Swindale Shield Wide Open At Halfway Mark

Picking a winner at the halfway stage of the Swindale Shield would be a thankless task, with several twists and turns looming in the final five weeks of the first round competition. Recent history will be fresh in the minds at the Hutt Recreation Ground when leaders Hutt Old Boys Marist take on Tawa on their Old Timer's Day in round seven.

HOBM enter the seventh round in almost identical circumstances as they were at this stage in 2004, when they had won their first six games, were on 27 points with three bonus points, and had a three-point lead at the top of the table. Both Norths and Poneke are currently holding second and third spot, a reversal of where they stood at this stage in 2004. HOBM fell away to finish fourth equal that year. Having been pushed hard in every one of their six games, this week's clash against Tawa promises to be no different. Since HOBMs reintroduction to premier rugby in 2003 they have beaten Tawa just once in their past five head to head encounters.

It's tight at the top and wins to fifth placed Tawa and to sixth placed Avalon, who play Old Boys-University at the Prime Finance Basin Reserve, would create a crowded leaderboard. A maximum of nine points would then separate the top six sides, setting up a thrilling final four weeks.

A key factor in this equation is this week's 2005 Jubilee Cup final repeat match between Petone and Norths at the Petone Recreation Ground. Norths will want to avenge Petone's 20-19 win last August. Expect a keen battle in the tight, where Petone will take on Norths up front and in the loose, where Petone's in-form openside flanker Sam Flintoff vies with Anthony Masina and Nathan Fotutali'i.

The fight for the remaining places in the Jubilee Cup is starting to intensify now too. Just six points separate the bottom six sides, and the less favoured teams are all showing signs of improvement. Marist St. Pats have two wins from six and will be desperate to beat Johnsonville at Evans Bay Park. Johnsonville's confrontational style could create problems for them though, and they will need to adapt better under pressure to avoid a further slide down the table.

Upper Hutt face a similar predicament when they play Oriental-Rongotai at Maidstone Park, with Ories showing they are not far off the pace in round six against Poneke, despite eventually succumbing 34-10. In other games, Poneke host Western Suburbs at Kilbirnie Park, where Wests have a difficult assignment to lift themselves off the bottom.