Fourth round fireworks expected across club rugby competitions

Above: It’s Old Timers’ Day tomorrow at Old Boys University, Avalon and Northern United, with home fans at all three venues hopeful of more tries like this being scored.

Just four weeks remain in the Jubilee and Hardham Cup round-robins and for some teams their playoff hopes are well alive while for others they are simply hanging by a thread; this weekend could start seeing teams effectively eliminated from the races. Elsewhere the other grades march on, with every game crucial to their chances of playoff rugby.

It’s also Old Timers’ Day at three of the province’s amalgamated clubs – Northern United (Porirua and Titahi Bay), Old Boys-University (Wellington College OB and Victoria University), and Avalon (Naenae OB and Taita); while in other news all Hurricanes wider-training group members are unavailable this week ahead of the franchises’ semi-final tomorrow and potential final next weekend.

Premier Jubilee Cup

It’s a week full of possibilities in the Jubilee Cup; potentially the table could become quite strung out or conversely it could become very congested depending on results.

Old Boys-University continues to head the table and this week play host to Marist St Pat’s at the Basin Reserve. With both sides presently in the top four tomorrow is an ideal opportunity to consolidate that position and in the Goats case, possibly all-but seal a playoff place with a win tomorrow; and there is the expectation that conditions underfoot at least will be absolutely ideal. Finbarr Kerr-Newell and Teariki Ben-Nicholas return to the forward pack in the Goats only changes, while MSP likewise have an unchanged backline, but lock Nick Harrison and No.8 Gabe Papuni will both be absent from the forwards. OBU won their Swindale meeting, beating an off-colour MSP 33-17 at Evans Bay a little over a month ago.

After joining OBU at the head of the table, Tawa return home for the visit of Petone to Lyndhurst Park. Like OBU, a win for the hosts will put them well on course for the semi-finals, while the fifth-placed Villagers will be keen to avoid giving themselves plenty of work over the closing weeks as a loss would give them only one win through four games. Tawa will be without Taniela Koroi but otherwise unchanged up front, with Steve So’oialo back alongside his brother at halfback; while Petone continue to shuffle their deck with coach Dan Farani starting at blindside and Jared Kahu back at halfback with Carne Green moving out to 10 amongst their changes. Petone did win their Swindale meeting by 45-14, though that came in the last round when Tawa had little to play for being both already through to the Jubilee Cup and unable to win the Shield.

In the other two games, its already become must-win territory for both of last year’s finalists – winners Hutt Old Boys Marist and runners-up Wainuiomata – with both winless through three rounds; only Poneke in 2008 made the semi-finals in the last 10 years with only three wins and even then they started by winning their first two.

HOBM are back at the Nest with Ories the visitors to the Hutt Rec. The Eagles situation is outlined above, while the Magpies slipped from the ranks of the unbeaten with their loss to Tawa but stay third though they too will want to avoid being dragged back into the chasing pack and to keep pace at worst with those ahead. Ories have made a handful of personnel and player changes, amongst them the return of Paulo Aukuso, back from France and making his first start since last year’s semi-final at this same venue. HOBM also make some changes trying to find that winning spark, with Blake McGregor back onto the wing and a reshuffle in the loose forward department. Ories won their meeting in the last round of the Swindale a month ago by 19-12, though on that occasion HOBM had already wrapped up the Shield title with Ories likewise safely through to the Jubilee Cup. The stakes are somewhat higher this time.

Wainuiomata are also at home, with Wellington the visitors to William Jones Park. The home side were the ones to blink first in their arm-wrestle with OBU on the Basin, while on the other side of Mt Victoria the Axemen notched their first Jubilee Cup win since 1995 when they prevailed over Petone. While Wainui’s predicament is desperate, so too will Wellington’s be if they don’t win. The home side does get some players back this weekend, with Under 20s winner Henry Stowers at 8 and John Monu back to run the ship at 10 amongst the changes rung by the coaches, while the Axemen make one confirmed enforced change with James Ford replacing Vaea Fifita. For Wainuiomata lock Aaron Gage becomes the latest to bring up his century of appearances for the side. When the sides met six weeks ago in the Swindale Shield, it was Wainuiomata who came away with the 28-11 win at Hataitai Park.

Premier 2 Hardham Cup

The fourth round of the Hardham Cup also looms as a key set of matches, with the draw matching up the pairs in descending order down the table.

The highlight clash is at Helston Park where second-placed Johnsonville welcome the Upper Hutt Rams. The Hawks made surprisingly short work of Avalon, but will be concerned that they conceded a late consolation after the events of the week before against Poneke, as well as more additions to their injury list. The Rams narrowly prevailed at home against Poneke and will be wary of their opponents who are looking much improved from earlier in the season though they themselves have a point to prove after missing out on the Jubilee Cup. It’s the two sides’ first meeting of the year as they didn’t cross paths in the Swindale Shield, and haven’t met since round 10 of last year’s Swindale when the Rams prevailed 41-10 in appalling conditions.

The second Porirua City derby of the year is at Jerry Collins Stadium (aka Porirua Park) with Paremata-Plimmerton making the short journey to Norths. Pare-Plim have already bettered their win total from last year’s Hardham Cup and would clearly like to get one over their neighbour on their turf, though they will have much work to do to reverse the 55-7 scoreline from the Swindale Shield. Norths have somewhat atoned for that first-up loss to Johnsonville by beating the two B-sides and will be mindful that they face only Premier opposition from this point forwards. A win for either side will have them handily placed at the mid-point of the round-robin phase.

Fifth and sixth clash at Fraser Park when Poneke visit Avalon, with both sides desperate to avoid losing touch with those ahead of them. Avalon never got into their match against Johnsonville last week and really seem to be missing the physical presences of Akuila Alatini and Ata Langilangi, while Poneke narrowly went down to the Rams despite outscoring them by two tries to one, and have stuck with the same 9-10-12 alignment of Edwin Ainley, Pakai Turia, and Greg Mullany that started last week. Poneke won the Swindale meeting at Kilbirnie, with the game closer than the 39-10 scoreline would suggest and that is someone Avalon would like to avenge, and have the motivation of no fewer than five players will be playing their blazer (30th) game for the club.

The remaining game is between the bottom two - the promoted B-sides Tawa and Petone - in the early game at Lyndhurst Park. Tawa has managed the only win (two weeks ago over Paremata-Plimmerton) the two have in the Hardham Cup so far, and also won the two sides clash in the first round Harper Lock Shield, which at the very least is what the Villagers would be looking to reverse.

Premier Reserve Ed Chaney & HD Morgan Cups

Tomorrow’s schedule of matches fills out all the remaining curtain raisers to the Premier fixtures. Like their Premiers OBU’s second side is unbeaten and they play winless MSP at the Basin Reserve in the only match between Ed Chaney Cup sides. The other two unbeaten teams – Oriental Rongotai and Poneke –are both away at HOBM and winless Avalon respectively for crossover games, while Norths host Paremata-Plimmerton and Wainuiomata and Wellington meet at William Jones in two other crossover matches. The remaining game is at Helston Park between one-win HD Morgan Cup sides Johnsonville and the Upper Hutt Rams.

Premier Victoria Tavern Trophy and Senior Women's

The second week of the two Women’s competitions is headlined by the Victoria Tavern Trophy clash between Norths and Old Boys-University at Porirua Park, with OBU coming off their win over Avalon and Norths from the week off. The second match is at Fraser Park, with Avalon hosting Hutt Old Boys Marist with both sides looking for their first wins. Both matches kick off at 11.30am, with Oriental-Rongotai having the bye.

In the Senior grade Tawa and Johnsonville meet at 11.30am at Redwood, while Poneke hosts Wainuiomata at Kilbirnie at 11.45am.

There will also be a special ceremony for the Norths women in their clubrooms following their match, with the club taking the step on their Old Timers Day of honouring the team as a whole and blazer presentations to those players who have qualified on the same basis as their Men’s side.

Other club grades

Norths continue to head the Colts Paris Memorial Trophy table after heading off Petone in an arm-wrestle of an encounter on the Rec, and tomorrow take on midtable Tawa in another of the early games at Porirua Park. Of interest though are the clashes between the four sides behind them, with second-placed OBU Green hosting the third-placed Upper Hutt Rams at Te Whaea, while fifth visits fourth with Poneke travelling to take on HOBM at Trafalgar Park. Elsewhere Petone look to get back into the winners column when they visit winless Avalon at Fraser Park, Johnsonville and Ories meet at Newlands Park, Paremata-Plimmerton and MSP clash at Ngatitoa, and one-win Wainuiomata host winless OBU Black at Mary Crowther. Wellington has the bye this weekend.

In the second round of the Under 85kg Paul Potiki Shield first week winners Avalon and HOBM face off in a 1pm kickoff at Fraser Park, while at the same time first-up losers Wellington and Johnsonville clash at Hataitai. In the later timeslot the OBU Bunnies and MSP Reds take to Te Whaea, while the Poneke Cavs come off the bye to travel to HW Shortt and a meeting with Eastbourne. JC Bowl winners Tawa have the bye.

The First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup also enters its second week. There are a pair of games between first week winners with the Petone Brotherhood hosting Poneke on the Petone Rec and Stokes Valley traveling to Trafalgar Park to play HOBM (who won by default). OBU, the other winning side from last week, are at Porirua Park against Norths, while the Petone Saxons host Tawa also at the Rec with all four of these matches kicking off at 2.45pm. The remaining game is at 3.30pm on the St Pats artificial between the two MSP sides.

Weltec College

Scots College’s comfortable win over Wellington College last weekend kept them unbeaten and at the head of the points table. Tomorrow they welcome WelTec Premiership newcomers Tawa to Strathmore at 2.30pm and would be strong favourites to retain the Moascar and Williment Cups, though Tawa did run Rongotai close last weekend. Elsewhere fourth-placed St Pat’s Town host winless Hutt International at Evans Bay, also at 2.30pm; and Wellington College make the journey over the Rimutaka’s to face Wairarapa College at 1pm. The fourth match in the round is on Wednesday afternoon, when third-placed Rongotai welcomes second-placed St Pats Silverstream for their annual traditional clash.

In Premier 2 Bishop Viard ran their record to five wins from five outings when blanking Aotea College 36-0 and tomorrow they host the St Pats Town 2nds at 2.30pm. In other 2.30pm kickoffs Porirua hosts the Wellington College 2nds, while Aotea travel to winless Upper Hutt. There are 1pm kickoffs in the other two matches with the Silverstream 2nds hosting Hutt Valley HS, while second-placed St Bernard’s travel up the coast to face bottom-placed Kapiti.