Premier Reserve and Colts semi-finals tomorrow

Above: The Hutt Old Boys Marist and Old Boys University Premier Reserve sides have home ground advantage for tomorrow's Premier Reserve Ed Chaney Cup semi-finals.

While the three Premier grade titles have all been decided there is still plenty of rugby at both club and college level happening over the next handful of weekends, and representative rugby is also on the horizon.

 Premier Reserve Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Cups

The senior-most grade still in action is Premier Reserve, where the two divisions have reached the semi-finals. In the Ed Chaney Cup competition Hutt Old Boys Marist emerged as top qualifiers and will host Marist St Pat’s – who they have already beaten twice this year - at the Hutt Rec, while in the other Old Boys-University take on Poneke at Nairnville Park with those two sides having split their meetings.
 
In the HD Morgan the top-qualifiers are Oriental-Rongotai and they take on a Johnsonville side at the Polo Ground that they have already beaten twice, including as recently last Friday night; and in the other the Upper Hutt Rams heading to William Jones Park to face Wainuiomata looking to overturn the two results between those teams from earlier in the season.
 
All four Premier Reserve semi-finals kick-off at 2.30pm 

Under 21

With the round-robin having concluded last week the grade has been split into four tiers for semi-finals and finals. In the top-end Division 1 Paris Memorial Trophy winners Old Boys University Green host HOBM at Te Whaea in a rematch of the last two championship finals, while on the other side of the draw the Upper Hutt Rams are at home at Maidstone against Norths, with these two having fought out a 29-28 result to the Porirua side many weeks ago in the round-robin. At stake for these four teams is the Colts championship trophy, the John E Kelly Memorial Trophy.
 
The next four sides on the ladder will play for the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup, where Petone will take on Tawa on the Petone Rec, with Poneke hosting neighbours MSP on Kilbirnie. The Eric Connolly Memorial Cup is the prize in Division 3 with Johnsonville heading to Hataitai to face Wellington, and Oriental-Rongotai making the journey around the harbour to play Wainuiomata at William Jones. Lastly in Division 4, for the James Gilbert Memorial Trophy, Avalon host OBU Black on the Fraser Park artificial with the winner of that game taking on Paremata-Plimmerton (who have the day off) next weekend.
 
All matches kick-off at 2.30pm, with the exception of Wainuiomata v Ories which is at 12.30pm.

Under 85kg

Two rounds remain in the Under 85kg Division 1 Paul Potiki Shield round-robin before their playoffs, though three sides – the Poneke Cavs, OBU Bunnies, and Tawa Titans – are already assured of playoff spots. That leaves just one up for grabs with four sides still in the mix. Two of those, HOBM and Johnsonville, meet at the Hutt Rec in what could be a must-win encounter, perhaps more so for visitors who have the bye next week. Wellington also must win when they host Eastbourne, who are already eliminated, at Hataitai; while Avalon host the table-topping Cav’s on the Fraser Park artificial with all three of these matches kicking off at 12.45pm. The fourth match of the day, between the Titans and MSP Reds, who are also out of contention, is at Lyndhurst at 1pm, with the Bunnies having this week’s bye.

Division 2 has reached their semi-finals. Top-qualifiers Stokes Valley will look to go at least one step further than last year when they host the Upper Hutt Rams at Delaney Park at 2.45pm, while the other is at Ian Galloway Park at 1pm where Western Suburbs take on MSP Green.

First Grade Johnsonville Centennium Cup

Defaults and withdrawals mean that once again only three matches are scheduled in the third-tier competition. Norths will have their second successive weekend off, and they’ll be joined by MSP Avele in being able to put their feet up. What matches there are a crunch ones though; second-placed OBU host fourth-placed Stokes Valley at Te Whaea at 12.45pm and each can assure a semi-finals place with a win. At 2.45pm are the remaining two games with MSP ‘A’, who are out of contention, hosting a Petone Saxons that need to win at Evans Bay, while the other clash has the table-topping HOBM Barbarians, who are already guaranteed a playoff berth, making the short journey over the Hutt River to take on the third-placed Petone Brotherhood who, like OBU and Stokes Valley, can secure a place in the semis with victory.   

 Weltec secondary school rugby

While the major college game of the weekend is on Sunday there is still a near full-slate of matches at school-level with grades either in, or moving towards, the playoff stage.
 
In Premier 2 its quarter-final weekend; in one qualifier the Silverstream 2nds host Hutt Valley HS with both sides coming off losses in their last round-robin match, while in the other Porirua welcomes neighbours Aotea with both of those sides having won last weekend; the winners of those two matches will face top qualifiers Bishop Viard and second-placed St Bernard’s next weekend.
 
In Premier 3 the semi-finals have top-qualifiers Wainuiomata facing Onslow, while Taita make the journey to Newlands.
 
Saturday also sees one other contest of note, with Wellington Co-ed Cup winners Bishop Viard heading to Masterton’s Memorial Park to face Wairarapa College, who won the Horowhenua-Kapiti/Wairarapa sectional, at 12pm. Wai Col’s last outing was their 0-76 mauling by St Pat’s Town in the Premiership playoffs, while Viard has gone undefeated in Premier 2 plus claimed the Beard Trophy from Tawa two weeks ago. Their last defeat was actually at the hands of Wairarapa, and in Masterton, back in the grading rounds.