First XV Premiership semi-finals and representative season underway this Saturday

• By Scott MacLean

The First XV semi-finals headline a mostly ‘transitional’ week in local rugby this weekend, with the crossover between club and representative season taking place and the latter getting busier from next weekend.

There is still rugby around this Saturday for Wellington supporters to follow. As well as the two Premiership semi-finals there is a full round of lower grade competition college rugby as well as Reserve Grade club rugby and opening round National Knockout Cup U85kg games. The Wellington Lions are also in action for their first game against Canterbury at Porirua Park.

Club

The major finals day may have been last Saturday, but two grades are still going. The only one that doesn’t conclude tomorrow is the Reserve Grade Division 1 Mike Copeland Cup, who have their penultimate round. The leaders here are Wellington who have a comfortable gap, but tomorrow take on one of their closest pursuers in the Pare-Plim Punters at Hataitai while its second against third at Helston as the Petone Brotherhood visit the Johnsonville Cripples. Tawa and the MSP Internationals will try to make up ground when they clash at Lyndhurst, while Wainuiomata and Norths meet at Mary Crowther.

The grade’s Division 2 Noff Cup is at the semifinals stage. At Maidstone is the clash of the two Upper Hutt sides as the Thirsty’s “host” the Pirates, while at Ian Galloway the Wests Mixed Veges take on former grade powerhouse the Poneke Ruffnuts.

The other two sides; the OBU Righteous Pink Ginners and 69ers aren’t involved in the playoffs, but they take to the Boyd Wilson turf at the university tonight to decide who’ll hold the Jackie Ruru Shield for the summer.

The Presidents grade also signs off tomorrow with all eight teams out in Wainuiomata. They’ve operated a points table this year and the semi-official championship will see Stokes Valley take on HOBM after the latter pipped Pare-Plim to the spot two weeks ago.

National 85s

The lightweights quickly shift into the national knockout Cup, though the obvious absentees are Tawa and Johnsonville who fought out last weekend’s club final. Of the five Wellington entrants, four meet locally with Avalon facing HOBM at Fraser Park with Wellington hosting the OBU Scallywags at Hataitai. The fifth side are Poneke, and they’re taking on Hastings on neutral turf in Bunnythorpe (just north of Palmerston North as the poster above states)

College

With no disrespect to any of the above, the biggest games in town tomorrow are the two College Premiership semi-finals. Top qualifiers St Pat’s Silverstream went unbeaten during the round-robin and will be hot favourites to stay that way when they host Rathkeale College at 1.00pm; the Wairarapa school have impressed in their first season in the Wellington competition but are clearly the “best of the rest” and a win here would be a major upset.

The second semi-final is at 2.30pm, and is at Evans Bay Park when most expected after last weekend that it would be at Wellington College. The reason is that Wellington College were found during the week to have breached an eligibility rule when they played Wairarapa College a month ago. The deduction of those points put them behind St Pat’s Town on the table, so they match will be in Kilbirnie instead. Despite that College will be the favourites here. The winners meet next week in the Traditional Sunday final at Porirua Park.

In season-ending contests HIBS host Wairarapa and Scots welcome St Bernard’s for a second week. Tawa have elected to forfeit their match against Rongotai.

In Premier 2 the round-robin concludes with the three matches deferred a few weeks ago. The Silverstream 2nds shock loss to their Wellington College counterparts last week has left them scrambling to host a home semi-final next week. To do that they need a bonus-point win over Paraparaumu at home tomorrow which would see a three-way tie on 40 points with Hutt Valley High and Wellington College. In that case the first tie-breaker is the points differences from the games between the three; Silverstream and Wellington College are on +2, with HVHS on -4, and with Wellington College having won the match against Silverstream last week they’ve already locked in top seed. Paraparaumu are in the mix for the fourth playoff spot but will need to upset the Stream 2nds, with the Stream 3rds in the box seat as they are a point ahead and take on Mana at Ngati Toa Domain. The third match has the Town 2nds welcoming Kapiti to Evans Bay.

Further afield, perhaps the biggest match of the day in all rugby in the lower North Island tomorrow is the Super 8 First XV competition final. This is between hosts Palmerston North Boys’ High School and visitors Rotorua Boys’ High School at PNBHS 1 at 12.30pm.

Feilding High School are also hosting Hawke’s Bay’s Lindisfarne College in one semi-final of the CNI First XV competition at home at 12.00pm.

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Representative

As covered here last night, the Wellington Lions open the defence of their NPC title on Saturday afternoon against Canterbury at Porirua Park, while the Pride start their Farah Palmer Cup campaign next weekend against Tasman, and are in camp this weekend.

The Manawatu Turbos open their NPC campaign at home tonight in Palmerston North against North Harbour.

The only other Wellington rep side playing this weekend are Te Upoko Wellington Māori Tane, and they’re in Masterton for their semi-traditional clash with the Wairarapa-Bush Heartland side which serves as a strong opening hit-out for both. Kickoff is at 2.30pm on the Memorial Park turf and we’ll list teams if they become available later.

Aisle be Back: NPC season opens and Wallabies-Lions series closes