Silverware to be decided on super Saturday of club rugby

An eventful first round of Wellington club rugby culminates this Queen's Birthday weekend.

Will Tawa secure the solitary bonus point they need to lift the Swindale Shield (pictured above) on their own? Can Poneke secure at least a draw against Old Boys University and make it through to the Jubilee Cup round ahead of Northern United? What will happen at the Polo Ground on Oriental-Rongotai's 125^th anniversary weekend?

By Saturday evening Wellington club rugby fans will know the answer to these questions - as well as who the winners of the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield, Senior 2 National Mutual Cup and U21 Paris Memorial Cup competitions are.?

It promises to be an exciting afternoon of club rugby.

At Lyndhurst Park, home side Tawa will be presented with the Premier Swindale Shield following their match against Marist St. Pat's. The win will be all the more sweeter for their supporters if the Shield is theirs alone for the next twelve months and not to be shared with Oriental-Rongotai. To ensure this, Tawa just needs a bonus point, which would take them to 43 points.

Tawa are unbeaten at home at Lyndhurst Park in five games there this year and have won their last eight matches overall at home. They have won each of their last eight home game games by an average score of 30-11, five of those by scoring four tries or more.

MSP have beaten Tawa on each of their last nine Premier clashes. Tawa's 19-9 victory in April 2006 was their last win at this level over MSP. MSP won their two encounters last year 20-17 and 20-13.

At the Polo Ground, Ories will be playing to beat Petone handsomely and celebrate their 125^th Jubilee weekend in style. A bonus point win would lift them to 42 points, equal with Tawa should Tawa fail to take anything against MSP.

At Nairnville Park, another battle will be unravelling. Poneke realistically need to gather a minimum? of two competition points by way of a draw or a high scoring close loss from their match with Old Boys University to make the Jubilee Cup round.

Poneke are currently in eighth place on 25 points, but can be overtaken by ninth placed Northern United on 22 if the latter defeats Rimutaka in their match on Old Timers' Day at Maoribank Park. It is expected that Norths will beat Rimutaka with a bonus point, hence Poneke's need to pick up at least two competition points against OBU. Rimutaka have already conceded 811 points this season, a known points against record in the Swindale Shield (since 1969).

Should Poneke and Norths finish equal, Poneke will progress to the Jubilee Cup by virtue of their 22-17 win over Norths.

There's nothing on the two other last round Swindale games, the remaining four teams all know their fates for the second round. But all want to finish well and carry winning momentum into the second round.

Wainuiomata (heading for the Jubilee Cup) host the Wests Roosters (Hardham Cup bound) at William Jones Park, Upper Hutt (Hardham Cup) meet Hutt Old Boys Marist (Jubilee Cup) at Maidstone Park.?

In two interclub trophy matches, Ories and Petone clash for the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy and Poneke and Old Boys University contest the Beet Algar Rosebowl.

Jim Brown was a Wellington representative between 1965 and 1974 and played over 200 games for Petone. This cup was donated by Jim's employer Dominion Breweries shortly after his death from cancer in 2004. Ories are the current holders having beaten Petone in this corresponding match 21-6 last year.

Also in this match, Ories' only living Jubilee Cup winning captain Donal McNamara returns to?the?Polo Ground with Petone on the weekend of this former club's 125th celebrations and is likely to butt heads with his old propping partner Whetu Henry.

Beet (short for Beethoven after the musician) Algar, was heavily involved with the Poneke club for decades. He was the captain of the senior side from 1919-22. When he retired from the game he was a key administrator. Up until his death in 1978 he was the club's patron. His brother Doug also represented Wellington.

OBU are the holders, having pipped Poneke 22-20 last year. Poneke turned the tables in both their subsequent Hardham Cup matches in 2012, winning 24-18 in round-robin play and 20-17 in the final. Poneke have won eight of their last 10 clashes.

Senior 1

The Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield is Johnsonville's to lose.

The boys in blue just need to beat Norths at home at Helston Park at 3.00 pm to win the 2013 Harper Lock Shield.

However, should Johnsonville lose or draw, the door will be open for the Wellington Axemen to claim the title should they beat Petone at home at Hataitai Park at 3.00 pm.

Johnsonville and Norths contest the interclub Barlow Trophy, in recognition of Bert Barlow who played on the wing for Johnsonville before moving to Titahi Bay and becoming involved as a leading administrator and coach with his new club.

Including a 5-3 opening weekend win over the Axemen, Johnsonville have won nine from 10, their only loss being 28-29 to OBU at home in round two. Their opponent on Saturday, Norths, are back in 10^th? with two wins and eight losses.

Wellington, who lost their second match of the season last weekend to Avalon, 14-17, have amassed a formidable recent record at home and will be favoured to overcome fifth placed Petone for the Air New Zealand Trophy.

The Axemen have won their last 27 games at Hataitai Park, last tasting defeat there in April 2011. They last lost at home?way back in round four of the 2011 Senior 2 National Mutual Cup to MSP (17-23). Their streak includes the 2011 HD Morgan semi-final and final and the 2012 Ed Chaney semi-final and final.

Should they lose, the lowest Johnsonville can finish is third, while the Axemen can still finish as low as fourth if they lose and both third placed Avalon and fourth placed OBU win their last round matches.

Avalon plays ninth placed Wainuiomata at William Jones Park at 1.15 pm and OBU plays last place Poneke at Nairnville Park at 1.15 pm.

In the tussle to finish inside the top four and qualify for the Hardham Cup, Johnsonville, Wellington and Avalon are safely through, leaving OBU and Petone - theoretically at least - fighting for the fourth spot in Saturday's last round.

To leapfrog fourth placed OBU Petone must realistically beat the Axemen with a bonus point and hope that Poneke denies OBU any points. The other way they can qualify ahead of the students is on points differential, as the first tie-breaker ?option of who beat who is negated by Petone and OBU's 15-15 draw last weekend. However Petone's points differential of 120 far exceeds OBU's of 53.

In other Senior 1 games on Saturday 11^th placed Upper Hutt hosts sixth placed Paremata-Plimmerton at Maidstone Park at 1.15 pm and seventh and eighth placed Tawa and MSP clash in the curtain-raiser at Lyndhurst Park at 1.15 pm.

Senior 2

The Senior 2 National Mutual Cup first round title is Hutt Old Boys Marist's to lose.

It's a two horse race in the Senior 2 grade between HOBM and Ories - both of whom are already confirmed as the two qualifiers for the Senior 1 grade for the second half of the season.

To win the National Mutual Cup, unbeaten HOBM just need to beat sixth placed Johnsonville, in the 1.15 pm match at Helston Park.

Should HOBM lose Ories can win outright or share the title if they beat seventh placed Petone in the 1.15 pm game at the Polo Ground.

Other Senior 2 games see third placed OBU looking to consolidate third against 11^th placed Poneke at Prince of Wales Park at 1.15 pm, fourth placed Avalon playing ninth placed Wests at Fraser Park at 3.00 pm,? fifth placed Norths and eighth placed Wainuiomata meeting at Mary Crowther Park at 1.15 pm and 10^th placed Stokes Valley and last placed MSP meeting at Evans Bay Park at 3.00 pm.

U21 'Final'

The ‘final' of the first round Colts competition Paris Memorial Trophy pits unbeaten sides HOBM Green and OBU Green against each other at the Hutt Rec No. 1 at 3.00 pm.

This match could be a cracker. Both teams have won six from six and both sit on 29 competition points. OBU have scored 234 points and conceded 56, an average score of 39-9, and HOBM have scored 218 points and conceded 52, an average score of 36-8.