bucqi Jubilee and Hardham Cups finals previews

The Hardham Cup final between Hutt Old Boys Marist and Petone is at the Hutt Recreation Ground at 7.00pm and the bucqi Jubilee Cup final between Marist St Pat's and Tawa is at Jerry Collins Stadium on Saturday at 2.00pm.

Catch all the action live or online or listen to it unfold live. The Hardham Cup final call will be on Te Upoko Radio 1161AM with Gordon Noble-Campbell, former All Blacks captain Andy Leslie and Adam Julian.
The Jubilee Cup final will be called by Gordon Noble-Campbell, Chris Sirling and Peter Marriott on Radio Sport 1503AM and also by Adam Julian on the dial on 1161AM.

bucqi Jubilee Cup Final preview: Marist St Pat's v Tawa

Marist St Pat's and Tawa meet in the climax of the 2016 club rugby season, at Porirua Park's Jerry Collins Stadium, with both sides riding five-game winning streaks into the decider.

This stage isn't unfamiliar to either side. Marist St Pat's were here last year where they went down to Old Boys-University but not before fighting back from a 6-25 deficit with 20 minutes to play, and seek to go one better this time and claim their 15th title since their formation following the 1970 season. They last lifted the Cup in 2012, defeating then-defending champions Oriental-Rongotai 14-8. Tawa succeeded them the following year, lifting their first championship when they too beat Ories 26-21.

MSP earned top qualifier status for the playoffs with five wins in the round-robin, lifting the Andy Leslie Trophy and also ensuring the Bill Brien Challenge Cup will also reside in their clubrooms for the summer. They made sure of their place in the decider with a 24-3 win over neighbours Ories at Evans Bay last Saturday.

Earlier they made a slow start to the Swindale Shield, losing four of their first seven games, including both of the midweek night games. However following their 21-54 loss to Ories on a cold Wednesday night at Wakefield Park they won their next six games to finish in fourth place.

In contrast Tawa lost their first three Jubilee Cup matches and sat bottom with one point. They then won their last four matches however, taking 18 points from a possible 20 and emerging from the tiebreaker as the second qualifier. That gave them the right to host the second semi-final at home at Lyndhurst Park, where they beat Wainuiomata 16-10.

Tawa finished the Swindale in sixth place with eight wins against five losses, but only made certain of their place by beating Norths 26-13 at this venue in the last round of matches.

MSP will again be led by openside flanker Isaac O'Connor, and the side has a wealth of experience. Fa'atonu Fili, Isaia Petelo and Ryan Setefano all started the 2012 final, and no fewer than eight others return from last year's match including long-time national sevens rep Lote Raikabula.

Another that would be in both categories is halfback Peter Sciascia, but he will miss the final after suffering a serious injury last week and Regan Sword will take his place in the only change made by MSP's coaching trio of veterans Brendan Reidy and Ross Bond, and James McHardy.

Tawa will likewise be captained by their #7, TJ Fermanis; with only Randall Bishop and Shaun Treeby survivors from the 2013 final. Treeby's brother Matt would be another, but like MSP's Sciascia will miss Saturday's game. A third member of their side with experience on this stage is 2016 Billy Wallace Best & Fairest winner Peniasi Tokakece, who started the final for MSP last year.

Coaches Willie Lafaele and Doug Fletcher (another member of the 2013 side) have made two changes from the side that overcame Wainuiomata. Club veteran Lotu Nuku starts at hooker for Matt Treeby in the only change in the forwards, while in the backs last weekend's try-scorer Elijah Va'a-Brooking comes onto the wing for Sharn Robinson who drops to the bench.

On the season MSP have scored 664 points and conceded 422. Fili has accounted for 155 of those, while winger Mike Buckley is their top try-scorer with 9. Tawa have tallied 587 points for and 371 against, with Bishop their top scorer with 182 and Junior Togia tops with 8 tries.

MSP has won both of the sides' two meetings this year; 31-20 in the Swindale Shield and 12-8 in the Jubilee round-robin.

The referee for the match is Richard Gordon, who is a member of New Zealand's National Development squad and who also refereed last year's Jubilee Cup final. He will be assisted by Vincent Ringrose and Nick Hogan, who controlled last week's two semi-finals.

The stage is set. Who will lift Wellington club rugby's ultimate prize?

Hardham Cup Final preview: Hutt Old Boys Marist v Petone

Two of Wellington rugby's heavyweight names meet in Friday night's Hardham Cup final here at the Hutt Rec, with McBain Shield rivals and neighbours Hutt Old Boys Marist and Petone contesting the Premier 2 decider.

Being in finals isn't something uncommon to these clubs. Petone have won more Wellington championships than any other, while HOBM have twice claimed the Jubilee Cup in the past decade. However this is somewhat unfamiliar territory for both; the Eagles last played in the Hardham Cup in 2006; the next year they would claim the Jubilee Cup. The Villagers were last in (and won) the Hardham Cup in 1996, when they top side was shorn of its stars to play for a team called the "Wellington Hurricanes" in a new professional competition called the "Super 12".

Hutt Old Boys Marist topped the round-robin, going unbeaten and topping 50 points on four occasions. They come into the final after seeing off Paremata-Plimmerton last weekend, holding out the visitors while playing into the wind in the first half and then running out 43-6 victors with the elements at their backs in the second.

Petone dropped two matches in the round-robin; to HOBM when they last met, and to Norths two weeks ago. They however turned the tables on the latter at Porirua Park last Saturday, ultimately prevailing 39-30 in an extra-time thriller after the two sides were locked up 25-all at fulltime.

Both HOBM and Petone endured tough and at times dispiriting Swindale Shield campaigns to miss out on Jubilee Cup qualification. HOBM finished 11th with just four wins and a draw; Petone were one point and one place ahead in 10th also with four wins but taking 11 bonus points, including one in each of their first six losses.

HOBM will be captained by hooker James O'Reilly, with Ope Peleseuma, Tomasi Alosio, Sheridan Rangihuna, Lise Soloa, Otto Rasch, Alexis Time, and Nick Risdon all part of the 2014 Jubilee Cup winning side. Brandyn Laursen is another in the latter category, but was playing elsewhere in that 2014 season.

Eagles coaches Dan Vulu and Dan Pavihi make just one starting change with Rasch replacing another past Jubilee Cup-winner in Simon Malaeulu at prop. The bench has the experience of a pair of 200-gamers in Risdon and Polanga Pedro, with 150+ more in Alexis Time.

Jack Ross will captain Petone, with veterans Eugene Smith, Cam Incledon, and Mateaki Kafetolu adding to the knowledge. The backline is full of some of the best talent to have come out of the school competition in the past couple of years in Piri Paraone, Losi Filipo, Jarrod Adams, Lester Maulolo, and Willie Fine.

Their side has four changes made by coaches Riki Flutey and Dan Farani from the one that started against Norths. Junior Pesalisi comes in at prop for George Taeiloa, Kafetolu shifts to the blindside with Taurima Morris at No8 replacing James Bowen who was concussed in the final moments of the semi-final, with Belgium Tuatagaloa swapping in from the bench at fullback for James Twomey.

Across the season HOBM's leading points-scorer is Laursen with 236, while O'Reilly leads the team with 12 tries. Petone's top try scorer is Fine with 14 and Paraone tops in points with 168.

The two have split their meetings so far. HOBM won the most recent meeting between the two, prevailing 43-31 six weeks ago. The earlier game was the one that counted for the McBain Shield where both teams put aside their struggles of the time to produce an entertaining clash, won by Petone 27-23 in the very last moments when Fine crossed for his third-try of the match. In all, the two matches have produced fourteen tries so far.

Saturday's referee is Daniel Mangin, who refereed last year's Jubilee Cup semi-final between Marist St Pat's and Tawa. He is assisted by Jordan Price and Brad Hudson, with Steve Newson the appointed reserve referee.