Crunch time in round nine this weekend

?

For several teams, this Saturday's ninth round set of Wellington club rugby Premier ?Swindale Shield, Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield and Senior 2 National Mutual Cup matches will be vital to their seasons.

In all three competitions there's key battles all the way up and down the points tables and few teams are immune to the outcomes of other matches and how they will affect their chances of winning one of the first round titles or deciding their fates for the second round.

There's 15 competition points up for grabs for each side in each competition over the final three rounds. As it stands there's probably three teams who can still win the Swindale Shield, four still in the hunt for the Harper Lock Shield and four who can consider themselves National Mutual Cup title contenders.

In the Swindale Shield, where the top eight finishing teams qualify for the Jubilee Cup in the second round and the bottom four head to the Premier 2 Hardham Cup, there's realistically six teams chasing five Jubilee Cup places available.

The possibility is still very real that one of the traditional big guns - Norths, Poneke, MSP and even Petone - can still miss out on the 2013 Jubilee Cup. This is what makes round nine of the Swindale Shield a significant weekend of Premier rugby.

At the top of the Swindale Shield points table, joint leaders Tawa and Hutt Old Boys University are on course to meet in a likely ‘final' next weekend.

But first they must get through their respective opposition this weekend. Or hope that? their nearest challenger Ories loses.

Tawa play minnows Rimutaka and barring catastrophe will bank maximum points at Maoribank Park. Rimutaka's set-pieces were dismantled by Wests in the previous round, so providing Tawa turns up in spirit as well as body, the home side will have little chance.

In Old Boys University at Nairnville Park,? HOBM face a much sterner test. ?The Eagles are expected to have their work cut out for them against the Billy Goats, desperate to make the top eight this year.

HOBM won the McBain Shield last week against Petone with a first half blitz of scoring. OBU were similarly fast out of the blocks against Norths, holding a 25-22 lead at halftime before being reined in after the oranges. With OBU possessing similar threats out wide to HOBM, and on a heavier track at Nairnville, this game could be? won and lost up front. The outcome is just as important to OBU who could leap from ninth to fourth equal with a bonus point win.

HOBM and OBU contest the Wood Cup. HOBM ?are the Wood Cup holders, having beaten OBU 24-13 last year in this corresponding match. The previous three matches between these sides were close. OBU scored the winning try on fulltime to win 30-28 in 2011 and in their two matches in 2010 HOBM won 23-16 in the first round and OBU prevailed 27-22 in their return Jubilee Cup fixture.

Similarly, Norths will not only likely end Ories' first round Swindale Shield title challenge,? but they will affix themselves safely inside the top eight if ?they win this match at the Polo Ground. With Rimutaka to play in the last round, a win for Norths over Ories should make them safe ahead of their penultimate round match against Wainuiomata.

Norths and Ories contest the third annual To'omaga Alex Iona Memorial Cup. Alex was a life member of Norths but first played for Ories on his arrival from Samoa, then moved to Porirua to live and joined the then Porirua RFC where he played and coached the lower grades. He then became involved with management roles and he also had a strong involvement in the Wellington Samoan Rugby Union. Norths won the inaugural clash in 2011 21-16 and Ories won last year 22-16.

Two of the other three Swindale Shield matches are all hugely important for those directly involved and for those teams around each other on the table, while the third between Upper Hutt and Wests is a chance for the winner to keep in touch.

Fourth placed Petone are in the curious position where they could still either win the Swindale Shield or miss out on the top eight altogether.

First and foremost the Villagers want to secure their spot inside the top eight, and they will likely achieve this goal if they beat Marist St Pat's next week for the Bill Elvy Memorial Trophy. Petone also defend the Bill Brien Challenge Shield against MSP.

Two points back in sixth, MSP can't win the Swindale Shield, but the same applies for them - beat Petone and they should be safe, given that they play Rimutaka next week.

While Petone are coming off a 28-point defeat to HOBM, MSP overcame Poneke. Petone are also undefeated in four starts at home this year.

The Bill Elvy Trophy commemorates the player who was originally from Canterbury but played for Petone soon after arriving in Wellington. He was a Wellington representative in the 1920s and made the North Island and New Zealand XV teams (1929). Bill's son Norm played for both the Marist and St Pat's clubs and his grandson Martin played for MSP. Petone are the current holders having won 22-16 last year, but MSP won their return Jubilee Cup clash last year 55-5 and have won seven of their past 10 Premier encounters.

Poneke and Wainuiomata play for the Hakaraia Trophy at Kilbirnie Park on Poneke's Old Timers' Day in a contest with similar significance attached to it as the Petone-MSP clash. The winner of this match should be safely through the Jubilee Cup round, but as the loser will be fighting hard in the last two rounds stay up.

The Hardham Cup is one trophy that no team wants to defend, but with tricky away fixtures against Upper Hutt and OBU to come, Poneke will want to make the most of home ground advantage against Wainuiomata.

Since beating Tawa a month ago, Poneke haven't won, losing narrowly to Ories, HOBM, Petone and MSP. Since losing their first four matches, Wainuiomata have won their last four, beating Petone, Rimutaka, MSP and Upper Hutt.

The Hakaraia Trophy brings special significance to players and supporters of both the Poneke and Wainuiomata teams, after the death in a diving accident in January 2007 of Peter Hakaraia, the son of Paul who the trophy originally honoured. It is now played for in the memory of both Paul, a lifelong associate of both clubs, and son Peter.

Wainuiomata are the current holders having beaten Poneke 12-5 in last year's clash. Poneke won this match in 2011 with a 16-11 win, Wainuiomata in 2010 with a 22-20 win and Poneke in 2009 with a 26-19 win.

Upper Hutt and the Wests Roosters, who meet at Maidstone Park on Upper Hutt's Old Timers' Day, can both still make the Swindale Shield if they win, but will also be relying on other results going their way over the next couple of rounds.

Senior 1, Senior 2 and Women's grades

Three of the four promoted teams for the second round Hardham Cup competition could effectively be decided this Saturday in round nine of the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield.

Leaders the Wellington Axemen and joint second placed Johnsonville and Old Boys University, all with seven wins from eight, will all more than likely qualify for the Hardham Cup with a fortnight to spare if they win their matches.

The Axemen host strugglers Northern United (two wins) at Hataitai Park at 3.00 pm on Wellington's Old Timers' Day, OBU are scheduled to host Paremata-Plimmerton (three wins) at Nairnville Park at 1.15 pm and Johnsonville host Tawa (fourth)? for the Carman Cup at Helston Park at 3.00 pm on Johnsonville's Old Timers' Day.

Avalon (six wins) round out the top four, and they play Upper Hutt at Maidstone Park in the 1.15 pm game on Upper Hutt's Old Timers' Day for the Harper Vine Trophy.

Fifth placed Petone still have everything to play for in case one of the above top four teams slip up - or if OBU qualify inside the top four for the Hardham Cup but aren't allowed to play if their top side misses out on the Jubilee Cup and fills their place. Petone's battle with midtable MSP at the Petone Rec at 1.15 pm is thus a key one this weekend in the Senior 1 competition.

In the sixth match of the Harper Lock Shield this week, lower ranked Poneke and Wainuiomata meet in the early Old Timers' Day match at Kilbirnie Park.

Johnsonville and Tawa play for the Carman Cup, donated by Arthur Carman in 1952 who was the first Patron of the Tawa club, a member of the Johnsonville club and a well known sports historian and statistician.

The Harper Vine Trophy between Avalon and Upper Hutt was donated by the families of Tammy Harper and Bob Vine.?Tammy Harper was the first elected Life Member of the Avalon club and had an intense rivalry with Bob Vine of The Upper Hutt?club.

In the Senior 2 National Mutual Cup competition, there appears to be four teams still in the hunt for the title with three rounds remaining - and these four teams areplaying each other this Saturday.

HOBM are the only unbeaten team across the top three grades, and they currently hold a three-point lead to second placed Ories. But HOBM have at least two tough matches to finish with. This Saturday they play fourth placed Old Boys University at the Hutt Rec 2 at 1.15 pm, while next week they play current third placed Avalon at Fraser Park and in the last round the play midtable Johnsonville.

If HOBM beat Ories this week they will probably just require a bonus point or two from their last two matches and the title's theirs. But if they lose to Ories, then the last two weeks will be intense.

In the other significant match of this weekend's ninth round of the Senior 2 competition, second placed Ories host third placed Avalon at the Polo Ground at 1.15 pm.

The top two finishing teams in this grade after 11 rounds get promoted to the Senior 1 Ed Chaney Cup for the second half of the season.

Fifth placed Norths can still make the top two, provided they beat Stokes Valley on the top field at Porirua Park at 3.00 pm.

The two other Senior 2 clashes on Saturday see Johnsonville host the Wests Roosters in the early game at Helston Park on their Old Timers' Day and MSP and Petone vie at Evans Bay Park in the 1.15 pm match.

There's two matches in the Premier women's Fleurs Trophy on Saturday - but both matches will determine who wins the first round title.

Leaders Northern United play winless MSP-Poneke at Evans Bay Park and second placed Ories meet Old Boys University at Prince of Wales Park.

This website previously incorrectly reported that Norths had won the title last Saturday with this last round to spare. In fact, the race is still alive with Norths on 19 points and Ories on 15. This means that Norths just need to beat MSP-Poneke to win the Fleurs Trophy, but should they lose and gain no points and Ories win with a bonus point then the title is going to Miramar.

Wainuiomata and Avalon play the last match of the first round Fleurs Trophy next weekend.

Other grades

It's also Eastbourne's Old Timers' Day this Saturday. Eastbourne who were a prominent Jubilee Cup side in the competition's early years in the 1930s now field teams in the lower grades. Their JC Bowl U85 kg Restricted side hosts the Onslow Bunnies at H.W Shortt Park at 3.00 pm.

Also in this grade, unbeaten MSP Blues are gunning for their sixth straight win when they take on winless HOBM at Prince of Wales 2 at 3.00 pm and the Tawa Titans, also unbeaten after three matches, play fourth placed Wellington at Te Whaea at 3.00 pm.

Unbeaten Petone will hope to extend their run to five victories in the Senior 3 JDR Cup when they play MSP at Martin Luckie Park. MSP have won from four. Amongst other games, it's an all HOBM encounter when the club's Barbarians and Originals teams square off and Upper Hutt and Rimutaka meet in a local derby clash.

HOBM Green and OBU Green are the two unbeaten sides after four rounds of the eight-team Paris Memorial Trophy.

HOBM Green play Wellington (two wins from four) in the early game on Old Timers' Day at Hataitai park and OBU Green play Ories (two wins from four) at Martin Luckie Park at 1.15 pm.

In other games, MSP and Tawa play each other, also on Martin Luckie Park at 1.15 pm, and? Norths Blue and Petone meet on the top field at Porirua Park at 1.15 pm,

?