Home semi-final up for grabs
It’s the final round of the Jubilee Cup and there is plenty to play for. The Top four has been confirmed although its exact order hasn’t been. OBU are guaranteed one of the home semi-finals, with MSP, HOBM and Tawa fighting it out for the other. It’s going to be a thrilling finish!
The Premier Reserve competition- the Ed Chaney Cup- has a similar look to it. OBU lead the competition, followed closely by Tawa, MSP and Petone. The MSP V OBU match will be highly anticipated.
In women’s competitions, Ories head into the final round having already secured a home semi-final as have Petone in Division Two.
The Colts Competitions continue to excite. In the Les Mills John E Kelly Memorial Cup, very little seperating the top sides. It’ll be a crunch game in between Ories and Petone, as 3rd plays 1st on the table.
In the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup, Kapiti have now overtaken the Upper Hutt Rams and hold first place. The team from the coast have produced some big results recently, including last week’s narrow 16-14 win against Poneke.
Jubilee Cup- The Top Four
Old Boys University- 1st Position, 25 points
Final game: MSP (away)
OBU cannot possibly finish below second place, so a home semi-final beckons. With a neutral venue confirmed for the final (Petone Rec), first place doesn’t quite have the same influence later on. In saying that, OBU will want to send out a strong statement heading into the finals with a good all-round performance against MSP.
Marist St Pats- 2nd position, 21 points
Final game: OBU (home)
A win against OBU will secure a home semi-final. The red machine have been great to watch all season and it’s hard to see them going against their natural attacking instincts in this match. At least, their top four placing is confirmed.
Hutt Old Boys Marist- 3nd equal position, 18 points
Final game: Tawa (home)
To guarantee a home semi-final, HOBM must win against Tawa and also hope MSP lose to OBU. Much like MSP, the Eagles have already secured a top four placing. HOBM impressed last week against Petone, with a strong scrum and excellent attacking play. If they can match this effort, they’ll be tough to beat.
Tawa- 4th equal position, 18 points
Final game: HOBM (away)
Tawa must beat HOBM and hope MSP lose to OBU to secure home advantage in the semi-finals. They impressed last week, after beating Ories in a nail-biter. It’s going to be a crunch match against HOBM, as both teams have a huge amount to play for.
Jubilee Cup - The rest
Norths (6th) v Wainuiomata (7th)
Expect plenty of passion in this match as two proud clubs play for pride. Both teams have a huge amount of talent, with some big ball-runners. Expect this match to go to the wire.
Ories (5th) v Petone (8th)
Both teams will be disappointed not to have secured a top four placing, particularly Ories who have a backline full of talent. Petone showed signs of brilliance last week, after some great tries.
Watch out for halfback Logan Henry, who scored an excellent solo try last week.
Hardham Cup
With still four rounds to go, the Hardham Cup is in full flight.
Poneke (3rd) v Johnsonville (2nd)
This will be a critical match for both sides, particularly for Poneke who are trying to keep up with the top two. Johnsonville only narrowly beat Avalon last week and they’ll be looking for a better performance this time around. Poneke come into this game with confidence, following a strong performance against the Axeman.
Paremata-Plimmerton (6th) v Avalon (5th)
Paramata-Plimmerton will be targeting this match and they’ll be determined to get their first win of the season. Despite their results, they have plenty of young talent coming through. Avalon will be quietly confident, after only narrowly losing to an in-form Hawks last week.
Upper Hutt Rams (1st) v Wellington (4th)
It’s hard to see the Rams losing this match, after putting 8 tries on Paremata-Plimmerton last week. The Axeman must find a way to stop the Ram’s impressive attack and powerful loose-forward trio.
Women’s Rugby
In the Victoria Tavern Trophy, OBU host Ories and MSP play Wainui. In the Senior Women’s grade, Tawa play Petone and Paremata-Plimmerton host HOBM.
Colts Competition
In the Les Mills John E Kelly Memorial Cup, MSP host OBU Green and Norths play Paremata-Plimmerton in the Friday night matches. On Saturday, Ories host Petone and HOBM play Tawa.
In the Vic Calcinai Memorial Cup, Johnsonville play Avalon on Friday night. On Saturday, Poneke host Wellington and Wainui play Kapiti.
