Roosters Searching For Hardham Cup Spark

Ten years on from winning the Jubilee Cup, the Wests Roosters enter the fourth round of the Hardham Cup in search of a big performance to spark their second round campaign into life. It's been a rollercoaster last three weeks for loyal Wests followers, who have watched their team defeat Avalon 25-5, draw with Johnsonville 15-all and lose to Northern United B 24-18.

These three results also mirror many of their Swindale Shield games, where they were often in touch for long periods of the contest against more fancied opposition teams but generally fell away towards the end. It might not get any easier for them this week either when they host top of the table Tawa at Ian Galloway Park, in what could be a key encounter for their chances of making the semi-finals this year. A loss to Tawa would almost certainly put the spotlight on them over the closing three weeks, with their last round clash with Wainuiomata potentially a crucial one.

Tawa meanwhile held on to beat Johnsonville by a point last week amid much publicity surrounding Johnsonville's All Black Chris Masoe, creating a six-point lead at the top of the table. Behind them in joint second are Avalon, Marist St. Pat's B and Norths. Avalon will stay near the top if they defeat Rimutaka at Fraser Park, while Norths and MSP meet in the battle of the ‘B' teams at Porirua Park in what is the curtain raiser to the feature Jubilee Cup match between these clubs' top teams. In the other game Wainuiomata plays Johnsonville at William Jones Park, where the defending champions Wainuiomata will also be desperate for a big win to move up the points table.

In other Jubilee Cup games this weekend, Petone host Poneke at the Petone Recreation Ground, Old Boys-University meet Oriental-Rongotai at the Basin Reserve and Upper Hutt and Hutt Old Boys Marist square off at Maidstone Park.

In Women's Premier rugby it's all on for the four chasing teams, who are playing this weekend for the chance to meet confirmed top qualifiers Johnsonville in next week's semi-finals. Leaders Johnsonville have the bye this round, but with 19 points from their four Victoria Tavern Trophy games, have already qualified on top for the playoffs with a week to spare. But Stokes Valley (8 points), Norths (7) and Petone (4) will all be pressing hard for the second home semi-final berth. OBU (1 point) can also still make the semis if Petone lose to Norths and they beat Stokes Valley. In the two games this week, Stokes Valley and OBU meet at Nairnville Park at 11 am and Norths and Petone play at Porirua Park from 11.30 am.

In other grades, joint leaders Petone play third placed Poneke at the Petone Recreation Ground in the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup and fellow frontrunners OBU meet Upper Hutt at Maidstone Park. The Senior 2 HD Morgan Memorial Cup sees unbeaten Paremata-Plimmerton meet mid table OBU at Nairnville Park where they will be playing to extend their great run in the second round that has so far netted them 140 points for and 14 against in three games.

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