainuiomata...More