Busy stretch of games starting this weekend

This Saturday is the start of the busiest stretch of the season for many club players, with a run of three Premier and Premier Reserve rounds in the space of a week coming up. 

Depth and form will be tested after tomorrow’s sixth round, Wednesday’s seventh round and Saturday’s eighth round set of matches. 

A look at tomorrow’s match-ups  below.

Hutt Old Boys Marist v Paremata-Plimmerton
Venue: Hutt Rec
Referee: Colin Te Pohe

The Eagles remain the only unbeaten team, but required the very last minute to prize the McBain Shield off Petone last Saturday.

Such stress is unlikely to repeat itself against Paremata-Plimmerton, but HOBM will be concerned about the lack of depth and impact from their bench seven days ago. 

HOBM Fullback Anthony Utanga was a McBain hero scoring two tries and will look to continue his good form (at first five-eighth tomorrow) as will Paremata-Plimmerton lock James Corcoran who also featured on the scoresheet.

Marist St Pat’s v Old Boys University
Venue: Evans Bay Park
Referee: Nick Hogan 

The Jack Lamason Cup named after the former Wellington rugby and cricketing identity is at stake in this fixture.  Last year OBU won this one 28-20 at Nairnville, but MSP pipped OBU 22-21 at Evans Bay Park in their Jubilee Cup round-robin clash.

Both sides have won four matches, but neither has hit top form. Joe Walding-Karaitiana after the best part of three years on the bench is making a strong impression as hooker and skipper of MSP. He has scored two tries in five games and his potential clash with Zeke Sopoaga is a highlight.

OBU centre Maile Koloto is the joint-leading try scorer this season with five, but is in doubt after a head knock against Ories. MSP boast depth in the midfield with Isaia Petelo celebrating his 100th game last week with a try and promising youngster Billy Proctor joining him. 

On form OBU are favourites, but expect a big step up from MSP. 

This match is featured on Te Upoko O Te Ika 1161 AM. 

Northern United v Tawa
Venue: Jerry Collins Stadium
Referee: Vincent Ringrose 

The Sammy Saili Memorial Trophy never fails to produce a passionate fixture in the Northern Suburbs and this year will be not exception with both teams 3-2 and dangerously unpredictable.

Both forward packs are evenly matched and there is little separating the backs to. Perhaps the performances of both sides NPC players will be the telling difference?

Wellington Lions Leni Apisai, Jackson Garden-Bachop and Du’Plesis Kirifi played for North's last weekend while Tawa’s Wellington hooker Sitiveni Paongo scored two tries and former Norths first five-eighth James So’oialo ran into some top form running the cutter. 

Tawa have won the last seven games against Norths stretching back to 2012, but that counts for little on present form. 

James Coburn will play his 100th Premier game overall, against his old team– he has so far played 79 for Tawa and 20 for Norths. 

Avalon Wolves v Petone
Venue: Fraser Park
Referee: Jordan Price  

Petone’s hearts were broken in the McBain Shield. After last year’s McBain win, Petone only won two games from their final 10. Will they suffer a prolonged McBain hangover again?

Petone’s discipline cost them victory, conceding 20 points with 14 men is suicide and if penalty problems continue this could be a tougher than expected afternoon against the Wolves who have lost three on the trot, but are much improved from last season. 

Watch for the clash in this Morgan Family Trophy fixture between in-form halfbacks Logan Henry and Jordan King and in the midfield between Losi Filipo and Ben Peni. 

In the last 25 games Petone have suffered nine losses by a converted try or less.

Poneke v Johnsonville
Venue: Kilbirnie Park
Referee: Richard Gordon 

If Poneke win their fifth game on the trot they will set up a potential top of the table clash with Hutt Old Boys Marist on ANZAC day. 

Poneke should achieve this task. Johnsonville were fesity against MSP in Round 5, but remain winless despite Kane Thompson being at his disruptive best. 

A strength of Poneke in 2018 has been their speed out wide and increasing depth. Nick Robertson crossed twice against the Axemen and Ivan Vaisagote wearing the unfamiliar ten jersey amassed 23 points.  Michael Sage wears the Poneke 10 jersey tomorrow, while Api Naikatini plays No. 8 for Johnsonville. 

Upper Hutt Rams v Wainuiomata
Venue: Maidstone Park
Referee: Mike Pinfold 

Upper Hutt enjoyed their first win of the season last week defeating Paremata-Plimmerton 29-17. Josh Houston-Tupou, typically a hooker, scored three tries from No.8. If he remains in that jersey he will face a grave challenge containing Ben Tupuola. 

Wainuiomata with two wins in five games are just outside the top seven while Upper Hutt are in the rare of the table. Green and black desperation should be enough for the points here, but the last four meetings have been split two wins each.

This contest is also for the Peter Jones/Dave Ritchie Cup.

Oriental-Rongotai  v Wellington Axemen
Venue: Polo Ground
Referee: Daniel Mangin 

Ories suffered their worst loss in many years to OBU last Saturday and with only two wins this season will be desperate to arrest their poor form. No.8 Luca Ress has been firing, but he needs more heart from a forward pack not short on names.

Axeman lock Alex Dalzell continued his top form last Saturday, but the Axemen need to sure up their defence to avoid another hiding.  Ories welcome back captain Tuakana Metuarau at openside flanker and Trent Renata at flyhalf. 

The two teams contest the Alby Jack Memorial Cup.

Women’s and lower grades

After having their bye in last week’s opening round, defending champions Oriental-Rongotai get their Women’s Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy season underway against last year’s defending Senior Women’s division champions Petone.

Ories have a number of familiar players returning to their campaign from last year, plus outside back Bernadette Robertson who played a season for Counties Manukau in 2017. 

Ories start the season on minus two points after incurring a player eligibility penalty in pre-season. 

Petone were beaten by Northern United in their opener so will be eager to post points on the ladder. 

First round winners Paremata-Plimmerton and the Avalon She-Wolves meet at Ngatitoa Domain, while the OBU Impalas and Northern United clash at Te Whaea and HOBM and MSP play at the Hutt Rec.

The second round of Les Mills Colts Division 1 games see two matches between opening weekend winners. MSP play  host OBU at the Evans Bay Artificial and the Upper Hutt Rams and Petone meet at Maidstone. The other two matches see Norths and Tawa play at Porirua and HOBM and Ories clash at Te Whaea.

There are three combined Colts Division 1 and 2 matches being played tonight, with the HOBM-Ories game (above) and the OBU Black-Poneke and Wellington-Johnsonville games all in town under lights.

Unbeaten Northern United host Tawa, who are coming off a 70-point win over Avalon, in a feature Harper Lock Shield Premier Reserve match, while the second unbeaten team, MSP, play third placed OBU in the early game at Evans Bay Park.

After being defaulted to twice, Stokes Valley A hope to start their season against the HOBM Barbarians with two bonus point wins in the third round of the Thompson Memorial First Grade season. 

OBU and MSP have also both had two bonus point wins and meet at Nairnville Park in the feature First Grade game of the round.

The U85kg Restricted JC Bowl kicks off this weekend, with all 12 teams scheduled to be in action. Defending champions the Wellington Axemen travel up the line to Paraparaumu to play their first game. The Wests Roosters are in action for the first time this year, playing the OBU Bunnies at Ian Galloway Park.

There are also full rounds of the Reserve Grade Mike Copeland Trophy and President’s Grade competitions around the region on Saturday.