It?s all on in final round-robin weekend of the season

Above: Wainuiomata flanker Shahn Eru attempting to break through MSP's ranks last weekend. Both these teams are in the mix to host a home semi-final next weekend.?

The final weekend of the 2014 Jubilee Cup round-robin season has the hallmarks of being both an enthralling and nervous one. Although Hutt Old Boys Marist and Wainuiomata have secured two of the places in next week's semi-finals, the other six sides are all in with chances of being the other two involved in the playoffs for the ultimate prize so there will be plenty of listening to radios, phone calls and checking text messages and social media to gauge how their team stands.

Elsewhere the match-ups for the semi-finals in the Hardham Cup and Colts Division 1 will also be set, and the other grades are rapidly heading towards their concluding stages of their seasons.

As a reminder, if two teams tie on the same number of competition points the tie-breaker is the head-to-head result between them. If three or more teams are tied (as is possible in the Jubilee Cup) then more steps come into effect and some of these possibilities are outlined below.

Jubilee Cup

Wainuiomata v Hutt Old Boy Marist

The game between the top two has no bearing on who makes the semi-finals with both already in. HOBM wrapped up top spot and the Andy Leslie Trophy last week, due in part to Wainui's narrow loss to MSP, and will host one semi-final next week; while the bonus point the green & blacks got from that game was enough to see them qualify for the second time in three years. What is at stake is the home sides' fate for next week; win and they will host the second semi-final, lose and they could be at any one of four venues, with a potential return matchup with HOBM at the Hutt Rec one of them. They have been boosted by the return of Samoan U20 captain Henry Stowers from a suspension incurred at the JWC.? While the Eagles have no real incentive, they will want to avoid a loss of momentum at this crucial point in the season and have named a full strength lineup, including Jeremy Thrush at lock.

Marist St Pat's v Old Boys-University

The match-up at Evans Bay shapes as virtually a quarter-final. The winner will progress to next week and could potentially host a semi-final depending on how Wainuiomata gets on, while the loser will be nervously awaiting results from elsewhere to see if they're passed by other teams or get to carry on to next week. Both sides will rue matches were they let leads slip - MSP against HOBM and OBU against Upper Hutt - should they miss out. OBU won the team's Swindale meeting, with Tomasi Palu's last-gasp penalty at Wellington College giving the Goats a 30-29 victory and inflicting the first loss of the season on MSP. The home side has named Jeffrey To'omaga Allen and NZ U20 player Matt Peni to start, along with most of their first-choice backline, but will again be without openside Isaac O'Connor; while OBU has named a consistent lineup, but will themselves be without five-eighth and goal-kicker Greg Mullany.

Petone v Oriental-Rongotai

Sitting eighth on 10 points, Petone are the longest shots to make the semi-finals. For that to transpire they need a bonus point win themselves, plus MSP to lose (and not get 2 bonus points) and Tawa and the Upper Hutt Rams to draw; and that's without considering the lineup the visitors to the Rec could put out tomorrow. They have named Motu Matu'u and Ambrose Curtis to start along with both Matt and James Proctor, and with all their professionally contracted players potentially available others may be added between now and kick-off.? For Ories a bonus point win gives them their best chance at progressing, but even this doesn't guarantee that they go through and they too will be checking on results elsewhere, and a loss ends their season. Petone will start veteran Cam Incledon at centre, with Aleks Noble-Campbell sliding from wing to fullback to cover for the absence of Sam McNicol. Up front Whetu Henry will renew acquaintances with Donal McNamara, his propping partner in Ories 2011 Jubilee Cup winning side and predecessor as Ories skipper. ?

Upper Hutt Rams v Tawa

Out at Maidstone the Upper Hutt Rams put the Bill Brien Challenge Cup on the line for the very first time as a merged club after taking it from OBU two weeks ago. The challengers are the side that held it over last summer and have lost it, regained it and lost it again already this year - defending Jubilee Cup champions Tawa. However, that trophy is secondary to the big picture of making it to next week and to do that both sides need the victory and a four-try bonus, plus help elsewhere. In addition to the loser of the MSP v OBU clash Tawa needs to finish with more competition points than Ories, while the Rams need for Ories to lose. ?The Rams only change is the return of Hayden Schrijvers at halfback while Tawa starts the same backline as last weekend but will be without Sam Blair and Pati Gaualofa in the pack.

Some possible three-way scenarios and what the outcome would be are:

• Ories, Tawa, and OBU can all tie on either 17 or 16 points. If that occurs then OBU would progress by virtue of having beaten both Ories and Tawa in the round-robin.
• Ories, Tawa, and MSP can all tie on either 17 or 16 points. If that occurs then it would come down to points difference as MSP beat Ories, Ories beat Tawa, and Tawa beat MSP.
• Ories, OBU and the Upper Hutt Rams could all tie on 16 points. In that instance points difference would also be used since Ories beat the Rams, the Rams beat OBU, and OBU beat Ories.
• Ories, MSP and the Rams could all tie on 16 points. In that instance MSP would go through having beaten the other two sides in the round-robin.

There is also the possibility that Ories, Tawa, MSP and OBU could yet all finish tied on 17 points, which would require a draw at Evans Bay; which would in turn be followed by plenty of working through by the WRFU.

Hardham Cup

Unlike the Jubilee Cup, the four semi-finalists have been found but the who-plays-who is also yet to be determined.

Norths are guaranteed to host one semi-final, irrespective of the outcome of tomorrow's game against neighbours Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngatitoa.

This match is a historic occasion, being the first time these two clubs have met at Premier level. Since the Tawa suburb is formally part of Wellington City and not Porirua, it is the first ‘proper' Porirua City derby match between local clubs top sides since a 1988 Hardham Cup game between the Porirua and Titahi Bay clubs. Those two then combined to play the 1989 season as ‘Porirua-Titahi Bay United' before their merger later that year and commencing play as Norths from 1990. Paremata-Plimmerton's last top-flight matches against their local foes were during their last period in the Hardham Cup from 1985-87, before being relegated.

Poneke only need a point when they take on Avalon at Kilbirnie Park to wrap up the other home semi-final after shutting out OBU on the Basin last weekend. Avalon can still snatch a home game next weekend, but need to win here and deny Poneke any competition points, and for Wellington to not win as well. Anything other than that and they will be on the road for their semi.

Coming off their thumping of MSP much of the same holds true for the Axemen; their hopes of a home semi-final rest on firstly winning at Helston against Johnsonville, and for Avalon to upset Poneke. Johnsonville's season will come to an end at full-time tomorrow and they will be looking to go out on a high and reverse the 9-16 result from the two sides' Swindale encounter.

All three matches are at 3.00 pm. The remaining match is at 1.30 pm on the St Pats College artificial between MSP and OBU in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Cup

With three of four semi-finalists having already been found eyes will be on the matchup between Petone and Wellington at the Petone Rec at 1.15 pm to find the other, with the Axemen needing to win to have any chance of proceeding.

Whoever goes through will face OBU Green - who wrapped up top spot last weekend and will tune up for that match against bottom-side MSP at the St Pat's artificial at 3.30 pm - in one semi; while the other will be between HOBM and Norths who meet at 3.00 pm at the Hutt Rec with home advantage for next weekend at stake. The remaining match is between OBU Black and Oriental-Rongotai which kicks off the weekend at Te Whaea tonight.

Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup

There is a clear split formed in the Ed Chaney table between the top and bottom halves. Runaway leaders Poneke host the third-placed Upper Hutt Rams in the early match at Kilbirnie, with the visitors looking to peg back some of that margin; while second-placed Petone should keep pace at worst when they face bottom side Ories in the curtainraiser at the Petone Rec.

Elsewhere Norths and Wainuiomata can both get themselves back into contention when they host defending champions Tawa and HOBM in the early matches respectively, with the sole 3.00 pm game taking place is at the Ian Galloway cage between the Wests Roosters and Wellington Axemen.

Other grades

In the Senior 2 HD Morgan Cup HOBM and Avalon have opened a gap on the rest of the field, though both have played one game more than everyone else but Norths.

Avalon has the Senior 2 bye tomorrow, so HOBM can stretch their advantage further when they face mid-table Johnsonville in the early game at Helston. Elsewhere OBU can close the gap when they take on MSP at Martin Luckie, as can Petone when they host Norths; and Stokes Valley can get back into semi-finals contention when they play the Upper Hutt Rams at Maidstone.

The four Victoria Tavern Trophy Women's matches are all at the usual 11.30 am kickoff time. Leaders Norths host Avalon in a match-up of two teams that pitched shutouts last weekend. Second-placed Ories are visited by Stokes Valley, Wainuiomata visit Poneke at Kilbirnie and Tawa face Old Boys-University at Lyndhurst.

The fifth round of the Under 85kg Paul Potiki Shield is highlighted by the clash of unbeaten sides Waikanae and the MSP Blues up the coast at 1.00 pm. In 3.00 pm matches mid-table sides the Upper Hutt Rams and Poneke meet at Maidstone and Avalon hosts bottom side the OBU Spartans at Fraser Park; while winless sides the OBU Bunnies and Eastbourne get to make a very rare appearance for lower grade rugby on the Basin Reserve. The third unbeaten side, the Tawa Titans, have the bye this weekend.

Elsewhere the regional under 12 and under 13 tournaments, which started today, continues tomorrow morning and concludes on Sunday, is on at the Maidstone artificial. Looking ahead to Wednesday there are two major college matches; firstly the annual St Pat's Traditional between Town and Silverstream at Evans Bay at 2.30pm, and later at Porirua Park the Co-ed Cup final at 5.30 pm between Tawa and Porirua Colleges.???

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