MSP Blues favourites for second round U85kg grade starting this weekend

Above: MSP Blues captain David Rice accepting the first round U85kg JC Bowl on behalf of his team last weekend following their last round win over the Tawa Titans. Photo courtesy of MSP Rugby.

Winning a sports competition multiple years in a row isn't easy. Just ask the Crusaders, Chicago Bulls or Manchester United. But another team in red is giving all these great teams a run for their money in terms of the number of titles they've won on the trot.

On 15 June, the Marist St Pats Blues beat Tawa 16-12 to claim their fifth JC Bowl title in a row for winning the first round of Wellington's Under 85kg Division One competition.

The Blues won all nine games of the first round by a average margin of 48-2 with only two teams able to score against them. However captain David Rice notes that the grade is as competitive as ever, “regardless of what some of the scorelines may suggest, we've had some very tough matches this year. I definitely feel that the physicality of the grade has picked up a notch, combined maybe with me getting older!'

One of the successes of the team has been the ability to keep the core together; although the squad lost some influential players in the offseason they managed to recruit well. On comparing the 2013 contingent to teams of the past, David says “it's tough to compare sides, but I think we've definitely created more depth this year.”

The team now looks to the next phase of the season with the second round starting this weekend as the team looks to defend the Paul Potiki Shield for the fourth straight year. David knows this will be a tough ask, “teams vastly improve over the course of the season so we will need to be on the top of our game if we are going to have any chance of defending the title.”

The second round seven-team Paul Potiki Memorial Shield kicks off on Friday night under lights at Te Whaea at 7.35 pm between the OBU Onslow Bunnies and the OBU Onslow Spartans. The Bunnies finished fourth behind the MSP Blues in the just completed first round JC Bowl, while the Spartans won the first round Division Two competition.

On Saturday the MSP Blues host Wellington on the new Evans Bay artificial turf at 1.00 pm and Eastbourne and the Tawa Titans meet at H.W Shortt Park at 3.00 pm.

The MSP Reds have the opening round bye.

There are three divisions competing in the championship rounds of the 85kg grade, the 19 teams split into three grades of seven (Division 1) and six and six (Divisions 2 and 3).

The second round second division comprises the bottom four teams from the first round Division 1 JC Bowl competition and the top two teams from Division 2.

These six teams are: the Petone Vipers and Poneke Cav’s, Upper Hutt Stallions and HOBM (all coming down from Division 1) and Wainuiomata and defending second division champions Stokes Valley.

The second round third division comprises the rest of the teams, these being: Avalon, Johnsonville, MSP Green, Paremata-Plimmerton, the Poneke Ravens and Wests Roosters.

The format for the second round U85kg competitions are single round-robin series, followed by semi-finals and final in August.

The MSP Blues are the Paul Potiki Shield champions, having defeated the Tawa Titans 26-6 in last year’s final, while Stokes Valley beat the Petone Vipers 20-6 last year in the Division Two final.

About the Paul Potiki Shield

The Paul Potiki Shield was presented by the Poneke club for competition in the newly created 85 kg Restricted grade in 1996. Ories stalwart Tony O’Brien was responsible for establishing the grade, with the aim to “to bring enjoyment back into rugby for the skinny, smaller bloke.”

Paul Potiki was a Poneke stalwart, a former member of the 22nd Infantry Battalion in WW2, taxi driver and a well known Wellington identity.

Paul Potiki Shield winners 1996-2012:
?1996 Paremata Plimmerton
1997 Upper Hutt
1998 HOBM
1999 Upper Hutt
2000 Old Boys University
2001 Upper Hutt
2002 Johnsonville
2003 Poneke Dogs of War
2004 Johnsonville
2005 Poneke Dogs of War
2006 Poneke Dogs of War
2007 Poneke Dogs of War
2008 Poneke Dogs of War
2009 Wellington
2010 Marist St Pat’s Blues
2011 Marist St Pat’s Blues
2012 Marist St Pat’s Blues

The full U85 kg Restricted grade draws for this weekend’s opening round two games are (all matches on Saturday unless otherwise stated, and subject to change pending the weather):

Division 1 (Paul Potiki Shield):
Onslow Bunnies v Onslow Spartans, Te Whaea, Friday 7.35 pm
MSP Blues v Wellington, Evans Bay Artificial at 1.00 pm
Eastbourne v Tawa Titans, H.W Shortt Park at 3.00 pm
MSP Reds BYE

Division 2
Upper Hutt Stallions v Wainuiomata, Davis Field at 1.15 pm
HOBM v Stokes Valley, Hutt Rec 2 at 3.00 pm
Petone Vipers v Poneke Cav’s, Petone Rec 2 at 3.00 pm

Division 3
Avalon v Johnsonville, Fraser Park 2 at 1.15 pm
MSP Green v Wests Roosters, Martin Luckie 3 at 1.15 pm
Paremata-Plimmerton v Poneke Ravens Ngati Toa Domain at 3.00 pm

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