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The Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Cup (left) and Division 2 Vic Calcinai Cup (right).
- By Steven White & Ian Knightly
UPDATED #2: There are two Wellington club rugby Colts finals at the opposite ends of the region tomorrow.
At the northern gates, the Upper Hutt Rams Colts host the Poneke Colts in the Division 2 Vic Calcinai Cup decider at Maidstone Park, while at the Wall, the Oriental-Rongotai Colts and the OBU Green Colts meet in the Division 1 John E Kelly Cup final on Polo 1. Both finals kick off at 1.00pm.
At the start of this week the Division 1 final was slated for Lyndhurst Park, but it was determined that Tawa triggered the player ineligibility bylaws in their 17-14 semi-final win over Ories last Friday. So Ories were promoted as winners and home finalists as they are higher ranked than OBU Green.
OBU arrive at the Division 1 final having stormed through the field after finishing seventh at the conclusion of the first round, to knockout both of last year’s finalists, Petone and Hutt Old Boys Marist. They beat Petone 46-19 and then defeated first round champions HOBM 12-8 in last Saturday’s semi-final.
OBU are no strangers to this end of the season in this grade. But can they up-stage Ories who are riding high as a club at the moment?
OBU captain Nathanial Barry said his team is happy with their late season form:
“Our semi-final against HOBM went well. We knew it was going to be tough coming up against a team that hadn’t lost all season, however the performance against Petone the week prior gave us confidence. Looking at the conditions on the day, being extremely windy and cold, the score could have gone either way.
“We were fortunate to have some awesome impact off the bench, and tireless defence to hold the game out once we got the lead. This coming week we know we will have to turn up and be ready for a physical game against Ories, and by staying connected and keeping our communications up throughout, our chances of taking the win will be in our favour.”
Barry said that his side expects a surge in support in the final. “Our supporters have had a huge part to play this season. It’s certainly noticeable the lift we get on the field when we have our loyal OBU supporters on the sideline. I know for a fact there are plenty of family and friends making the journey to Miramar this Saturday from all over the country to support, and looking forward to the extra energy and drive it will give out team.”
Sadness has recently descended over the Wellington and OBU club rugby community.
“This weekend we will be playing for our club Old Boys University, playing for our coaches, managers, supporters and all those involved in the club. But most importantly we will be playing for Thomas Murray, a member of the OBU scallywags U85s side who passed away last week. We will also be playing for those that were close to him, wearing a black arm band in remembrance.”
When they met earlier this season, OBU beat Ories 40-34, and a similar run of play is expected on Saturday between two positive sides.
The John E Kelly Cup is named after a former leading administrator of the Wellington Axemen club and was first played for in 1986 with University (one half of the now OBU) the inaugural winners. Since 2010, OBU has won this title eight out of 13 times. Ories have won it once, in 1994.
In the Division 2 final, Poneke travel to play the Rams hoping to stamp out memories of their previous meeting this season when the Rams beat Poneke 86-10 at Kilbirnie Park. On that day, Poneke lost a couple of players early through injury and the Rams seized control early and didn’t let up.
Poneke are captained by Jack Rees-Thompson with Tristan-Perry Monanu the vice-captain. David Taoipu is the top try scorer for the side with six tries and Stirling Maxwell has scored 45 points.
The Rams are a home grown side for the most part, with two thirds of their squad hailing from either Upper Hutt or Heretanga Colleges of St Pat’s Silverstream. Poneke are similar, but also have several players from around New Zealand. Both teams have an international flavour, with players from Scotland, South Africa, France, England, USA and Samoa in their squads.
The Vic Calcinai Cup is named after the player who was the captain-coach of the combined Poneke-Oriental Jubilee Cup team during the second world war and later Poneke coach and WRFU President in 1968. It was first contested in 1986. The Rams last won in 2019 and Poneke in 2014.
U85kg
There are two local National Knockout Cup U85kg matches tomorrow.
The Hutt Old Boys Marist Howlers and New Plymouth Old Boys meet at the Hutt Rec 3 at 1.00pm in the last remaining second round game of the competition.
The Tawa Ducks and NPOB’s cross-town Taranaki rivals Tukapa visit Lyndhurst Park for their round three match, kick-off at 1.00pm.
HOBM are on their local competition bye, while the Paul Potiki Shield match between Tawa and Stokes Valley is to be played at a later date.
That leaves two one fourth round Paul Potiki Shield match to be played tomorrow.
The OBU Scallywags take on Paremata-Plimmerton at Nairnville Park at 2.45pm – OBU v Paremata-Plimmerton has been ‘cancelled’. Petone and Poneke meet on the Petone Rec 1 at 2.45pm.
In Division 2, Eastbourne and MSP meet beside the sea at 2.45pm and Wellington and Johnsonville are in action at Hataitai Park at 1.00pm.
Reserve Grade
We are into knockout rounds in the Reserve Grade competition.
In the top tier John Davies Cup, the top two teams from the first round, the Upper Hutt Rams J8s and the Poneke Ruffnuts have this weekend off.
There are two top tier preliminary fixtures, with the MSP Internationals hosting the Upper Hutt Rams Thirsties at Kilbirnie Park 3 and the Johnsonville Cripples playing the Upper Hutt Rams Pirates at Helston Park. Both are at 2.45pm.
It is quarter-finals In the second tier Alan Seerup Cup, featuring the teams that finished seventh to fourteenth in the just completed first round Mike Copeland Cup.
Tawa (7) play the OBU Teddy Bears (14), Petone (8) play the Wests Mixed Veges (13), Paremata-Plimmerton (9) play the OBU Pink Ginners (12) and Wellington (10) and the OBU 69ers (11) meet.
Kick-off times in all these matches are 2.45pm.
College
There are three certainties and several possibilities heading into the ninth and final round of the Premiership and Premier 2 competitions.
In the First XV Premiership, top qualifier Scots College and second placed St Pat’s Silverstream have already book hosting rights for semi-final berths next weekend. But who will join them in the semi-finals will be determined this weekend.
If Hutt International Boys’ School beat St Pat’s Town in their match tomorrow at the racecourse then they are in.
If Wairarapa College beat Rongotai in the early game of 1.00pm being played at Rongotai then they are in too.
Wellington College play Tawa College away and they need to wind that and for either HIBS or Wairarapa to lose.
St Pat’s Town have an outside chance of making the top four, but need to beat HIBS and deny them bonus points, and for either Wairarapa or Wellington College to lose.
The other two games which don’t have any consequence on next week’s semi-finals see Mana College host St Pat’s Silverstream and St Bernard’s play Scots College at the Polo Ground. Both kick-off at 2.30pm.
In the Premier 2 Murray Jensen Cup, St Pat’s Silverstream are already confirmed as top qualifiers,
Wellington College and Paraparaumu will be favoured by some to win their games tomorrow and play each other next week. Wellington College play Naenae College and Paraparaumu meet Newlands.
St Pat’s Town will make the semi-finals if they beat Aotea College.
But should Town lose, Hutt Valley High School can leapfrog them into the top four if they beat Porirua College.
Aotea have an outside chance too, should they beat Town.
The U15 grade has been cancelled tomorrow.
Three of the four semi-finalists have been locked in for the Father Gus Hill Cup U15s competition, but not the order of finishing.
Wellington College Gold are unbeaten on 29 points and they fourth placed HIBS tomorrow who are on 17 points. HIBS will need at least a bonus point to book fourth and probably set up a return match with them in next week’s semi-finals.
St Bernard’s College A are next on 13 so will need to win well over HVHS and hope HIBS stumble.
St Pat’s Town A are on 25 and St Pat’s Silverstream third on 24, and they meet in a match to determine next week’s second home semi-finalist and will possibly do it all again next week.
Horowhenua-Kapiti
It is Finals Day at the Levin Domain in Horowhenua-Kapiti tomorrow:
Representative
The Wellington Lions travel to the Manaia Domain in southern Taranaki to play the host union in their NPC pre-season fixture tomorrow.
Taranaki will be a step up from their Horowhenua-Kapiti and South Canterbury opposition of recent weeks. A sell-out crowd of parochial home supporters will be in attendance too. This is a non first-class match, with both sides carrying extended benches.
Teams below.
It is basically do or die for the Wellington Pride on Sunday at the Hutt Rec against the Counties Manukau Heat, having lost their first two matches and gained just one competition point thus far in what is a short competition.
The Pride will be eyeing up nothing less than a bonus point win against the Heat, who accounted for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in their first Farah Palmer Cup outing last weekend.
As per last week, the Pride team won’t be expected to be named until Saturday, too late for this preview.
But one area they would have worked on this week is their decision making and game sense thinking, snatching defeat from the mouth of victory last week against Auckland.
Wellington XV:
- Cameron Orr – Western Suburbs
- Joyner Gaualofa – Tawa
- PJ Sheck – Tawa
- Caleb Delany – Old Boys University
- Hugo Plummer – Tawa
- Brad Shields – Petone
- Sione Halalilo – Oriental-Rongotai
- Keelan Whitman – Marist St Pats
- Kemara Hauiti-Parapara – Tawa
- Aidan Morgan – Marist St Pats
- Pepesana Patafilo – Tawa
- Peter Umaga-Jensen – Wainuiomata ©
- Losi Filipo – Petone
- Ethan Webster-Nonu – Paremata-Plimmerton
- Ruben Love – Wainuiomata
- Josh Southall – Petone
- Senio Sanele – Upper Hutt Rams
- Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe – Northern United
- Akira Ieremia – Tawa
- Filo Paulo – Hutt Old Boys Marist
- Dominic Ropeti – Oriental-Rongotai
- Sam Howling – Pōneke
- Kyle Preston – Old Boys University
- Isi Saumaki – Tawa
- Tjay Clarke – Petone
- Chicago Doyle – Marist St Pats
- Sam Clarke – Paremata-Plimmerton
