Norths Hot Favourites For Jubilee Cup

As far as favouritism goes, Northern United is about as hot as can be for the 2007 Jubilee Cup kicking off across Wellington this weekend.

Fresh from a 72-0 trouncing of Wests Roosters to ensure their retention of the Swindale Shield, Norths will be gunning for a four-peat of Wellington premier rugby titles over the next nine weeks. Last year they became the first side since Marist St. Pat's in 1999 to achieve the rare Swindale Shield - Jubilee Cup double in the same season, a feat many are picking they will achieve again this year.

Especially if their just completed Shield campaign is anything to go by, where they turned all out attack into an art form and raised their play to another level. Their 465 points scored in 11 Shield games were over 100 more scored than second placed Poneke (361 points). In the try-scoring department they have dotted down 70 tries so far this season, almost double the 37 tries they scored in winning the first round last year.

Recovering from a shock 30-29 loss to minnows Wainuiomata in round two and then losing to Hutt Old Boys Marist 19-17 a week later, Norths progressed from strength to strength. They hit their straps in round four with a 63-12 trouncing of Old Boys-University, followed by four further 60-plus point wins culminating in their eleven-try defeat of the Roosters.

But seven teams will be out to stop them, led by Jubilee Cup specialists Poneke, who rounded out their first round with a 69-7 win over bottom placed Upper Hutt. Poneke know the path to the final, having only missed out on playing in two of five Cup finals at Westpac Stadium so far.

Another leveller that is sure to play a part is the weather. Once wintry conditions take hold teams will be forced to put away the flashy stuff in favour of hard slog. This will suit both last year's other semi-finalists Petone and HOBM with their big packs and efficient halfback - first five-eighth combinations.

Of the other contenders, Old-Boys-University are capable of anything on their day and will be motivated to progress to the playoff stages for the first time since 2002. MSP got up to finish fourth in the Swindale Shield and will likewise be eager to return to the semi-finals after a comparatively lean few seasons by their lofty standards. Wests and Tawa, who round out the top eight, will both be out to make life as disruptive as possible for the leading teams.

In first round action the Club Weekly will be at Kilbirnie Park to see Poneke and HOBM square off. Elsewhere in town, Norths take on MSP across the road at Evans Bay Park and OBU host Petone at the Basin Reserve, while Wests travel to suburban Tawa for their first round match.