Plenty of College Rugby on this coming weekend

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UPDATE: The?Tranzit Coachlines 1st XV Festival has been CANCELLED.

Unfortunately a decision has been made to cancel the Wellington round of the 1st XV Festival.?Noting that many teams are leaving to travel to Wellington tomorrow, we can’t provide any guarantee that roads will be cleared, let alone fields for us to play on.?Most rugby grounds in Wellington are currently experiencing flooding and would require at least 2 days with no rain before it would be cleared to play. With more rain predicated over the following 2 days grounds are expected to get worse!?It is a disappointing way to end the Festival, however the weather is an uncontrollable factor.?

Much focus this Saturday will be on Scots College in their return to local action after finishing third in the SANIX World Championship in Japan, and on St Pat's Silverstream who will hope to back up their win last weekend over Gisborne BHS. In games at Petone, Scots play Hastings BHS, St Pat’s Silverstream take on Napier BHS, St Pat’s Town meet Palmerston North BHS and Wellington College play Gisborne BHS.

As well as the complete slate of club rugby matches this coming Saturday, there is also a full set of college rugby, with two separate sets of games coming to a conclusion.

Tranzit Coachlines 1st XV Festival

The main event is the Tranzit Coachlines 1st XV Festival, which concludes at the Petone Rec after being in in the Hawke’s Bay and Palmerston North the previous weekends; and pits last year’s four Premier 1 semi-finalists against the four Hurricanes region boys schools aligned to the central North Island Super 8 competition. All four matches take place on Saturday, with the two St Patrick’s schools up first at 1pm.

St Pat’s Town, who have been tipped in some circles as a contender not just locally but possibly at national-level as well, are on #1 against Palmerston North Boys’ High School. However Town have suffered reverses both weekends, being shut out by Gisborne BHS and then losing out to Napier BHS, to compound their injury woes off it. Palmerston North lost their first game to Feilding HS (who filled in for Scots College and won both their outings), but saw off Wellington College.

On the number 2 ground?St Pat’s Silverstream take on Napier Boys’ High School. Stream are the only Wellington side to have won a match, beating Gisborne after losing to Hastings first up, while they also have a loss to Auckland side St Kentigern’s on their ledger this year. Napier has won both their games in this series, accounting for Wellington College on home soil and then St Pats Town last weekend. The other two matches kickoff at 2.30pm.

Wellington College?encounter?Gisborne Boys’ High School on #2 and are struggling to find form, having lost their two matches in this series to Napier and Palmerston North by near-identical margins. Gisborne accounted for Town first up, before going down to Silverstream at Massey.

Scots College make their first appearance after representing New Zealand at the SANIX world tournament (where they finished third, losing to Brisbane Boys’ Grammar in the semi-finals), and they play Hastings Boys’ High School in front of the grandstand on #1. Prior to leaving Scots racked up wins over both Nelson College and Marlborough Boys’ College, and then scored 41 tries in six matches in Japan. Hastings beat Silverstream first up, before losing a close one to Feilding last Saturday.?

WelTec Grading games

Elsewhere the Premier qualification matches enter their final rounds with most interest on who will fill the other four places in the 2015 WelTec Premier 1 competition.

Rongotai College are in the box seat in?Pool A, and need just a point from their home game against Kapiti College to assure themselves Premier 1 rugby. Kapiti can steal the spot, but would need a bonus-point win as well as denying Rongotai any bonus points to do that. In the other match Hutt Valley High School travel to Taita College, with the hosts needing to win (and with a bonus point if HVHS manage one) in order to make it to Premier 2.

Pool B is relatively straightforward, as Hutt International Boys’ School hosts Porirua College in a winner-takes-all match in Trentham. HIBS have been a top-grade school for several seasons, while Porirua were last there in 2013. If a draw eventuates, and both sides claim bonus points (or not), then Porirua’s superior points difference (+36 vs +20) will see them through. The other match pits Wainuiomata High School at home against Upper Hutt College. The winner will be in Premier 2, while the loser will find themselves in Premier 3.

Tawa College have the advantage in Pool D, and can secure a Premier 1 place if they win away at Naenae College. Naenae lost to Aotea College last week, but have secured bonus points that have kept them within touch and will progress if they win no matter what bonus points Tawa manage. Newlands College hosts Aotea and will need to win if they are to avoid a return season in Premier 3 in the second match in this pool.

Pool C also looks straightforward, and will be if Wairarapa College beats St Bernard’s College in Lower Hutt. However, if St Bernard’s wins that then opens up other possibilities.If St Bernard’s (6) and Wairarapa (10) tie on 10 or 11 points, then St Bernard’s would go through having won the head-to-head. If St Bernard’s wins, neither scores a bonus point, and Bishop Viard College wins with a bonus point when they host Paraparaumu College; then all three would be tied on 10 points and in which case points difference would be used to separate them. Presently that’s Wairarapa (+44), Bishop Viard (+10), and St Bernard’s (-6). Paraparaumu simply must beat Bishop Viard if they are to avoid dropping into Premier 3.

All eight grading matches kick off at 2.30pm.