Knockout club rugby to bring extra intensity

Above: Wainuiomata host Northern United and Avalon are away at Paremata-Plimmerton in tomorrow’s Hardham Cup quarter-finals. 

• By Scott MacLean

We’ve reached knockout rugby; Win and move on, lose and you’re done.

In the Premier grade, 12 teams are in action tomorrow, and half of them will be playing their final matches of the season tomorrow.

It is a similar story in the Premier 2, Colts and U85kg competitions, while it is also semi-final time in the two Reserve Grade divisions.

For the second time in the past few weeks a sad pall will hang over all rugby in the capital tomorrow, following the tragic passing at the start of the week of current St Pat’s Town First XV coach and former Premier player Willie Leota. His funeral is at 11.00am tomorrow morning at his old school.

This week’s radio commentary game is the Petone v Oriental-Rongotai fixture at the Petone Rec.

Draws & Teamlists (as received) at: https://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/games-results.php?competition=3&season=21&round=2 

Premier Jubilee Cup

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With their wins – both achieved away from home – Hutt Old Boys Marist (3) and Tawa (4) get to put their feet up this weekend and so who’ll they’ll meet next weekend. The Eagles’ eyes will be on Rugby League Park, as they’ll host the winner of the clash between Old Boys-University (1) and the Upper Hutt Rams (5). OBU will be disappointed that they now have to go the long way to the final, but will have to rebound quickly against a confident Rams outfit that dispatched MSP for the second time this season.

The Goats get skipper Louis Calvert back and he goes straight into the front row. Finn O’Sullivan returns at lock with Jack Riley moving to the openside in place of Cody Quin. Out back Mitch McLeod starts at fullback with Jermaine Pepe switching to the left wing. They’re also running a completely different bench to last weeks. France-bound Salesi Rayasi is the notable absence for the Rams, so Todd Svenson goes back to fullback and Tynan Barrett comes onto the right wing. Their only other change sees the distinctively-coiffured Lewis Bush start up front for So’a Faingaa, with Aiden Woodward and Pene To’o making returns to action from the pine.

Tawa will be focused on the Petone Rec, where dealing with the scars of last week will have been the order of business at Petone (2) this week after the way that they were steamrolled by a heavyweight HOBM pack last week. They’ll face more of the same as Oriental Rongotai (6) – who beat them 23-5 at the Rec earlier in the year – come north likely armed with the same blueprint for success.

The Magpies bring out the same 22 players that beat Pare-Plim with just a single change – Declan Hay in at #10 in place of Jake Hamlin – so are clearly confident in what they have. Expect to see Herman Seumanufagai, Ruperake Oloapu, and Siaosi Lavea to get plenty of ball. With little place to turn Petone start prop Taualai Tofilau who impressed off the bench and up the speed quotient with Ridge Studd in for Jarrod Hrstich. TJ Clarke moves into first-five after being a virtual passenger last Saturday. The rest of the reshuffle has Emery McGill and Sam Blackburn onto the wings, Tom Carter to midfield for Riley Higgins, Lachie Forbes to fullback, and Cam Ferreira to the bench.

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Premier Hardham Cup

Refocusing would have been the order of the day at both Paremata-Plimmerton and Marist St Pats after both exited the main prize with their losses last Saturday. But silverware is still silverware and that should be the aim for each, along with the other six sides left in the fight.

Pare-Plim (7) return home to Ngati Toa, a place they’ve lost at just once in the past two seasons, for the visit of winless Avalon (14) who have already suffered a 74-10 defeat at this ground this year, and must achieve their first win over the campaign to continue.

The injury bug hit the Hammerheads in last weeks loss at Ories, with Esi Komaisavai, Luke Omeri, and Louis Northcott all absent this week along with Keepa Cherrington, and the Coburn brothers are on the bench along with the Ezekiel Fiso. Into the side comes Peni Taupau, Leni Apisai, James Corcoran, Junior Davey, Jake Tibbitts and Sam Meo, along with Alex Hinchliffe who starts on the openside and becomes Pare-Plim’s eighth Premier centurion. Avalon’s team hadn’t reached us by time of publication.

The other game on this side of the bracket has Johnsonville (10) facing Poneke (11) at Helston for the second time in a month, and the Hawks will be looking to overturn the 22-42 defeat that the suffered that day. Conversely, Poneke will seek to replicate what was their best performance of the season. With both handy winners last week, this could be another highscoring affair.

The home side have left their backline untouched for another week leaving their only changes up front. Sean Rankin returns at prop with Jake Wetere sliding over to hooker, and Dylan Selkirk gets the nod on the openside with Asafo Fa’amafu swapping to the blind and Tahana Firmin moving back to the bench. Poneke will have to deal with the absence of Carlos Hihi after he was sent off in somewhat awkward circumstances last Saturday, but Max Rodgers is an able replacement. He and halfback Jimmy-Lee Hongara are the only two changes to the side that beat Norths.

Like Pare-Plim, MSP (8) get to go home back to Evans Bay with Wellington (13) coming down the hill to meet them. Their earlier meeting was a torrid affair with MSP prevailing 35-27, and if the Axemen can summon that intensity again it could make for a repeat.

MSP have provided us with a provisional team, noting it won’t be confirmed until after the first edition of this preview is published. As supplied, it’s an all-but unchanged starting XV from last week with the only alteration putting Francis Mettrick on the left wing in place of Taufa Kaufononga, with Nick Harrison likely to lead the team out as he becomes MSP’s latest Premier Centurion. All three Tuia brothers start against their former club for the Axemen, and James might haver a point to prove after missing that earlier meeting through suspension. As usual they have a raft of changes, but the backbone of the side – Ami Paongo, Charlie Brook, and Will Cosgriff – are all there.

The last of the six matches is at William Jones Park, where Wainuiomata (9) welcome Norths (12) into the valley. The hosts will be looking to continue the fine form they’ve had over the past month, and the visitors for that one performance for their season to continue into next week.

Greg Leolofi, Dion Leolofi, and Kade Tiatia all return to the Wainui pack while Mikade Fono goes to fullback to accommodate Tyler Tane’s return midfield in an otherwise unchanged home starting XV. The obvious name of interest on the Norths teamsheet is at #10 where Jackson Garden-Bachop’s name appears. He’s joined in the side by front-rowers Herman Fiu and Reuben Ape-Tuputala with both Jerome Vaai and Josiah Tevita-Metcalfe going down injured last week, and veteran Johnny Teleaga into midfield with the other pieces reshuffled.

All six Premier matches are at 2.45pm

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Premier 2 Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Memorial Cups

As with the Premiers top matches on in the top division and four in the lower bracket. Courtesy of their wins OBU and Tawa have the week off in the championship Ed Chaney Cup to see who’ll they’ll face in next week’s semi-finals. The sides they beat last week, Petone and HOBM, get to host this week against last weekend’s elimination game winners. On the north side of the river HOBM (3) face Pare-Plim (6) with the winner of that face OBU, while Petone (4) and Poneke (5) clash to determine who will play Tawa.

In the HD Morgan Cup, its Ories and Upper Hutt who drop down. Ories (7) host Wainuiomata (14) at the Polo Ground with the other match on their side seeing Norths (10) take on Johnsonville (11) on the upper field at Porirua Park. The opposite side of the bracket has Upper Hutt (8) facing Wellington (13) at Maidstone, with MSP (9) lining up against Avalon (12) at Evans Bay.

All six matches are 12.30pm starts.

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Colts John E Kelly and Vic Calcinai Memorial Cups

As noted previously, the Colts grade follows a different playoff path than the Premiers do but also culminates in their finals in two weeks’ time. In the championship John E Kelly Cup top qualifiers HOBM (1) have the week off, with the Upper Hutt Rams (4) and Ories (5) meeting at Maidstone to determine who’ll face the Eagles next week (Note: Upper Hutt and Ories tied on 46 points, but the Rams hold the tiebreker from their 36-17 win in the round robin). The other side of the bracket has Petone (2) hosting Tawa (7) at the Rec, and OBU (3) meeting MSP (6) at Rugby League Park.

The Division 2 Vic Calcinai Memorial ledger has Norths (8) with the bye as they were the unlucky side to miss out last week owing to finishing level on 43 points with Tawa but having lost their head-to-head matchup and must also be rueing a two-point deduction for a repeated Bylaw breach during the season. They’ll face the winner of the match between Avalon (11) and Wellington (12) which is happening tonight at Hataitai Park (7:30pm kickoff), with the other side of this bracket seeing Poneke (9) hosting Wainuiomata (14) at Kilbirnie (2pm kickoff), and Pare-Plim (10) facing Johnsonville (13) at Ngati Toa for the second successive week.

All Colts matches are at 12.30pm unless noted.

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Under 85kg Paul Potiki Memorial and Tony O’Brien Shields

Semi-finals time in both lightweight divisions tomorrow. After earning last weekend off the powerhouse Tawa Ducks and OBU Scallywags host the championship Paul Potiki Shield matches; Tawa (1) host the Poneke Wanderers (4) at Lyndhurst in one match with the Scallywags (2) facing Avalon (3) at Nairnville in the other with both visiting sides looking to cause a seismic upset.

In the Division 2 Tony O’Brien Shield MSP (10) were in the only side in action as they beat Petone 43-23 in the qualifying match. They’re back at Hataitai Park tomorrow to take on Wellington (7), with Pare-Plim (8) welcoming Eastbourne (9) out to Ngati Toa Domain.

All four matches are at 2.45pm

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A reminder of the rules in knockout matches covered above should matches be drawn at the end of 80 minutes:

• Extra-time of 10 minutes each way will be played. There in NO Golden Point
• If still tied then:
  • Most tries in the match, but if equal then
  • Winner of the head-to-head match between the two teams in the round-robin

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Reserve Grade

It is semi-final time of the Reserve Grade Division 1 competition in Wellington.

These John E Davies Cup top 4 games see top qualifier the Upper Hutt Rams J8s play Northern United at Maidstone Park 1 and second placed the Johnsonville Cripples face third placed Petone Brotherhood at Newlands Park. Both matches are at 2.45pm.

There are four Division 2 Alan Seerup Cup encounters tomorrow, with unbeaten MSP Internationals playing the UH Rams Thirstys at Kilbirnie Park 2 at 2.45pm, the OBU Teddy Bears and OBU Pink Ginners/Righteous side meeting at Prince of Wales Park at 2.45pm and the Wests Mixed Veges and Paremata-Plimmerton playing at Ian Galloway 1 at 2.45pm. In the sole 1.00pm game, Wainuiomata play the OBU 69ers at William Jones Park in the Hardham Cup curtain-raiser.

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College

No matches this weekend owing to the school holidays, but there is a smattering of catch-up games scheduled for next weekend.

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Elsewhere

Finals day in the Manawatu tomorrow. Kia Toa will look to complete and undefeated season when they meet city rivals College Old Boys in the championship Hankins Shield decider on the main ground at the Arena. The Senior 1 consolation final precedes that on one of the back fields with Freyberg facing Linton Army for the Val Holland Trophy. All of Manawatu’s mens finals are at the Arena with the Senior 2nds final between Feilding Yellows and COB getting the curtainraiser slot, Bunnythorpe and the Massey Vets meet in the Senior 3rds decider, and the Colts crown will be played out between Te Kawau and Pahiatua-based Bush Sports.

Taradale and Napier Old Boys Marist will contest the Maddison Trophy final in Hawkes Bay. Taradale blitzed past Napier Tech 59-12 in their semi-final with NOBM edging Pirates 30-27 in the other. Unlike Manawatu their finals are all around the district at the top qualifiers home venue, so Taradale will be on their turf. Taradale are also hosting the Colts final against Havelock North, Central Hawkes Bay faces MAC in the Division 1 decider, Otane takes on NOBM in the Division 2 final, with Pirates hosting Eskview in the Division 2 consolation final.

Semi-finals in the two Heartland provinces. In Horowhenua-Kapiti Shannon’s win over Levin College Old Boys wasn’t enough for them to avoid Rahui so they’re off to face the juggernaut in Otaki. Levin COB probably breathed a sigh of relief at that outcome, and are off up SH1 to face Foxton. In the Senior Reserves Foxton hosts Rahui, and there’s a Levin derby between COB and Athletic at the Domain.

And finally, over the Remutaka’s in Wairarapa-Bush the major Premier semifinals sees a Masterton derby between Marist and Pioneer on the backfields at Memorial Park, while defending champions Carterton face first-round winners Martinborough. The consolation Hodder-Steffert Cup playoff matches sees Eketahuna host Masterton Red Star, and Greytown at home against East Coast. In the Senior Reserve Ryan Cup top four Gladstone host Marist and Tuhirangi faces Pioneer, while it’s the last round for the bottom five ahead of a straight final with Greytown at home against Featherston and Martinborough hosts East Coast, with Carterton having the bye.

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