All aboard for Premier, Premier 2, Colts semi-finals and U85kg and Reserve Grade Division 1 final

• By Scott MacLean

As the headline suggests, it’s a big day for Wellington club rugby clubs, teams and supporters tomorrow.

We have major semi-finals for the Premier Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup contests, with matches at the Hutt Recreation Ground, Lyndhurst Park, Evans Bay Park and Ngati Toa Domain.

It is also semi-finals for the two Premier 2 divisions and two Colts divisions, with many (but not all) of these contests also curtain-raisers to the Premier fixtures.

For teamlists for the Premier semi-finals please visit this link below as our Draws & Results website is down owing to a server overload error, but hopefully not out. Update: that part of the website is up now and teams are live there at Wellington Club Rugby: Games & Results – but there are still issues with some browsers and cache issues that might still show its down.

Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup semi-final ***teamlists****

For our full preview see below:

Premier Jubilee Cup

Hutt Old Boys Marist (3) vs Old Boys-University (1)
Referee: Jamie Fairmaid

The Eagles’ reward for blasting Petone off the park a fortnight ago was a week off, so they’ll be well-rested for one last run on the Nest for the season. OBU rebounded from their first-week loss to Tawa – just their second defeat of the campaign – to fight off the Rams but seemingly looked out of sorts and to an extent allowed themselves to get dragged into the game their opponents wanted to play rather than their own.

When the two met earlier in the year – at this same venue – it was OBU who set down the marker as they got out to a handy lead that HOBM couldn’t peg back. The opening 20 minutes could be telling; if HOBM manage to start as they did against Petone they could be out of sight early, but if OBU can repeat what happened that late April day then they could be well on their way.

HOBM start the same massive pack that rolled over Petone with one exception in Harry Press replacing James O’Reilly, while the sole backline change has Nash Fiso-Vaelai starting at second-five for Jordan-Glen Bradbrook. They’ve stuck with the 5-2 bench split as well where the only change there is the perhaps unexpected return of Brandyn Laursen. There’s also just the single change for OBU up front with Nico Aandewiel tagging in at tighthead for Laurence Jarel-Lim while – as named – the Kyle Preston-Callum Harkin axis is restored after the latter started at #12 last Saturday. Josh Morgan-Ranui and Jan Lammers come onto the wings so Ty Poe shifts into centre and Malo Manuao to the bench.

Tawa (4) vs Oriental Rongotai (6)
Referee: Hamish Mexted

Tawa’s run of form at the back end of the Swindale carried through to that one-point win over OBU two weeks ago, but we’ll find out tomorrow if the week off has interrupted that momentum. Conversely, we’ll also find out what effect 100 minutes of intense rugby last week will have had on Ories and how well they’ve recovered; they might have shown themselves to be the masters of knockout rugby but surely even they have their limits?

When they met a little over six weeks ago, also at Lyndhurst, Tawa led the whole way in winning 26-17 and haven’t lost since three weeks before that. The feeling is that Ories will need to start well, or it could be a long day for the defending champions.

The hosts have been able to start almost the same front eight that started against OBU, with Geroge Risale in for Akira Ieremia and Lipa Saveatama moving into lock, which means their Super Rugby trio of PJ Sheck, Siale Lauaki, and Hugo Plummer all start. Their backline is unchanged and there’s only one on the bench where Solomon Uelese, the hero of their late win over Upper Hutt a month ago, replaces Neru Sheck. The big absence for Ories is talismanic leader Dom Ropeti who hasn’t recovered from the knock he took in the 99^th minute last Saturday. Malachi Ti’a replaces him with Ronaldo Seumanufagai moving to the openside and Sione Halalilo to the back. Jake Hamlin and Declan Hay swap places in the only other change to their starting side.

No shortage of experience in the referees appointed, with Jamie Fairmaid and Hamish Mexted both having passed 100 games in the middle at this level.

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Premier Hardham Cup

Paremata-Plimmerton (7) vs Johnsonville (10)
Referee: Charlie Harris

Pare-Plim quickly put the disappointment of their elimination from the Jubilee Cup behind them to annihilate Avalon, while Johnsonville ended Poneke’s year by turning around their earlier result. Logic says the home side should be fresher, but the Hawks have prided themselves on their fitnees for the past couple of seasons.

Their earlier meeting – again at this venue – came in round nine, where a death knock try and sideline conversion from Sam Clarke saw Pare-Plim get up 29-28 and consigned Johnsonville to their third loss in the 80^th+ minute in a row. With each have a hardworking forward pack and livewire backs this could be just as close again.

It’s perhaps no surprise that Pare-Plim rotate back in some player who came off the bench last week. The Coburn brothers and Zeek Fiso return to the tight five with Leni Apisai, Peni Taupau, and Junior Davey heading the other way, and Alex Fidow is also named to return in place of Alex Hinchliffe after being a late withdrawal last Saturday. Esi Komaisavai is the notable absentee in the backs with Kody McGovern handed the start at fullback, and Louis Northcott returns on the left wing. Johnsonville counter with the same XV that started against Poneke last Saturday and just a single one on the bench where Ofa Ueseli comes in for Lucas Aukuso.

Marist St Pats (8) vs Wainuiomata (9)
Referee: Zarne Johnson

There will be no quarter asked for nor given when MSP and Wainuiomata meet at Evans Bay. MSP may have won 41-10 way back in round four, but since then have won just four times with two of those over Wellington and one over Avalon against Wainui’s six (plus a one-point loss to Tawa), and the men from the valley have rattled up over 60 points each of the past two weeks. MSP are hear after sending Wellington off to summer, while Wainuiomata put the fullstop on another difficult year for Norths.

MSP make a few changes from last week. Tom Adams comes into the front row for Meinrad Fitisemanu and Taufaeteau Kaufononga returns on the left wing in place of Grayson Whitman, which sees Francis Mettrick go to centre and Sefo Aukusitino to second-five. The latter two will mark Tyler Tane and Peter Umaga-Jensen in a feature clash in midfield, with Wainuiomata making just two changes to their starting pack. Jordan Sului is back in the front row for Tui Yandall, and Zane Humphrey joins Teru Time at lock meaning the versatile Matt Jacobs drops back to the bench.

Premier 2 Ed Chaney and HD Morgan Memorial

The top two from the round-robin return to action in tomorrow’s Ed Chaney Cup semifinals after having last week off following their first-week wins. Harper Lock Shield winners OBU (1) have decamped to the Ian Galloway cage this week after Wellington Council closed Nairnville Park to rugby, and in the reverse of the Premier fixture they host HOBM (3) for a place next week after the Eagles got past Pare-Plim. The other match sees defending champions Tawa (2) at home at Lyndhurst against Petone (4) following the Villagers win over Poneke.

In their earlier matches OBU and HOBM played out a 25-all draw at the Hutt Rec in round four, with Petone beating Tawa 27-22 back on the Opening Day of the season which ended the Lyndhurst sides 50-game unbeaten streak.

The vastly experienced if sometimes unintelligible Zinny McCormick has the whistle at the Cage, with promising youngster Ethan Jefferson in the middle at Lyndhurst.

The HD Morgan semifinals sees a repeat match from this stage last year, as holder Ories (7) host Johnsonville (11) at the Polo Ground though the Hawks beat the Magpies when they met in round five by 20-12. The other semifinal is out at Maidstone with the Upper Hutt Rams (8) looking to repeat their 50-40 win over MSP (8) from round seven.

Cameron Alexander is the referee at Polo, with Luke Cunningham at Maidstone.

Colts John E Kelly and Vic Calcinai Memorial Cups

Having earned their bye in the John E Kelly Cup with a dominant Paris Memorial campaign, HOBM (1) return to the field when they host Ories (5) in the early game at the Hutt Rec. The Eagles will be favourites, but they’ll be mindful that they fell at this stage last year and that their opposition are the defending champions and scored plenty of points in the past two weeks including last Saturday’s card-filled encounter with Upper Hutt. The other match is at MacAlister Park where OBU (3) takes on Tawa (7); the Goats made heavy weather of things in getting past MSP, while Tawa upset Petone to continue on another week.

James Taylor is in the middle at the Hutt Rec, with Stephen Cross doing the same at MacAlister.

Like HOBM, Norths (8) had last week off and they’ll face Wellington (12) at Porirua Park in one match, with Poneke (9) hosting Pare-Plim (10) at Kilbirnie Park. Warren Pretorius and Tyler Hill are the respective referees.

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A reminder – again – of the rules should any of the above matches be drawn at the end of 80 minutes, something that already had a workout twice this year:

• 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. In the case of the OBU v HOBM Premier 2 match – which was a draw in the round-robin – their points-difference from the round-robin is the next tiebreaker which favours HOBM by just 10 points (HOBM +307, OBU +297)

Under 85kg Paul Potiki and Tony O’Brien Shields

Two of the first three pieces of men’s grade Championship silverware will be handed out at Hataitai Park tomorrow as the lightweights play out their finals.

For the second year in a row, it’s the Tawa Ducks and the OBU Scallywags who face off in the Paul Potiki Shield championship decider and if its anything close to last years pulsating encounter it’ll be some match. Unbeaten Tawa will wear the favourites tag after a blitzing their way through the JC Bowl, winning the nine matches they played (Johnsonville defaulted to them) by an average score of 62-9, and rolled past Poneke 73-19 last Saturday. OBU won’t give up their crown without a fight, and their only loss was to Tawa 26-31 back in round four. They did however make a slow start against Avalon last week, and if they do that again they could find it insurmountable. Craig McWilliams is the referee.

The Tony O’Brien Shield match precedes it, with Wellington having the luxury of being at home to face Pare-Plim who are playing in their first final after being reestablished last year. Matthew Fawkes has the whistle.

Reserve Grade John Davies Cup

The third final tomorrow is at Maidstone Park, where the Upper Hutt J8’s and Johnsonville Cripples contest the Reserve Grade Division 1 decider.

For finals drawn at 80 minutes it is the same as above, but the head-to-head result step is deleted:

• 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
• The team with the greater points-difference from the round-robin (second round for Reserve Grade), but if equal then
• Shared Title

College

Just one match on tomorrow, with Wellington College hosting Paraparaumu in the Premiership in a match deferred from the end of last term owing to Wellington’s participation in their Quad tournament.

Elsewhere

Many provinces finished up last week but some, like Wellington, are still going.

Horowhenua-Kapiti finish up tomorrow with their finals at the Levin Domain. Defending champions Rahui will look to complete an undefeated year when they take on Foxton in the Ramsbotham Cup final, but after only just seeing off Shannon last Saturday they’ll be very wary of getting overconfident and will know that Foxton scored plenty of points in beating Levin College Old Boys.

Rahui will be after double success as their second side is plays in the Senior Reserve Bill Muir Cup final, where they’ll meet the only Levin side featuring in Levin Athletic. Randel Peni has the whistle for the main game and Jimmy McKay the curtainraiser.

It’s a single venue for finals day in Wairarapa-Bush as well, with all games at Memorial Park. The championship Moose Kapene Cup clash sees top-qualifiers Marist take on defending champions Carterton on the turf, with the two having split their matches this year; Carterton won 35-19 in the first-round meeting with Marist prevailing 31-29 at this same venue under lights before King’s Birthday. The vastly experienced Alistair Payne once again has the whistle for the final. That will be preceeded by the Senior Reserve championship match for the Ryan Cup between Gladstone – who stepped out of Premier this season – and defending champions the Pirinoa-based Tuhirangi, with Mike Wakefield in the middle.

Prior to those are the two subsidiary finals on the back fields. The Premier Hodder-Steffert Cup is between Eketahuna and East Coast and refereed by Andrew Stringer, with the President’s Cup Senior Reserve final between Greytown and Carterton with our own Scott MacLean in the middle of.

Further afield, it’s also finals day in four NPC regions:

• The North Harbour final has North Shore hosting Takapuna
• Karaka and Patumahoe will contest the Counties-Manukau final
• Hamilton Marist goes seeking a season sweep as they host Hautapu in the Waikato Breweries Shield final
• Otago’s Metro competition will be decided under the roof at Forsyth Barr with Dunedin taking on Green Island

Other leading provinces are at the same stage as Wellington:

• Auckland’s Gallaher Shield semifinals have unbeaten Ponsonby facing Eden, while Pakuranga takes on Marist
• Te Puke meets Whakarewarewa and Greerton hosts Tauranga Sports in the Bay of Plenty semifinals
• The Canterbury Metro semis have Canterbury University hosting Sydenham, with Marist Albion taking on Linwood