Big weekend on and off the field for MSP

It’s the biggest weekend of the season so far for Marist St. Pat’s, both on and off the field. Off it, the club celebrates its 40^th anniversary over three days from Friday to Sunday. On it, their Premier, Senior 1 and Senior 2 sides face Hutt Old Boys Marist opposition in three defining first round matches.

It’s a huge round for their Premiers. If they lose to Hutt Old Boys Marist in the feature round eight Swindale Shield and Father Cleary Shield interclub fixture and other results go against them, they could find themselves outside the top eight on the points table and in must-win territory over the final three weeks just to make the Jubilee Cup round.

With a month to go, the race for the top eight is all on. Taking leaders Northern United (on 35 points) out of the picture, a blanket can be thrown over the points table. Just nine points currently separates second placed Oriental-Rongotai (24 points) and ninth placed Upper Hutt (15), with a rejuvenated Tawa just a win back in 10^th (11) ahead of stragglers the Wests Roosters (7) and Avalon (6) who are still in Jubilee Cup-playing contention if they stage late charges.

MSP are currently sixth (17) and right in the middle of this melee for top eight spots. If they beat fourth placed HOBM (23) this weekend they can cement their position inside the eight. But if they lose and the immediate teams behind them - OBU, Wainuiomata and Upper Hutt - all win their matches they could slip to as low as ninth and be in trouble.

MSP are coming off a 14-46 defeat to Petone, their second heaviest defeat this season after a 10-48 loss to Norths in round three. They also let in 40 points (won 48-40) against Tawa. HOBM have won just one more game, but after losing their first two have rebounded to win four of their past five and their sole loss in this period was a last-gasp 2-point defeat to OBU. MSP and HOBM have already met once this year, at the pre-season Spillane Shield Marist tournament with HOBM winning 22-18.

But MSP’s supporters can take heart that their team are consistently top performers at the business end of Swindale Shields. They have been here before. They have improved on their place on the points table from where they have sat after 7 rounds every year since 2004. In 2004 they were seventh after seven rounds and finished 3^rd, in 2005 they were 4^th at this stage and finished 3^rd, in 2006 7^th and finished 5^th, in 2007 5^th and finished 4^th, in 2008 3^rd and then champions, in 2009 6^th and then 5^th and in 2010 5^th and then 2^nd. In six of the past seven seasons, MSP have won at least three of their four remaining Swindale Shield games. They have only lost once in round eight of the Swindale Shield since 2002, and that was against eventual champions Northern United in 2006.

Following this match, MSP’s opposition over the final three weeks is Avalon, Wainuiomata and Old Boys-University so they could also just as easily turn the corner and go on another late winning run and romp into the Jubilee Cup round.

MSP and HOBM also play for the Father Cleary Shield, which commemorates the late Father Tom Cleary (known as "Creeps") a sportsmaster and well known First XV coach at St. Pat's Town and one of the founders of the St. Pat's College Old Boys RC.

It was donated by the Roche family for competition between Marist and St. Pat's at a time when relations between them were not very cordial, in the hope that it might improve relations. Its effectiveness may be judged by the fact that the two clubs are now amalgamated. Following the amalgamation, the trophy briefly fell into disuse. It was revived in 1974 for competition between MSP and Hutt Valley Marist. In 1995 it was re-allocated for the first round match between MSP and Hutt Old Boys Marist after their amalgamation with Hutt Old Boys.

The Father Cleary clash has gone the way of MSP on each of the past three years and on six of eight occasions since they first met in 2003 when HOBM were re-promoted to the top grade. Three of their past five clashes for this Trophy have also been epics, with HOBM winning 29-28 in 2006 and MSP 32-29 in 2009 and 22-20 last year.

The Senior 1 curtain-raiser at Evans Bay Park should also be a cracker. Visitors HOBM hold a five-point lead at the top of the Harper Lock Shield, and with a nine-point lead to fifth place – which also happens to be MSP – a win for them would likely be enough to see them qualify for the Hardham Cup with three rounds to spare. At the same time, MSP will eye up their sixth win in eight matches to keep themselves in the thick of the race for a top four finish.

The Senior 2 clash between these sides at Martin Luckie Park is also key for both teams’ chances. Last week HOBM lost for the first time this season against Avalon and are third behind new leaders Avalon on 26 points, while MSP are just two points further back in sixth and are coming off a narrow loss to previously winless Petone.

Elsewhere, it’s also Old Timers’ Day at Johnsonville, Rimutaka, Wellington and the Wests Roosters.

Both Johnsonville and Rimutaka have big Harper Lock Shield weekends and both will be anxious to win if they wish to finish inside the top four and make the Hardham Cup and thus challenge for a spot in next year’s Swindale Shield. Both are currently mid-table on 19 points and four adrift of current fourth placed Norths.

Johnsonville, with four wins from seven, but with just three bonus points, will be hoping they can put four or more tries past 10^th placed Paramata-Plimmerton at home at Helston Park and climb into contention. The task for Rimutaka, with three wins and a draw, is more difficult as they host second placed Poneke at Maoribank Park.

New Zealand’s oldest continuous rugby club Wellington celebrates its 141^st birthday on Saturday and a celebratory victory would be extremely timely. The National Mutual Cup remains split in two with a six-point gap between the leading six contenders and the rest. Wellington is the best of the rest in seventh place, but a victory for them over a Petone side that shocked MSP last week with their first win would keep them in the hunt.Wellington and Petone also play for the Air New Zealand Cup .

The Wests Roosters can keep their hopes alive of making the Swindale Shield round if they beat Wainuiomata at Ian Galloway Park.

This should be a close match between evenly matched teams both desperate for victory. The Roosters can show that their win over Ories two weeks ago and their narrow loss to Poneke last week were no flashes in the pan, while Wainuiomata can build upon their close wins over Petone and Avalon and continue their march up the table. Their supporters will see this game as one they must win if they finally want to crack the Jubilee Cup round.

Wests and Wainuiomata fought out contrasting matches last year. In this corresponding round 8 clash, Wainuiomata fair smashed the Roosters 47-3, but Wests reversed the result to win 14-8 when they met again in the Hardham Cup round-robin. In seven matches overall since Wainuiomata’s re-introduction to the Premier ranks in 2007, Wests have won five and Wainuiomata two.

In another big Swindale Shield clash this weekend, Ories host Petone at the Polo Ground with the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy on the line.

Ories are currently second on the points table behind leaders Norths with five wins and Petone are just a point back in third with four wins. But both bring contrasting results from round seven into this match. Visitors Petone will be full of confidence after beating MSP 46-14 while Ories will be hoping to arrest the speed wobbles that has seen them lose two in a row to lower ranked teams. First it was Wests two weeks ago (16-17) and then it was Tawa on their Old Timers’ Day (12-17).

The Jim Brown Trophy was donated by Jim's employer Dominion Breweries shortly after his death from cancer in 2004.

It could be argued that Jim is the most unlucky player never to play for the All Blacks. The story goes that Petone were playing Upper Hutt the day before the All Blacks were to be named and Jim was called to the NZRU offices in Wellington to be measured up for his uniform. The game was held up for five minutes for Jim to arrive from his fitting session and it was in this game that he broke his leg and was therefore not named.

Jim gave loyal service to his club through his playing days and he represented Wellington from 1965 to 1974. He was a major driving force in getting Petone away on their tour to North America in 1973.

Honours were shared one apiece between Petone and Ories in two head-to-head encounters last year, Ories scoring a decisive second half runaway try and winning 29-19 in the Swindale Shield and Petone coming out on top 36-22 in their Jubilee Cup round robin fixture.

In the Senior 1 curtain-raiser at the Polo Ground, Ories will hope to play spoiler to Petone’s chances. Petone are third behind leaders HOBM and will leapfrog Poneke into second if they beat ninth placed Ories and Rimutaka defeats Poneke. ?

Upper Hutt return home to Maidstone Park hoping to climb back on to the winner’s wagon against Poneke in their clash for the Alby Makeham Shield.

After winning their first two matches, the men in maroon have since lost four of their last five including two close losses at home to Ories (25-27) and MSP (15-16). Victory for them over Poneke would set them up well for their last three games - against Tawa at home, Avalon just down the road and Wests at home.

Whilst last year’s beaten Jubilee Cup finalists Poneke have won five from seven and are sitting comfortably inside the top eight, they are still searching for a convincing performance. Their biggest win has been 29-18 against bottom placed Avalon and their wins over OBU, Wainuiomata, Tawa and Wests were all within margins of seven points or fewer. Poneke’s defence has been resolute as ever, but it is at the other end of the park, where they are ranked nine of 12 teams in points scoring ability, that they need to improve if they are to beat Upper Hutt and then turn and face HOBM, Norths and Ories with confidence over the final three weeks.

This match is also for the Alby Makeham Memorial Trophy after the legendary 1950s halfback. Alby “kick it again” Makeham was the halfback for Poneke between 1951-59, was a Wellington representative between 1954-59 and a New Zealand trialist in 1958. He played for Upper Hutt between1960-62

?After his playing days he mentored young Poneke halfbacks, including future All Black, Ofisa Tonu’u and when he died both clubs set up a trophy in his honour. His mother “Ma” Makeham was a passionate Poneke follower and was a life member between 1975-96. Poneke are the current holders, having won this corresponding clash last year 40-26, and in 2009 34-22, and in 2008 14-10, and in 2007 69-7, and in 2006 29-11. So Upper Hutt’s last win was six years ago in 2005, 22-14.

OBU lick their wounds from last week’s loss against Norths and travel up the other motorway to Fraser Park to play Avalon. OBU are currently seventh equal with Wainuiomata and right in the thick of the mid-table scramble, but victory over Avalon and other results going in their favour would place them comfortably in the safety heading into the business end of the first round. Avalon are mathematically not out of contention either, but, like Wests, their winning run needs to start now if they want to make the Jubilee Cup.

There will be just as much interest in the curtain raiser at Fraser Park between the Old Boys-University and Avalon Senior 2 sides. This is a top of the table clash between National Mutual Cup competition leaders Avalon (on 30 points) and second placed OBU (29). These two sides have a three point buffer to joint third placed HOBM and Wainuiomata, so whoever wins will maintain a significant lead in what’s so far been a super-tight competition.

In the battle for North City supremacy, Tawa hosts Norths in a game few would expect them to win, although their win against Ories last week will keep Norths’ supporters on edge at Lyndurst Park. Norths, who will be searching for their fifth straight bonus point win, are just 31 points away from posting 400 points for the season. They are also 31 points away from conceding 100 points for the season, so Tawa’s fans will be hoping they achieve the latter first.

This match is for the Sammy Saili memorial Trophy, after Sammy who passed away suddenly in 2009. The trophy was donated by his wife Rachel and family to both clubs to be played for in Swindale Shield clashes. Sammy played over 200 Premier games for Norths between 1992-1995 and from Tawa from 1996-2008. He coached junior rugby for Tawa RFC and Tawa College and was a dedicated volunteer at club and in the community. He was a leader in the church and in the Samoan community and recruited many Pacific Islanders (from Porirua) to the Tawa club.?

Norths won the inaugural clash for the trophy 69-7 last year. In their match prior to that, Tawa famously tipped over Norths 24-15 in the 2009 Jubilee Cup round, but before that Norths won each of their previous seven clashes going back to the 2005 Swindale Shield.