Key seventh round for title contenders

Can Northern United be stopped in the Swindale Shield? Who will win this weekend's Fleurs Trophy Women's showdown between Norths and Eketahuna? Will Hutt Old Boys Marist teams continue to set the pace in the Senior 1 and Senior 2 competitions? These questions and many more are on the lips of Wellington club rugby supporters heading into this weekend's highly anticipated seventh week of competition matches.

Fresh from their 75-point win over Avalon in round 6, The Norths Premiers are back at home at Porirua Park this weekend to flex their muscles against Old Boys-University. With five rounds remaining in the 2011 Swindale Shield, Norths are seven points clear at the top of the table to nearest rivals Oriental-Rongotai and are, it seems, just warming up.

The numbers are formidable. Norths will be playing to extend their unbeaten streak in Swindale Shield games at home at Porirua Park to 25 games. In April 2007 Norths lost back-to-back there to Wainuiomata and Hutt Old Boys Marist. This led to some soul searching and since then they have won 23 and drawn one (against Petone in 2008) first round matches at Porirua. Of those 24 unbeaten matches at home, they have averaged 49 points per game and scored a half century or more of points in 12 of them.

Also of note, at this stage of the Swindale Shield last year Norths had scored 318 points including 41 tries and conceded 85 points compared to after six rounds this year that has seen them pile on 314 points including 47 tries and concede just 65.

But the slate will be wiped clean when OBU come to town to present their challenge, in a potentially crucial match for their own fortunes. For the second match on the trot last week, the students came out of the wrong side of a close match, going down to Upper Hutt 23-27. Sitting seventh in a tightly packed mid-table, competition points for OBU are vital. OBU are currently part of a group of seven teams who are separated by just six points occupying positions third through to ninth.

If recent matches between the two sides are anything to go by, OBU will need to be on their game to stay with Norths. The last four matches between these sides have seen wins to Norths by 51-33, 54-7, 57-11 and 45-0.

This week's heavyweight clash is between Petone and Marist St. Pat's at the Petone Recreation Ground on Petone's Old Timers' Day. This clash is also for the Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy, after the late Bill Elvy who was originally from Canterbury but played for Petone soon after seeing the light and arriving in Wellington. He was a Wellington representative in the late 1920s and made the North Island and New Zealand XV teams (1929). Bill's son Norm played for both the Marist and St Pat's clubs and his grandson Martin played for MSP.

This is an important clash on the calendar of both clubs. Petone and MSP have contested many epic matches down the years. In recent times, MSP have won five of their past seven encounters including two Jubilee Cup semi-finals in 2007 (24-23) and 2009 (15-8). MSP prevailed in both their clashes last year, winning this corresponding match 16-10 and the return Jubilee Cup fixture 24-19. However both of these were at Evans Bay Park, so Petone will be hoping to make the most of home ground advantage this time around and stay near the top of the standings.

Second placed Oriental-Rongotai suffered their first loss of the year in round six, going down 17-16 in an upset loss to the Wests Roosters. The Park Road contenders return home to the Polo Ground on their Old Timers' Day to host Tawa who are currently sitting eight points outside the top eight cut-off zone and need to start making their move if they wish to play in the Jubilee Cup.

Stung by their loss to MSP last weekend, Poneke cross the road into home territory to play the Wests Roosters who will have some confidence now after knocking off Ories last week. As well as the Bill Brien challenge Cup, the Cederwall Memorial Cup is on the line. Poneke are the current holders of this Cup that is decided by the results across the top three grades, in this case Premier, Senior 2 and Presidents.

The Cederwall Cup is in honour of the Cederwall sporting family of dad Don (Harry) and three sons Brian, Grant and Don (deceased), all Wellington representative or Wellington B players as well as Wellington cricket representatives, who played their rugby for Poneke and Athletic from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Grant was co-coach of the Poneke Premiers up this year.

It's also Old Timers' Day at the Hutt Recreation Ground where home side Hutt Old Boys Marist take on Upper Hutt in an expected tight clash. Both these clubs have three wins from six and both have been involved in some super close results already. After six rounds their points for and against records are almost identical: HOBM 144 points for and 128 against and Upper Hutt 143 for and 135 against. Last season's two clashes between these sides resulted in HOBM winning their Swindale Shield encounter 34-26 and then prevailing 32-26 in the Jubilee Cup round.

It's another Hutt Valley derby up the road at Fraser Park between home team Avalon and Wainuiomata where a bonus point win for Wainuiomata could lift them from ninth to seventh, pending other results.

Elsewhere, much interest will centre on the Premier Women's fixture at Porirua Park at 11.30am between Norths and Eketahuna, the two best teams in this competition. There's still another round remaining in the Fleurs Trophy, but the competition winner is guaranteed to come from one of these two teams. Heading into the sixth and penultimate round, Eketahuna are on 20 points and Norths 19, with a gap back to third placed Petone on 11. Ekatahuna are coming off an 88-0 win over OBU last week, while Norths had their bye to freshen up and watch their rivals on the sideline.

Hutt Old Boys Marist teams continue to set the pace of the Harper Lock Shield Senior 1 and National Mutual Cup Senior 2 grades, but both face stern challenges from fellow Hutt Valley clubs this weekend.

In the Harper Lock Shield, HOBM host sixth placed Rimutaka at the Hutt Recreation Ground, in a game the visitors will be desperate to win both to keep ahead of the pack in a crowded points table and to test their credentials as a hopeful Hardham Cup side in the second round. Unbeaten HOBM (on 29 points ) currently have a four-point lead at the top of the Senior 1 table to second placed Poneke (25). But further back, Rimutaka (17) are one of six teams who are separated by just seven points who are all chasing a spot in the top four to make the Hardham Cup.

Should Rimutaka beat HOBM there could be a new leader if Poneke were also to defeat seventh placed Johnsonville (15) in their match at Kilbirnie Park. Poneke suffered their first loss of the season last weekend to MSP in a result that saw MSP (22) move to third. MSP have another tough match this weekend away to fifth placed Petone (19). Norths climbed to fourth (19) last week with a big win over Stokes Valley, but won't have it so easy against eighth placed OBU (15). In two clashes involving teams down the table, Ories (9) host Tawa (4) and Paremata-Plimmerton (8) play strugglers Stokes Valley (0) at Delaney Park.

HOBM may get some breathing space at the top of the National Mutual Cup if they can beat Upper Hutt at the Hutt Recreation Ground this weekend. Of the top three men's grades, the National Mutual Cup is the closest so far with the leading six teams all separated by as many points still in the Senior 2 title mix.

Leaders HOBM (on 26 points) play the current sixth placed team Upper Hutt (20). A key to the Senior 2 Eagles' season so far has been miserly defence having conceded just 70 points - the second fewest points conceded across all three competitions behind Norths in the Swindale Shield (65 points against). In contrast, the HOBM Senior 2s are down in seventh on the points for column in their grade.

In another explosive round seven National Mutual Cup match, second placed Wainuiomata (25) plays fourth placed Avalon (24). Elsehwhere, third placed OBU (24) play lowly Norths (3) and fifth placed MSP (23) play winless Petone (2). Elsewhere eighth placed Poneke (11) and ninth placed Wests (4) square off as part of the Cederwall Memorial Cup and seventh placed Wellington (13) meet strugglers Johnsonville (3) for the Mick Kenny Memorial Cup. The Kenny family donated this cup in 2001, the year Mick Kenny died. Mick played for Johnsonville RFC before World War 2 and Wellington FC after it.