?B? teams Out To Be Hardham Cup Spoilers

The Marist St. Pat's and Northern United ‘B' teams playing in the Hardham Cup can't be promoted to next year's Swindale Shield but they can still make the Hardham Cup semi-finals and beyond at the expense of any of the four existing Premier clubs and 2009 Swindale Shield hopefuls Johnsonville and Rimutaka.

MSP and Norths finished second equal behind Johnsonville in the first round Harper Lock Shield and both enter this week's third round set of matches with a win and a loss after two matches. Both won in the first round, MSP beating Johnsonville 31-12 and Norths defeating Rimutaka 26-14, and if either of them can win again this week then the pressure falls right back on the other contenders to beat them to the playoffs. In their matches this week, MSP host Rimutaka at Evans Bay Park and Norths travel to the Cage at Ian Galloway Park to try and topple the Wests Roosters who were held to a 15-all draw by Johnsonville last week.

The big third round clash in the Hardham Cup is between Avalon and Wainuiomata at Fraser Park, where both will be desperate to climb out of a developing mid-table log jam. Avalon registered their first win of the season last week when they beat Norths 33-12, with speedy wing Lemafa Tuluauau crossing for his eighth try of the season, and Wainui bounced back from their first round mauling by Tawa to defeat Rimutaka 27-20. In the round's other clash, early competition leaders Tawa play Johnsonville at Lyndhurst Park after previously winning 30-18 the last time they met in the Swindale Shield in 2006.

In the Jubilee Cup, OBU and HOBM play each other at the Basin Reserve, and Ories host Petone at the Polo Ground, with the pressure now right on OBU, HOBM and Ories to win this weekend and remain in contention for the playoffs. It's a huge clash between MSP and Poneke at Evans Bay Park, where MSP will be trying for consecutive win number 13 against their neighbours from across the road, and Upper Hutt and Norths meet at Porirua Park.

In other grades, Stokes Valley and Marist St. Pat's will both be gunning for two wins from two in the Senior One Ed Chaney Cup, where Stokes Valley travel to Ngatitoa Domain to play Paramata-Plimmerton and MSP meet Poneke at Cobham Park. Paremata-Plimmerton's Senior Two team has made a flying start to the HD Morgan Memorial Trophy with two comprehensive bonus point victories and they have the chance to extend their lead when they play Norths who are also unbeaten at Ngatitoa Domain.

The big match in the Victoria Tavern Trophy in the Premier Women's grade is between first round winners Johnsonville and Norths at Helston Park. Johnsonville have won all their three matches in the second round while Norths were toppled by Stokes Valley two weeks ago and have won one from two so far.